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One of the men with Mo had also run up, now stood over Teresa.
Then arms went around her, hands took hold of her wrists, and a body stepped up behind her, a low, perfect voice in her ear.“Good job, Wonder Woman.”
She started to tremble, and he eased the gun out of her hand.
Steinbeck had taken over for Declan, put Sergei facedown in a submission hold, his other hand gripped on the back of the man’s neck.
Fonzie ran up to Declan.“RBDF,” he said.“Give me the gun.”
Declan seemed to consider that, and for a second, she saw the former Marine in him, the man who’d been undercover, the man who’d been willing to die to protect her.
“He’s a cop.Sort of,” she said to Declan.
He let out a breath and handed Fonzie the gun.
“You okay, cuz?”
She looked at the man who’d walked up.Dark hair, he wore a black T-shirt over a pair of cargo shorts.Worry in his eyes.“Colt?”
A couple more men in white RBDF uniforms showed up, helped cuff Sergei, another man lifting Teresa off the ground and handing her into custody.The RBDF pulled her away for medical attention.
“Austen.”
She turned, looked up, her heart thundering, still shaking.Declan’s gray eyes searched hers, so much relief in them, it poured right into her, touched her bones.
Then she was in his arms, his embrace tight, his body steady, his heartbeat against her ear.
“I thought...I thought you were dead.”
“Yeah.I get that,” he said, and maybe he was trembling too, just a little.“When Mo said that you’d called—I lost it.”He lifted his head.“I’m so sorry I left you out there, in the ocean.I thought—well, I guess I’m tired of thinking.I just...”
And then his eyes glazed and her heart simply exploded.
Forget it.Yes, she loved this man.This brave, complicated, generous, surprising man.
“Thank you for staying alive,” he said, his hands cupping her face.
“Thank you for not dying.”
He smiled then, blinked, and a tear fell down his dark whiskered cheek.“Anything for you, Austen.Anything.”
And then he kissed her.His touch was soft and lingering, and he smelled of the sea, as if he might be a pirate who’d stolen her heart.
It belonged to him anyway.
So she wrapped her arms around his waist and stepped into the safety of Declan Stone and kissed him back.
“Seriously?”said a voice.
She broke away from Declan, met his eyes.“Can you not fire him?”
“I tried,” Declan said.“Wouldn’t take.”
“You didnotfire me,” said Stein.“I quit.”
Declan let her go.“Technically, you ghosted me.That’s not quitting.”
Steinbeck grinned.