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Marcus pulls some cable ties from his pocket and ties him up. At the same time, Miles removes his belt and secures it around the top of Gregg’s thigh, turning it into a make-shift tourniquet to slow down the bleeding, so he doesn’t die of blood loss.

I pull a knife out of my pocket, wincing when Indie flinches as I move closer to her. I gently reassure her as I cut the ropes tying her to the chair. When she’s finally free, she falls to the floor and I pull her into my lap, wrapping my arms around her as she sobs into my chest.

“It’s okay, Baby. I’ve got you. You’re safe now. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for not keeping you safe, but I promise that won’t happen again. We will look after you, Baby,” I whisper into her ear, reassuring her and apologising as much as I can, while I stroke the hair away from her eyes.

Marcus and Miles both let out sighs once they have Gregg secured, and Miles edges closer to me and Indie. When she sees him out of the corner of her eye, she reaches for him, pulling him over, until we’re all wrapped in each other’s arms.

At first she sobs harder, clutching on to us both like she’s frightened we’ll disappear if she lets go, but eventually, her tears die down and she gets control over her breathing.

I hear Marcus shuffling beside us, and when I glance up at him, he’s wincing like he’s uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, but we really should get going before he wakes up.”

Miles nods and stands, holding his hand out to us. “Can you stand, Gorgeous Girl?” he asks Indie.

She reaches out and takes his hand, letting him help her to her feet. She wobbles a bit, so I quickly stand to pull her into my side, helping to take her weight and keep her secure.

She looks over at where Gregg is tied up on the floor, a pool of blood collecting underneath him. “What happened…at the end?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

I’m glad she asked, as I’d very much like to know.

Miles wraps his arm around us both as he says, “While Gregg was winding Jacob up, talking shit, I used the distraction to our advantage. I shot him in the leg, then Marcus and I charged him to disarm him. He was too busy talking bollocks to see my shot coming.”

Miles sounds so fucking proud of himself—and a little psycho—my cock twitches in excitement. Miles smirks at me like he might know exactly what I’m thinking about as I smile at him, my cheeks flushing from the thoughts.

“Thank you for saving me,” she says, looking at Miles, myself, and Marcus individually, a small smile on her face.

I pull her closer as I reach out and lace my free hand with Miles’, before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We will always save you, Baby.”

“Come on, let’s get you home,” Miles says, leading us out of the house and into the car.

I try not to think about the hostage we’ve just shoved into the boot, or what is to come when Bree gets the information she wants from Gregg. As far as I’m concerned, we’re one threat down, with only one more to go. It won’t be long until Indie is truly safe, and never has to look over her shoulder again.

I can only imagine the horror she’s endured over the last couple of hours, and I know the mental scars will take far longer to heal than her physical injuries. But with Miles and me by her side, I’m hoping she’s strong enough to pull through this and never look back.

I’m ripped from my sleep by a loud scream that fills the air around me, and as soon as I wake up, I struggle to breathe. My lungs burn as I try to pull in some much needed air, but the weight on my chest hurts too much.

The darkness around me does nothing to help my overwhelming fear as I thrash around, relieved I’m finally able to move. My whole body is trembling, my hair sticking to my forehead, thanks to the sweat that’s dripping from me.

As soon as I feel a hand on my shoulder, I scream frantically, thrashing even more as Gregg’s face pops into my head once again. He’s older than the last time I saw him, like he’s aged more than I would’ve expected. He’s grown a beard, and appears a lot more scruffy.

“Hey, Indie. Take some deep breaths, Gorgeous Girl. You’re safe. You’re here with us,” a soft, gentle voice says from beside me.

There’s a touch of recognition itching at the edge of my brain, but before I can think about it more, a body pressing against my back sends me into a spiral.

“No! No, please, don’t hurt me. Please, I can’t.” My sobs soon turn to screams as the hand on my shoulder tightens.

I hear muttered cursing, which seems to come from all around me, but I’m too lost in the darkness and the panic to form any rational thought.

Suddenly, the light in the room turns on and brightness floods in, making me slam my eyes closed to avoid the stinging that comes from too much light. I try to blink away the bright lights, helping my eyes adjust to the sudden difference.

When I open them again, I’m shocked to find a pair of bright-blue eyes staring at me, a myriad of emotions flickering in them. The more I blink, the quicker the haze in my head clears, and my brain makes logical connections.

Miles.He’s the person touching my shoulder, and I’m guessing Jacob is who I can feel holding me from behind.

It’s not Gregg. It was just a nightmare.

Despite telling myself that, the tears continue to fall and I struggle to claw back control of my breathing. Miles reaches out very slowly, deliberately showing me each of his movements, so I can stop him if I need to.

He takes hold of my hand from where I’m clawing at my chest, and with a touch that’s much gentler than I ever thought he was capable of, he pulls until my palm is resting over his heart. I can feel it thudding away beneath my touch, along with the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.