Chapter 7 - Found In The Rain
The city outside was pouring rain, just like the day they met.
Donovan tore through the hotel lobby, terrifying the guests and the staff.
Security cameras showed she had slipped out through the loading dock twenty minutes ago.
She was out there, alone, in a city that ate children alive.
Donovan ran into the streets without a coat, the freezing rain soaking his shirt instantly.
He checked the alleys, the subway entrances, and the bus stops.
His heart pounded against his ribs like a hammer.
If Victor Vance’s men found her first, she would disappear forever.
He reached the corner of Milway Street, three blocks from the hotel.
There, huddled under the awning of a closed bakery, was a tiny figure.
She was soaking wet, shivering violently, and crying.
Donovan dropped to his knees on the wet concrete, sliding the last few feet.
"Mave!" he gasped, pulling her into his arms.
She fought him for a second, pushing against his chest.
"No! Let me go! I have to go away so you don't get in trouble!" she sobbed.
Donovan wrapped his massive arms around her, shielding her from the rain.
"Listen to me," he said, his voice breaking.
"I don't care what they say about me in court."
"I don't care if they bring up my past."
"You are not a burden, Mave."
"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."
Mave stopped fighting and buried her face in his neck, her tiny hands gripping his wet shirt.
"I forgot Gerald Too," she whimpered.
May you like
"He's waiting for you at home," Donovan promised, picking her up.
"We're going home."
