I Just Need You - J. Nathan Page 0,78
sorry,” I said, feeling nothing but regret for bringing danger to them.
“We’re gonna be okay,” Alice said. “All of us.”
Sirens bellowed outside the building.
I released the girls and turned to Tristan who was digging in the Frenchman’s pockets.
He stood up but color had completely drained from his face.
“You’re losing a lot of blood,” I said. “You need an ambulance.”
“I need to make sure whoever showed up with him is not here anymore.”
Someone rushed through the kitchen door and we all instinctively shuffled backward.
It was Briggs.
Sighs of relief rushed out of us.
Briggs’ eyes landed on the dead Frenchman. “Nice work.”
“Did you find the others?” Tristan asked.
Briggs noticed his wounds. “You all right, man?”
“He needs an ambulance,” I said.
“There was just one other guy,” Briggs explained, knowing Tristan would not budge until he knew. “The cops have him in custody and his story checks out. Footage from the airport shows the two of them flew in alone.”
I released a long breath, terrified to actually allow myself to believe that all of this might really be over.
EMTs entered the room. One rushed over to the Frenchman, while the others checked on Tristan.
Tristan glanced to me. I could tell he was thinking the same thing as me.
“It’s over,” I said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Kresley
“How are you?” Tristan asked, squeezing my hand from the seat beside me in my father’s private jet.
“The same as when you asked me ten minutes ago,” I said, trying not to snap at him.
“And that is…?”
“Angry that my boyfriend, who just underwent major surgery, insisted on checking himself out of the hospital against doctor’s wishes to accompany me home.”
“I’m fine,” he assured me, though the stitches in his shoulder and hip would argue otherwise.
“But are you?” I pressed. “Because you scared the hell out of me.”
“It’s all part of the job,” he said. “How are you? You scared me when you pulled out that gun.”
“It’s all part of the job,” I said straight-faced, trying my hardest to push the vision of the dead Frenchman from my mind. The dead Frenchman Tristan killed for me. The one who put two bullets in my boyfriend because of me.
“It’d be okay if you weren’t okay,” Tristan said, shooting me a sad smile.
“I know.” I stared out the window watching the clouds blur past the window with so many haphazard thoughts whirling through my brain.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Tristan said, clearly knowing I was overwhelmed with everything that had occurred over the past twenty-four hours.
I turned to look at him with something weighing heavy on my mind. “I need to say something.”
“Okay,” he urged.
“And I don’t want to upset you.”
“Nothing you say could upset me, unless you’re kicking my ass to the curb.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing nothing could make me break it off with the guy who saved me so many times—in more ways than one. “I know I’ll never get the chance to meet your parents, but I have a few things I really would’ve liked to tell them.”
His eyes narrowed, his brows drawn in question. “Like what?”
“Well…I’d start by telling them that you’re the bravest person I know.”
He rolled his eyes.
“And, even though you don’t like it when I say it, you’re like a real-life superhero.” I ignored the snarl that left him and continued. “I know you wish more than anything that you could go back to that day when you were nine and change the outcome. But I’d want them to know, you’re doing everything in your power to make up for it now. And succeeding. I mean, you’ve saved me twice.”
“Kres,” he pled.
I ignored his plea. “I’d also tell them that they raised an amazing boy who grew into an amazing man. One who’s strong and confident and would put his life on the line for the people he swears to protect. Whether he likes them at first or not.”
His soft laughter filled the plane.
“Oh, and I’d ask who you got your looks from because you’re a total babe.”
His smile told me I hadn’t pushed him too far by bringing up his parents. And hopefully, he’d see that he hadn’t let them down. Hopefully, he’d see that he’d done right by them. It was one thing for me to tell him that. But it was another for him to hear that I wanted to tell them that. Now, maybe his sleep would no longer be plagued with nightmares of what he couldn’t control. Maybe now he’d sleep. Because he deserved to sleep.
EPILOGUE
One Month Later
Kresley
We’d been swimming all day and now