was the one on the ground, bloody and mangled, I wanted to have it in me to claw and screech and draw my last breath fighting.
Jesus Christ.
Shiloh was shouting something and beating the absolute fuck out of Hutchinson. I took off, Ethan right behind me, and about a dozen cops descended like vultures to pull the two apart.
But not me.
If I didn’t want to check for myself my woman was safe I would’ve stood by and proudly watched.
But my need to hold her won out and by the time I hit the grass Shiloh had already been pulled to her feet.
Her face like granite, her eyes glittering with fury.
And that pride grew ten-fold.
Tough as fuck.
That was my girl.
Those gorgeous blue eyes came to mine, and before I could demand she come to me she ran directly into my arms. I took the brunt of the impact and wrapped my arms around her.
“You good?”
She nodded and wiped her face on my shirt. Then her head came up, as did her hands, and she grabbed my face.
“I’m not giving you up,” she declared.
“Come again?”
“It might be selfish, but I’m not letting you go. I’m not letting you walk away.”
“Not letting me walk away?”
What the hell is she talking about?
“I know my job freaks you out. And right now’s probably not the best time to talk about this but I’ve thought about it and I changed my mind. You deserve someone who won’t get called away and you deserve to have the sort of woman who won’t worry you. But I don’t care. I’m not letting you leave. No matter what, you’re stuck with me.”
“What the fuck?” I couldn’t stop the growl and if I wasn’t careful I’d start frothing at the mouth. “Told you, Shiloh, I’m not leaving you. So I’m un-fucking-clear what you’ve changed your mind about but you’re goddamn right you’re not leaving me.”
“I have a lot to tell you,” she stated the obvious.
“Yeah, you do, and just a warning—I’m pissed as all hell you’ve been dodging me all day. And you’re lucky you’re standing here instead of bleeding on the grass like that asshole.”
Shiloh’s eyes narrowed dangerously and her head tilted to the side.
“Aren’t you gonna ask me if I’m all right?”
“Baby, I asked you if you were good. Your response was to tell me you weren’t leaving me. And before that, I watched you disarm then kick Hutchinson’s ass. I know you’re all right. Though you wiped your blood all over my shirt. Yours is a mess and you need some fucking ice for your eye. So we’re gonna do that, then I’ll sit with you while you give your statement and after that, I’m taking you home.”
“Home?” She smiled.
My eyes dropped to her bloody lips then went back to hers.
“Home. Our home.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you, Luke?”
“No. I’m telling you, you no longer live here, Shiloh.”
“So you’re telling me I’m moving in with you?”
I figured I was clear that was exactly what I’d done, therefore I didn’t answer.
“Okay, I’ll move in with you.”
I didn’t respond to that either, seeing as not only hadn’t I asked, I wasn’t giving her options.
I had no clue what had taken place in her house or how Hutchinson got the drop on her. I did however know what happened on the front lawn. I also knew I’d hear the story when she gave her statement and I wouldn’t like it. And since I knew that to be the case there was no chance in hell she was living in this house. Further, it would be a complete waste of time and money for her to get another place and for us to continue to bounce back and forth from one house to another when she’d be wearing my ring and soon.
Tomorrow, if I could pull it off.
“I love you, baby.”
Shiloh’s face planted into my chest and she mumbled against it, “I love you, too, Luke.”
30
I would’ve laughed if I wasn’t so damn tired.
I would’ve laughed if Luke didn’t look like he was ready to commit murder and if Echo and Phoenix didn’t look like they were ready and willing accomplices.
So even though I wanted to bust a gut when Luke pulled onto his street and found carloads of people standing in his front yard, I didn’t.
I even bit my tongue when Luke got out and growled at everyone to leave.
No one listened. Not a single person who’d been waiting for our arrival cared that Luke sounded as annoyed