of his jaw, just to feel the steady beat of his heart. It was racing. Because of her, or the lingering adrenaline, she didn’t know.
He was here. Alive.
She held on tight. “I thought you were dead.”
“And I’m supposed to be upset that, instead of dissolving into a puddle of grief, you kept yourself collected so that you could get justice on my behalf?”
She sucked in a breath that emerged like a choppy laugh, but then it turned into a sob. “That wasn’t quite it.”
Aiden turned her into his arms. Where she wanted to be.
Until she saw the bullet. Bridget sucked in a breath. She grasped the sides of his shirt. That tiny smashed piece of metal embedded in his chest. Right over his heart. It would’ve killed him.
“Don’t touch it. We need the evidence to see if we can ID the shooter.”
She wanted a hug, not a bullet smashed into her face. A reminder of what she’d almost lost. “You could’ve died.” She barely got the words out. All those trauma tactics she’d learned, ways to breathe through the anxiety and try to calm herself, had gone out the window. Now she had no idea what to do, or say. How to focus.
“I didn’t die, I’m right here. I was wearing a vest.”
Bridget felt the tears gather. Aiden touched her cheeks, his face close. “It’s okay.”
She shook her head. “Sydney.”
“Elexa is with her, and there are extra patrols in our neighborhood. If we need it, there will be an officer assigned to sit with them. But so far, Clarke hasn’t targeted her. Right?”
“We can’t wait until he does. It will be too late.”
“Sydney will be fine.”
Bridget sucked in a breath. “She has to be.”
“I know.” His expression softened. As though he really did understand. “She will be, but you have to trust that I can handle this.”
“He shot you.”
“Now we know he’s still here. But probably he was just trying to warn you off about involving the cops. He doesn’t know about us.”
Was there an “us”? Whether there was or not, Clarke had to be kept in the dark. “He can never know.” That was why Bridget had asked Aiden to meet her. “You have to leave town. Take Sydney, and go off the grid. Somewhere Clarke and Enrico Capeira can never find either of you.”
His body stiffened before she even finished. “You think I’m going to run?”
“I think you don’t want to.” He wasn’t that kind of guy. “But you have to see the truth.”
“I thought I was looking at it.”
Whatever that meant, she didn’t get it. “Take Sydney and go somewhere safe. Just until this blows over.”
“I’ll repeat my question.” His voice hardened. “You think I’m going to run?”
“It could save her life.”
“God saved mine. Not any plan, or any person. Just God.” He lifted his chin and loosened his hold on her. That warmth slipped away. “He’s the one who will keep Sydney safe. Not a plan to escape. Unless He tells me to go. And until He does, I’ll be right here. Helping you.”
“Putting her in danger.”
“Come over to the house. Meet her.” He let go to fold his arms loosely. “Then tell me a life on the run is what’s best for her.”
“It’s just until I find Clarke and the FBI takes down Capeira. You know it’s for the best that she’s under protection.”
“She has that here.”
“Listen to me—”
“No.” He cut her off. “Listen to me. Go do your job. If you’re so worried about the collateral damage that you don’t even want to meet her because...because... you think you’ll wind up losing her all over again? Then just get on with—whatever. Come find me when it’s done.” He was nearly spitting.
She stared at him. Would he wait that long?
“You’re scared.” Aiden stared her down. “We’re all scared, Bridge. But we move ahead, and we do that together. Standing with courage. Not running out of fear to hide.”
“It’s the smart thing to do.”
“Guess I’m dumb then.” He shrugged. “Because this is my home, where I’ve raised my family.” He paused. “A terrible thing was done to you, and it stole years from you. But you have the chance to get that back, and you won’t take it because you’re too scared.”
“Of course I’m scared!” She knew they were drawing attention, but Bridget had to get him to understand. “I can’t put her in danger. Clarke will use her as leverage.”
“Only because you’re too scared to protect her yourself.”
“I can’t do that and find him at