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Turn.

And finally—finally—I move toward her.

Laney.

Her eyes are half-open, wet with pain. Her face is bruised. Blood drying at the corner of her mouth. She’s shivering. Still tied up.

“Oh my God,” I breathe. “Laney—baby—I’m here, I’m here.”

My hands fumble with the zip ties, slick with sweat and shaking so bad I nearly drop the knife Nico tossed me. But I cut them.

One.

Then the other.

Her arms collapse into my chest, and I catch her as gently as I can, pulling her into me.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

Her fingers curl into my shirt. Weak, but there. Present.

She’s alive.

I pull her into my lap, wrapping myself around her like I can protect her from the memory of everything that happened here.My heart is breaking with every shaky breath she takes, but I hold her tighter, grounding her in every beat of mine.

Behind me, I hear Randy sobbing as Nico drags him out of the room.

But all I care about now is the woman in my arms.

“I knew you’d come.”

Her words are raw and tear a hole inside my chest. So sure, so trusting. “I will always come for you, Laney.”

I lift her gently in my arms, noting the wince she tries to hide as she assures me she is okay.

“I can walk.”

“No way, you’re not leaving my arms for the next fifty years at least.”

She smiles but I’m deadly serious, I don’t think I’ll sleep again after tonight. We move past Nico, who’s talking with the stunned security guard. The man glances at Laney and a look of sympathy and anger comes over his face before Nico snaps his fingers in front of his eyes, then he drops his attention to Randy with a look of pure disgust.

So it looks like not everyone here is a piece of shit.

I feel soft fingers stroke my face as I head to the elevator and glance at Laney.

Fuck.

Her face is busted up pretty good, and it makes me want to turn around and finish what I started with that asshole, but she needs me more than I need revenge.

“Eddie.”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Is Joey okay?”

God damn it, even now she’s thinking of someone else. “He’s doing well, baby. The surgery was a success.”

“Thank God.”