Ryan
Having not found Sam inside the reception hall, I rushed outside, my heart beating so hard that I was afraid it would burst. I was terrified. My mind was racing with terrible thoughts of what might be happening to her. If Bill had found her, I had no idea what he might do. How desperate he might be to hurt me.
“Sam!” I called out in a booming voice. “Sam! Where are you?”
I didn’t see her anywhere. Shit, where was she?
Suddenly, I heard her. She was shouting and sounded terrified. I spun around and spotted a small garden not far away. She shouted again, and I took off running toward the garden.
“Sam!” I bellowed, pumping my arms so I moved faster. I reached the garden’s walking path and hurried in among the hedges and flower beds. I turned a corner and suddenly came upon them. Bill had a hold of Sam’s shoulders and appeared to be trying to contain her, but she was fighting him. Twisting and turning her body, she was also slapping at him as she screamed in fear and fury.
I didn’t hesitate. Charging forward, I grabbed Bill and yanked him away from her, throwing him to the ground. He latched onto me and dragged me down with him. We rolled in the dirt together, struggling to gain the upper hand over the other.
“Ryan!” Sam shrieked. “Be careful!”
Bill was going crazy, clawing at me and swinging his fists, clearly desperate to land a solid hit.
As much as I wanted to beat him bloody, I restrained myself and tried only to subdue him.
He wasn’t in his right mind, however, and was proving a much greater challenge than I would’ve anticipated. It was like grappling with a rabid dog that kept trying to latch its jaws around my throat. Sam was screaming for help. I wanted to go to her and make sure she wasn’t hurt, but I just couldn’t get control of Bill.
There was sudden movement out of the corner of my eye, and in the next moment, Bill was ripped away from me. Jason had him in a chokehold and was pulling him off of me. The other groomsmen appeared and swarmed Bill, helping Jason to subdue him.
I sat up and saw that other wedding guests had gathered and were watching the scene with stunned expressions.
“Call the police!” I shouted, shoving to my feet. “Now!”
Several people immediately got their phones out, and I focused back in on Jason and the other guys holding Bill down. He was still struggling against them, but he didn’t have a chance of getting away and just wiggled helplessly on the ground.
“You got him?” I asked.
Jason met my gaze and nodded. “Yeah, we got him. Check on Sam.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I turned and hurried over to her. She was crying and shaking as she stared at Bill, as though afraid he’d jump back up and attack her again. When I reached her, I wrapped her in my arms and held her tight to my chest.
“Sam, are you okay?” I murmured. When she didn’t answer right away, I pulled back, so I could look down at her. She appeared to be in a terrified daze. I cupped her face in both my hands and looked into her eyes. They were wide and glazed over. I wasn’t sure she was actually seeing me. “Sam? Sam, baby, come on. Snap out of it. Everything’s okay now.”
I stroked my thumbs along her cheeks, and she slowly blinked. Her gaze sharpened, and she focused in on me.
“Ryan, are you okay?” she whispered.
I sighed with relief and nodded. “I’m fine. What about you? Did he hurt you?”
She looked momentarily confused but then shook her head. “No, no, I don’t think he did. I think I’m okay.”
I frowned, instantly concerned. She didn’t seem okay.
“Sam,” I said in a soft voice. “Baby? I think you might be in a little bit of shock. We should get you inside, so you can sit down, maybe have some water.”
She clutched my arm, and her breathing quickened. “Wait, no, don’t go!”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I assured her. “It’s all right, Sam. You’re going to come with me. The cops will be here soon and take Bill away. I promise, you won’t have to see him again.”
She flung herself back into my arms and buried her face against my chest. Her breathing grew even harsher, clearly having a panic attack.
“I’m so scared,” she whimpered. “Please, I don’t want to be here anymore. Please, Ryan.”
I hugged her and rubbed my hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her.
“I’m not going to leave you,” I promised. “I’m going to stay with you, you don’t have to worry. Let’s get you out of here, okay?”
She nodded, and we turned to walk back toward the reception hall. However, Sam caught sight of Bill once more, and almost at that same moment, he lurched forward, nearly knocking some of the guys holding him down off balance. They maintained a firm grip on him, but Sam jumped and let out a terrified shriek. The color drained from her face, and she swayed on her feet. I realized she was about to faint and I quickly moved to catch her when she began to fall backward.
“Sam!” I exclaimed, cradling her in my arms. She was pale, so freaking pale. “Come on, sweetheart, wake up!”
She didn’t, but she was still breathing. I picked her up completely and ignored everything else as I took off, running with her back to the reception hall. I trusted Jason and the other guys to keep Bill at Bay. The only thing that mattered to me at that moment was Sam and making sure that she was okay. I didn’t care about Bill anymore. He was no longer a threat. I’d make sure of that.
Sam was my first and only priority. She was my life. Her and Henry. As long as I had the two of them and they were safe, I didn’t need anything else.