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“Dakota.” I take a step toward her, but my chest is too fucking tight, and my balance uncertain, so I stumble.
Rafe’s grab for my arm saves me from going down.
And the
n she’s right there, throwing her arms around me, sobbing against my chest. “You bastard. I hate you right now.”
I hold her against me, feeling like I’m about to be sick. “Really hate me?”
“Really, really hate you.” She’s hugging me so tightly my ribs might crack, and I swallow a gasp of pain. “I love you.”
I finally breathe again. I haul her even closer, pain be damned. “Love you, too.”
“Don’t do this to me ever again.”
“I won’t. I promise. Not for a million bucks. Not for all the money in the world.”
“Good.” She sniffles. “Lee and I need you.”
“God, I need you, too. So much.” I kiss the top of her head, and look down at her. “It’s over.”
Chapter Thirty Five
Dakota
It’s a fact. I’m married to the craziest, stupidest bastard in history.
Going off like that to face a killer, after a month or more of flashbacks and nightmares? After I almost lost him once already when his sister died and he drank himself half to death? After this psycho killer almost killed him as a child? How could he do this to me? It almost killed me when Audrey called to tell me what was going on.
Of course by then I’d found two missed calls from him, and a message that he is okay, and to call him back.
I’m married to the craziest, most damaged, bravest man in the world. I know why he did what he did. I understand. He had to make sure Kenneth Shaw was locked away. In Zane’s mind, that was the only way, and he got his closure.
But I’m holding him to his promise. No more danger. No more pain. From now on, I’ll make sure there’s only laughter and good times in our lives. Enough of the past. Time to plan the future.
Zane’s holding a gauze bandage to the cut on his forehead, given to us by the EMTs waiting nearby with an ambulance to take the guys to the ER to x-ray their chests, make sure there’s no damage from the accident.
Oh, did I mention they crashed into a frigging tree?
And that was before the psycho killer/child molester tried to bash their heads in with a baseball bat and they fought him. Like in the movies!
Jesus. So I am a little hysterical at this point. Big surprise.
The police come back to talk to him about the events that led to the capture of Kenneth Shaw. They keep it short, asking how they knew to find the man here. Then Wesley Logan joins us, announcing he’s taking over from here, and tells the boys to get their asses to the ER and then home to rest.
I bet we’ll be called to his office another time and day to talk some more. There’s the subject of the Lost Boys we haven’t even began to cover.
Frankly, I want tonight to be over so that I can take my man home and curl up in his arms until I forget this godawful night, the fear that rode me all the way from Audrey’s apartment until I saw him standing there, his face covered in blood, his knuckles bleeding.
The EMTs insist that he and Rafe ride in the ambulance, and it’s frigging hard to let go of him and watch him go. We all climb back into our cars to follow them, and I sit in the back of Tessa’s car, glad I’m not driving. Too shaky for that.
It’s over, I keep thinking. Kenneth Shaw has been captured and is going on trial. He’s no longer free to roam the streets and kidnap innocent boys. No longer free to foster children and torture or kill them.
Thanks to Zane’s mad plan.
Oh yes, I absolutely understand why Zane did what he did. Truth is, I’m married to the most amazing, selfless man I could ever hope to meet.
***
