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A deep sigh spills from her, then she shudders in relief. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. None of this is your fault. Leave that blame right where it belongs,” I reply fiercely. Her face hardens, and she nods. That’s right—be angry with him, not yourself. Then she looks at me almost shyly.
“Kiss me,” she begs, and I drop my lips to hers, planning to be gentle, but she’s having none of it. She presses against me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pouring desire into the kiss. I open my mouth, and our tongues tangle together, passion in every touch and thrust. The kiss is fierce, wild—and for the first time since she was taken, I feel alive again.
Blue whines, nuzzling her with his nose, and she reaches out to pet him. The big dog pushes in, unable to get close enough to us like he understands that we almost lost her.
The rest of the scene slowly filters in. With her sitting safely in my lap, I can breathe again and I take in my surroundings. Arden twists her head, gasping with shock when our joint gaze lands upon Frank’s body.
His body’s covered in a white sheet. What?
“Is…is he dead?” she gasps, twisting to search my face.
My brain speeds through the sequence of events, but I was so busy worrying about getting to Arden that I never noticed what happened to Frank after Mayhem and Tucker took him down. Searching for an answer, I search the crowd for my friend, holding Arden even tighter when she begins shaking in my arms.
A team of paramedics, all of whom I know, converge on us. They swarm, poking, prodding and asking questions.
But through it all, I don’t let go.
I can’t.
Mine. Forever.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“You look like shit,” my Mom says, waltzing into my bedroom. Her words sound harsh, but the soft look on her face is anything but. Tears spring to her eyes as she takes me in, and her gaze locks in on the angry bruising across my jawline and upper chest.
Carrots lays across my belly, resting her head on me as I pet her little bunny ears. The downy fur is soothing against my injured skin. Blue’s taken up residence across the base of the bed, keeping a watchful eye on me. Every tiny shift has him popping up his head to make sure I don’t overdo it.
“You made good time,” I say, happy to see her. The second she heard about what had happened, there was no keeping her away. She’d been wanting to come since Theo got lost, but I insisted she stay away to keep her safe.
My lips automatically quirk into a smile, but it turns into a grimace as pain radiates from my jaw. The room spins a little, and I school my expression.
“How bad is it, sweetie?” she asks, keeping her voice low and walking over to sit beside me on the bed. Her hand covers mine, and I swallow hard to stop from weeping. “No lying to your mother.”
“Not really that bad. Bruising on my jaw and neck. The worst of it is a mild concussion. It should be a few days, but nothing’s broken or sprained. Just a bit of rest and I should be back to myself,” I tell her honestly. Her hand comes up, gently tracing over the cut on my forehead. It’s all bandaged up, but I can still feel it. “Just a cut from the airbag. It shouldn’t even scar.”
“I’m so glad he’s dead,” she whispers, voice choked with emotion. A shudder runs through me as the image of him covered in that white sheet, blood coming through to stain it, comes to mind. A part of me still can’t believe that the monster who’s plagued us is gone—shot in the chest accidentally.
“Me too. I can’t believe it’s over,” I agree. Warmth unfurls in my chest, and a sense of calm fills me.
According to the report, Officer Tucker had shot to injure him. Frank had stumbled under Mayhem’s weight, and the shot pierced his chest, clipping the coronary artery. Accident or not, no one was unhappy about the outcome. Even Theo seemed alright when I told him, but I’m keeping a close watch. Grief can show itself in surprising ways.
“I can help you pack up over the next few days. Dad will bring some boxes when he drives up,” she tells me. What? The realization that I don’t need to stay here has me lurching upright in my bed. Carrots startles, but my hand steadies her before clasping over my heart.
“Mom,” I gasp.
Just the idea of leaving the ranch has my heart cracking in two. Would the Lyons let me stay in this house? It was never supposed to be forever.
“Or maybe you found something to stay for?” she asks, a small smile on her face.
“I don’t remember the last time I was so happy,” I answer shakily. “This place feels like …”
“Home?” she asks, wrapping her arms around me in a full-body hug. Careful not to squeeze too hard. “It’s okay, honey. We only want your happiness. This is close enough for us to visit all the time.”
Loud feet thunder through the house. “GRANDMA,” Theo screams. The sound piercing through my aching head when he slams into the room. “Oops, sorry, Mom.”
He bounces forward exuberantly, smacking a kiss on my cheek before giving my mother a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re here! Do you want to meet all the horses? I want to show you my Legos. Oh, and Carrots has a really cool cage.”
