Page 99

I fall back against the bench seat and close my eyes. “My darling, I just want you happy and safe. That’s all. And now all our best-laid plans might be for naught.”

“Then we’ll adjust. But I’m not giving in to this asshole, and I won’t let you either.”

I open my eyes and lock with hers. “I’m not giving in to him, love. I intend to discover who he is and destroy him limb by limb. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a part of that, and it doesn’t mean I’m not going to protect the people I love at all costs.”

“I’m not a damsel in distress. I don’t write women like that, and I won’t be one now. I want to fight this with you.”

The determined glint in her eyes holds me prisoner, and while I’m afraid for her, I also know now I can’t let her go. She clearly won’t stand for it. It makes my lips twitch. I’m thoroughly outmatched with this one, and I don’t think I’d have it any other way.

“Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry. It was a dim-witted thought.”

“Yes. It was.”

“I love you. In case you started to question that with my rubbish attempt at being heroic.”

She smirks. “I don’t need you to be my hero, Loomis. I need you to be the guy by my side who fights along with me, has my back, and doesn’t try to push me out the door because things get tough or because he thinks that’s what I need.”

“You’re bloody brilliant. I’d kiss you if I didn’t have a fussing infant on my chest and we weren’t about to land.”

“But you do.”

I pat Fen’s back and bounce him lightly. “No one is going to believe that this is real.”

“We’ll just have to prove to them that it is.”

The plane stops,and the moment I unbuckle, I reach for Keegan’s hand. Shockingly, she gives it to me. I never fail at dropping clunkers, but my attempt at breaking up with her might have taken the cake.

Still, and as fucked up as this sounds, she fought for me when no one else has. It’s forever been me against the world, or at least that’s how it’s felt. But for the first time in my life, I have someone truly beside me, who picks me above all others. She can tell me she doesn’t need me to take care of her, and I believe it.

She’s Keegan Fritz.

She has an army at her back.

But that won’t stop me from finding the git who went after my girl and ruining his life without a second’s remorse. The street punk in me has zero fucks to give with that, as Tinsley would say. I’m mild-mannered and charming when needed, but if you fuck with my people, I am bloody ruthless, and this arsehole picked my top two, my son and my girl. If he brings my mum, brothers, or Tinsley into this, I swear, they’ll never find his body.

With that determination, I lean in and kiss her. I love acting, but if this ruins me, I’ll be okay as long as I have them.

“You’re forgiven,” she tells me with a smile against my lips.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“I know.” She pats my shoulder. “You never will because I’m pretty incredible.”

“About sodding time.” I laugh. “Where is all this new confidence coming from?”

“From realizing I don’t need the validation of others to believe in myself.”

That earns her another kiss, this one a bit deeper and more intense so she knows she’s my world and my heart and my ocean and my stars and my sky. She’s the pulse of my heart, and I can’t exist without her.

Not anymore.

My PR team keeps telling me to play this one low and cool and keep my cards close to the vest. They’re in damage-control mode, but I can’t live like that. I have too much at stake. Too much to lose. But more than that, I need to make this right for Keegan.

We start to head out of the plane, and I nearly tumble down the small ladder when I see Vander there waiting for us.

“I’ve got him,” is all he says before he turns around and walks toward a large, black SUV that looks like it’s meant to house the king.

Still, my blood thrums at his words. He’s got him, and so will I. Keegan throws me a meaningful look, but we don’t say anything. There are people milling about, doing their jobs, and this is a conversation that can only happen in privacy.