Ruling Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 4) by Mallory Crowe Read Free Book Online

intense agony shot through her stomach and pushed her to the ground.
     
    ~~~~~
     
    “Oh my God!” shouted Jenny.
    Brock looked up from the email he was trying to read for the tenth time, his mind unable to focus on anything since Elsie left.
    A small crowd gathered outside of Elsie’s office and he pushed himself toward her in a heartbeat. When he saw her, his heart caught in his throat.
    Her normally pristine face was contorted in pain, and her body curled in the fetal position as if trying to protect itself.
    One high-heeled shoe was on her foot while the other lay three feet away. Her breaths came in shallow pants, her fists clenched and eyes squeezed shut.
    He knelt next to her as Jackson appeared in the doorway. “We need to get her to a hospital. Grab the car,” shouted Brock.
    Screw 911. No ambulance driver would ever make it to the hospital as fast as Brock would. Not when he had this kind of motivation.
    In an almost undetectable movement, Elsie shook her head, and her body shuddered. Through her clenched jaw, she mumbled, “Rebecca. Mother. Phone. Purse.”
    Brock frantically scanned the room until he saw her purse under the desk. Without leaving her side, he snatched the bag closer to him and fumbled inside until he found her phone.
    A moan escaped from Elsie and he could tell she was trying to hold back her cries of pain. “What happened?” he asked as he tried to find her mother’s contact information.
    It had only been minutes since he last saw her, and she didn’t have any signs of outward trauma. She was shaking, but her ability to speak and follow him with her eyes told him it wasn’t a seizure. He couldn’t think of anything that could cause such a sudden and crippling onslaught.
    He scrolled through her recent calls until he found the contact titled “Mom.” As he hit the Send button, Jackson was back.
    “I have the Hummer out front.” He leaned down to pick up Elsie.
    The sound that emerged from Brock’s throat was enough to stop Jackson mid-crouch. “Don’t. Touch. Her,” he growled, the sound completely inhuman.
    Jackson’s eyes widened at the threat and he slowly backed away, hands up in a non-threatening way. “I won’t, man,” he muttered.
    Brock shoved the ringing phone at Jackson. “You talk. I carry.” Elsie stared at him, but he couldn’t tell how much she comprehended. “I am picking you up now. I think it’s going to hurt, but I’ll do my best.”
    Though he knew she was far from okay, she gave a quick nod of consent. Without waiting for the anticipation to get the best of him, he hooked an arm under her knees and behind her shoulders and lifted her up in one swift motion. Her responding scream cut him to the bone.
    Wanting to get her to the relative comfort in the back of Jackson’s SUV as quickly as possible, he turned and strode out of her office. All the office girls were now gathered in a large crowd, but he didn’t stop to tell them where they were going.
    At this point, he didn’t even know. He looked over his shoulder and saw Jackson speaking on Elsie’s phone but was too focused on her shuddering body in his arms to focus on what was being said.
    He quickened his steps and held her closer, hoping that his presence would somehow lessen her discomfort.
    He couldn’t think of a way to get her into the backseat without hurting her more. Hell, at this point, each breath caused even more shivers of agony. He just knew he wanted to get her into the car with as little jostling as possible.
    So he climbed into the backseat, still holding her in his arms. They ended up with him sitting down, cradling her on his lap. If it weren’t for the extreme situation, it would’ve been a sexual position. Lord knew he had thought of ways to get her in his lap before, but never like this.
    Jackson hopped into the driver’s seat. “Who the hell am I talking to?”
    Brock reached forward and grabbed the phone out of his hand. “What the hell is wrong with her?” he