When Mark looked in the dimly lit cabin and saw Emily lying there, tied to the bed, every instinct in him said to run back out the doors and kill the man who had done this to her. There was no way he could leave her long enough to do that, though.
“Mark, I knew you’d find me,” she sobbed, as he gently sat on the bed and touched her. He felt all over her body, to make sure nothing was broken and then bent down to gently kiss her swollen mouth.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you, baby,” he said, through clenched teeth. He began untying her and had to hold the rage in, as he saw her reddened wrists and ankles. He couldn’t believe what that monster had put her through.
“I’m okay Mark, you got here before he could hurt me,” she said to him, with tears streaming down her dirty cheeks.
Mark lifted her up onto his lap and sat there holding her close, so grateful she was safe. He continued to rub her back and run his hand over the bump on her belly. “The baby?” he asked, afraid to hear if anything was wrong.
“The baby is fine, I’ve been feeling movement but I definitely want to go get a check up right away. He hit me pretty hard in the head.”
Mark could see the dried blood on her beautiful hair and his whole body was tensed for a fight. He lifted her up and carried her out of the cabin. He couldn’t stand to have her in there for one more minute.
Soon they heard the sound of sirens, as the police and paramedics were coming down the overgrown dirt driveway. Mark held her in his arms until the ambulance came nearer. He quickly walked over to it and laid her gently down on the stretcher. The paramedic hooked her up to some machines and soon the sound of their baby’s heartbeat could be heard over the chaos all around them.
Mark breathed his first sigh of relief since discovering she was gone. He glared over at the man who was currently being loaded into the back of a police cruiser.
“Mr. Anderson we have some questions we need to ask both you and your wife,” an officer said as he approached the ambulance.
“My wife needs to go to the hospital right away; can you please follow us there?” Mark asked the man.
“We can do that. This guy is getting taken into lock-up, so he won’t be harming anyone tonight,” the officer said and then walked away.
“We’re going to jog back over to the ranch and meet you at the hospital,” Lucas said, before he turned and started running up the hill with Alex.
Mark felt better as the ambulance started making its way towards the hospital. He would feel much better when they confirmed everything was okay with both his wife and his unborn child.
Emily was rushed into the ER and soon after, seen by one of the doctors, who happened to be a personal friend of Mark’s.
“She’s going to be fine,” the doctor told them. “I want you to keep an eye on her tonight while she’s sleeping because of that bump. It looks like you got really lucky in finding her so quickly,” he finished.
“Thank you so much Jim, I appreciate you seeing her so fast,” Mark said, as he shook the man’s hand.
“You know I would do anything for you Mark,” Dr. Jim said and then left.
The doctor had given her some pain pills so her head wasn’t pounding anymore but she was sore and her wrists and hands burned. She wanted nothing more than to shower the grime off her body and sink into a bubble bath.
Mark helped her dress and she had to smile at the irony. He was usually trying to get her out of her clothes, not put them on. “This is a change,” she said with a flirty smile at him.
Mark looked at her in shock as he realized she was joking with him. “I love you, Emily. I can’t even think what could’ve happened if we hadn’t gotten there when we did,” he said with a thick voice.
“Mark, you did get there in time and I simply don’t want to think about that man or place anymore. I’m one of the lucky ones who was found because I have you,” she said, as she ran her hand over his cheek.
“Okay, for you I’ll try to stop worrying,” he said with a weak smile.
“Thank you. Now let’s go home.” He took her hand and led her out to the ER waiting area. Lucas and Alex jumped up as soon as they spotted them.
“Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” they asked in unison. Emily nodded her head yes and then on impulse hugged each of the brothers.
“Thank you for caring about me. I’m glad to have you as my brothers,” she said as a tear slipped out. Both men were too choked up to say a word and instead hugged her tighter. A few minutes later they made their way outside to the car.
The men were treating her like a porcelain doll. Mark even held her head as she bent down to get in the car, worried she might bump it on the door jamb.
She sat in the backseat, snuggled up in Mark’s arms, on the short ride back to the house. When they pulled up the front door opened and the porch filled with her sisters, Joseph and Katherine, Mary and Scott and Edward.
She was once again overcome by emotion, as she looked at the amazing group of people who were her family. She walked up the steps and was engulfed in hugs and kisses and then led into the den, where she sat down, with a blanket thrown over her and a steaming mug placed in her hands.
“You drink this up and then we’ll get you upstairs to clean up before you have to do any talking,” Mary said, taking over like a mother hen.
Emily obediently drank the soothing liquid and realized it did make her feel better and seemed to give her some added energy, which she was seriously depleted of.