Page 68

“Nope.” She shakes her head. “You’re not getting out of this marriage that easily,” she says through a watery laugh. As she peppers kisses along my jaw, my chest burns with the emotions crashing into me.

The moment I saw her car explode, I stopped breathing.

My life has been intertwined with hers for so long, before she kissed me or looked at me the way she is right now.

I don’t believe in anything resembling religion, but there’s something that’s woven itself around me and this woman in a way that’s bigger than both of us.

Coincidence and misfortune, sure. But reverence and appreciation for getting to love her is something I feel deep in the marrow of my bones.

“I kind of like the idea of you tied up. Should have left those ties on.” She makes me chuckle, even with tears streaking down her beautiful face. “Maybe later, yeah?” Kissing me once more, she shifts off of my lap, just as Seraphine approaches.

“Let's get you on your feet, Foxx,” Seraphine says as she flips open her pocket knife. With a quick swipe, she cuts the ties at my feet and helps me stand, my wife getting up with me. “Nothing like the women riding in to save your ass, huh?”

But just as I let out a laugh, Hadley gasps as Wheeler yanks her arm and pulls her against him.

With her back to his front, his arm is looped around her neck, his hand nearly blown off as he holds her tightly in a headlock by the crook of his elbow.

She cries out as he digs his gun into her side with his other hand.

I step forward without thinking, my gaze on Hadley’s terrified expression, but Seraphine armbars me, holding me back.

The action nearly has me feral, until she steps in front of me slightly, and I see the gun tucked into the waistband of her pants.

She knows I’ll have a better chance of grabbing it without being seen than she will.

“You really—” He breathes hard, spit drooling from his mouth as he limps, trying to pull her farther from me. “Made a mess of this, pumpkin.”

Hadley’s eyes water as she tries to gain her footing from being pulled back, her bare feet slipping, unable to gain any traction. Digging her fingers into his arm, she tries to hit the mangled flesh. “I’m not your pumpkin.”

Wheeler tuts, like her words mean nothing to him.

I’ve never wanted to kill him more than I do at this moment. I’m seconds away from tearing that arm right off his body. “Take your hands off my wife.”

“Not yet,” Seraphine grits out quietly.

“My name is Mrs. Hadley Foxx,” my wife seethes in a strained voice and through a clenched jaw, just as Hawk comes to his full height behind Wheeler. It has my nerves ratcheting even higher, until I see the look of disdain on his face, aimed right at the same man I’m staring at.

The cocked gun Wheeler holds digs into Hadley’s ribs and his mangled hand turns up, his arm tightening around her neck even more, which has her eyes widening and body straining. Even if Hawk makes a move to protect her from Wheeler, there’s no guarantee his gun won’t go off.

“Hadley, look at me,” I shout to her.

“Shut up, Foxx,” Wheeler hisses, along with other scathing words, but instead of letting them sink in, I lock eyes with her and shuffle for one important thing that she’ll understand.

“Where you think all men should be,” I say, pushing past the roughness in my throat so she can hear me clearly. Her eyes dart around my face, more tears streaking her flushed cheeks. “Where. You. Prefer. Me.”

And like the good fucking girl she is, her eyes widen as it registers what I’m asking her to do.

She deadweights her body and drops to her knees.

Hawk moves fast from behind them, taking the opening and shoving Wheeler just enough that it knocks him off-balance.

I tug the gun from Seraphine’s back, and in one fluid motion, flip the safety, raise, aim, and fire off one clean shot.

The sound of sirens is faint in the distance, just as another firework pops off above. The glow of red and white bleeds from the sky and lights up the mess around us—Wheeler slumped over on the ground, eyes open with a bullet hole in the center of his forehead.

Hadley’s in my arms again in the next breath as I lift her to her feet, her chest heaving from crying. “You’re okay, I’ve got you. I’ve got you,” I tell her softly, holding on and kissing the side of her head.

Pulling back, my hands frame her face now covered in tears and dirt.

Her face squints as she kisses me. “Tell me this is over now,” she says with a labored breath.

“It’s over. You’re safe,” I say, taking a few deep breaths to get her to calm down. There isn’t a single ounce of regret for killing that bastard.

She lets out a choppy exhale from pursed lips, head jerking in a shaky nod as she repeats, “It’s over.”

I run my fingers through Hadley’s hair and hold her tightly, pressing my lips to her forehead. “We’re okay. I’ve got you.” I keep repeating it to soothe her and maybe myself as well.

Like I need to confirm it one last time, I look over and see there’s no movement from her father. It should’ve happened sooner, but at least now, he’s gone. Hawk hovers over his brother, who doesn’t seem to be moving either. Seraphine collects the gun that Wheeler had and holds it to her side.

“Don’t think about going anywhere,” she says, pointing at Hawk. He doesn’t seem ready to up and run. If anything, he looks numb.

Hadley’s attention flicks around, following where Seraphine just was, before her head turns to look behind me. My chest aches as it registers where she’s looking. Her body tenses, eyes widening, just before she’s sprinting from my arms and in the direction of, “Griz!”