The ache in his chest intensified until he felt bogged down with emotion. Sorrow. Fear. Anger.
Oh God, he couldn’t lose his father. Not Dad. And his mom. Oh God. It took everything in him to stand there, steady, and not break as he stared at the closed door to the room.
Garrett turned to him, and he saw that his brother fared no better than he did. They were both supposedly so tough. The older brothers. Leaders. Sam felt like a fraud.
Then Sophie reached out and touched Garrett lightly on the arm. It was a simple gesture that softened some of the raw grief in Garrett’s eyes. Garrett reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.
“Thanks,” he murmured.
Sam nodded toward the door. “Let’s go in. I want to see him as soon as I know how Rusty and Sean are doing.”
When they entered, Sam saw Rusty seated in the far corner, her face splotchy and her arms hugged around her drawn-up knees. Sean was standing across the room, hands shoved into his pockets, and two of Rio’s men stood guard just inside the door.
When Rusty saw them, she shot to her feet. Fists clenched at her sides, she stormed over to where Sam stood.
“You promised you’d keep them safe! You left them!” she accused, her voice ravaged by tears.
She turned her furious stare to Sophie and then back again at Sam. “This is all her fault, isn’t it? She’s the reason you took off and why you left them unprotected. They could die. They could all die.”
Sam moved from Sophie so she was behind him, and he reached for Rusty. She tried to pull away, but he hauled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.
She struggled but he held on, and finally she went limp against him and broke into heartrending sobs. She wept against his neck, and her entire body shook uncontrollably.
“Shhh,” Sam said as he stroked her hair. “Dad’s going to make it, Rusty. You know how ornery he is. Can you imagine a heart attack ever taking him out? It would require a tank, and even then my money would be on him.”
“What about Marlene?” she sobbed. “They believed in me. They’re the only people who ever gave a damn about me.”
Sam swallowed back his own tears and hugged her fiercely. It was the first time he’d ever reached out to Rusty in the almost year she’d been with his family. He and his brothers tolerated her much like a splinter. Annoying but there. They’d indulged Marlene’s motherly fits over her just like they indulged her mothering everyone else in the world. But they hadn’t ever accepted her. Only Marlene and Frank Kelly had done that.
“We’ll get her back, Rusty. I swear it. We’ll get her back.”
He led her over to the sofa against the wall and eased her down. She covered her face with her hands as though she were ashamed that he’d seen her cry.
“Rusty, look at me,” he said gently.
Slowly her chin lifted and her haunted eyes found his.
“I know you’re angry. I am too. But Dad needs you to be strong for him, especially now that Mom is missing. I swear to you I’ll bring her home.”
“You swore you’d keep us safe,” she said bitterly.
Sam sighed. “Rusty, you’re old enough to know that shit happens. Playing the blame game gets you nowhere. If it makes you feel better to blame me, then by all means do so. It won’t change a damn thing, though. If I have to move hell to find my mother, then that’s what I’ll do.”
Tears crowded her eyes again and her face crumpled. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m just so scared. If I lose them ...”
She broke away and buried her face in her hands.
Sam pulled her against his chest again. “You will always have a home,” he said quietly. “No matter what.”
She jerked her head up and stared at him, tears sloshing over the rims of her eyes. “Do you mean that?”
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”
She smiled, really smiled, and it occurred to Sam that it was the first sign of true joy he’d ever witnessed from her. She was always so reserved and on guard. Way tougher than a girl her age should ever have to be.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“I need you to promise me something now.”
She cocked her head. “What?”
“You don’t go anywhere, even to the bathroom, without an armed escort. No exceptions. I can’t focus on getting Mom back if I have two people to rescue. Okay?”
Her face fell at the mention of Marlene, but she bit her lip and nodded. “I promise.”
He rose, leaving her on the couch. Before walking away, he reached down and squeezed her hand. “I’ll be back. I need to see Dad.”
Sophie was standing where he’d left her. She was pale, her face drawn, and she looked like she’d have preferred to fade into the wall.
Garrett was absent, probably gone back to see their father already. Rio stepped into the waiting room, and Sam went to meet him. He reached for Sophie and pulled her into his side when he stopped in front of Rio.
“Watch over them for me,” he said in a low voice. “I’m going back to see Dad and then we have to put our heads together.”
“Steele and I are working on it,” Rio said. “Sean coordinated with the local and state police and they set up roadblocks within an hour of her abduction. If I had to guess, I’d say they left by air. There were reports of two helicopters in the area and we’re trying to run down information on both.”
Sam reached up to touch Sophie’s cheek. “Stay here with Rio. Don’t go anywhere without him, okay?”
Sophie looked uneasy as she glanced over at Rio, but she nodded.
Sam glanced at Rio one more time and Rio nodded. Then Sam walked out of the room and to the door that led to the glass-enclosed rooms in the intensive care unit.
It took a moment for a nurse to answer his summons, and when he told her he was there to see Frank Kelly, she informed him there were already two visitors with him.
Sam ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “I just got here. I have to see him. My brothers are with him. I’d like to be there with them. Please.”
Her face softened and she glanced back toward the nurses’ station. “Come with me.”
He followed her to the far end of the unit, to the last cubicle on the right. She paused at the door and motioned him in.
“I can’t let you stay long. If the charge nurse comes back, she’ll insist on the two-visitor limit.”
“Thank you,” Sam said.