bumps his forehead against hers, smiling wide. “There’s my girl.”
Someone approaching snags my attention, and I look up, lips parting when Maverick steps out of the shadows, dragging an unconscious guy by the hand.
“Found this one trying to escape,” he announces, before sucking in a breath at the sight of his niece, his eyes filling with pain.
I help Hayden when she tries to sit up, letting her rest against my chest.
“So you beat him?” Beau asks, arching an eyebrow. “My paperwork is going to last me weeks.”
He shrugs, letting go of the guy’s wrist. It thumps to the ground. “He pissed me off by going after my niece.” He looks to Max, his expression downcast. “And I had to show someone how sorry I was.”
Max looks over at Hayden, who’s teeth begin to chatter. He takes his coat off, wrapping it around her shoulders.
“Let’s get her to the ambulance,” Max announces. “And Maverick?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry. I was just—I was…”
“Trust me, I get it.”
“I’ll get Fisher,” Beau declares.
“No you fucking won’t,” Max snaps. “As much as I’d love to carry my daughter out of here, I want to make sure that fucker isn’t going anywhere.”
“Max, his hands are tied up,” Beau reminds him. “And handcuffed.”
“Is that ivy?” Landon asks, squinting.
Max puffs his chest out, nodding. “Fucker won’t think of messing with me or mine again.”
“I’ll run back for the car and meet you on the road,” Liam tells us, turning to younger Liam, who still looks lost. “You want to come?”
“I’m not leaving Hayden,” he tells him, his voice low.
I pick Hayden up and cradle her in my arms, and her eyes flutter open. “Yay,” she cheers weakly. “I don’t have to walk.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
HAYDEN
The flashing blue lights from the ambulance are causing my head to spin. I shove the paramedic’s hand away when he goes to shine the light in my eyes again.
“Let me check you over,” he argues, lifting his hand again.
“Get that out of my face,” I snap.
“Miss, please…”
“I’m fine,” I croak, looking over his shoulder. “How is he tied to the tree?”
We had arrived at the road at the same time as the paramedics. Instead of lying back on the gurney, I opted to sit in the doorway, wanting to assess my surroundings. I’m still struggling to relax, my body on high alert.
“Ignore that,” Clayton whispers, wrapping the foiled blanket tighter around me.
“Why does Dad have a stick?”
The paramedic shakily turns to look. “I thought they took that off him,” he whispers.
Clayton shakes his head at me. “I’d say your dad is protecting his cub, but he’s not guarding Fisher to protect him. He’s making sure no other corrupt cop lets him free or mistakes him for a good guy.”
“It was just him,” I announce, resting my head against his shoulder. “He’s the only cop involved, the one in charge. It was all him.”
“It’s okay,” he soothes, rubbing his hand down my arm.
“No, it’s not,” I tell him. People lost their lives or are suffering with PTSD because of his choices. All out of anger and greed.”
“Tonight could have ended differently,” Clayton whispers when the paramedic climbs into the back of the ambulance, mumbling about grabbing a sedative for Dad.
I tilt my head up, narrowing my eyes. “Now is not the time to say I told you so. I’m tired and can’t form appropriate comebacks.”
“I’m not saying that to you,” he assures me, his irises darkening. “I was so fucking scared, Hayden. So fucking scared I had lost you. I had gone outside to apologise to you, and to tell you the good news, and you were gone. I’m a lot of things, Hayden. I can be difficult and moody, but one thing I never considered myself to be is a romantic.” He takes a deep breath while my heart pounds against my ribcage, waiting for him to continue. “I love you. I know it’s too soon, and I know it’s crazy, but that’s how you make me feel. Crazy. In the time I’ve known you, I’ve been a party planner, a homeless guy, a stranger, a charity case, a stripper, and God knows what else,” he tells me, making me grimace.
“I panic when I’m put on the spot like that. And in all fairness, I couldn’t help my cousin’s neighbour believing me about you being a stripper. You are hot,” I rush out.
He kisses me, shutting me up as laughter shines in his eyes for a moment. “Let me finish,” he says, exasperated.
Rolling my eyes sends a wave