Page 73 of Gator

The worst part had been Wade’s reaction. He’d pulled his gun out and told us all to be quiet or it would be the last sound we would make. Then he’d paced for a minute, getting more and more frantic, until finally he grabbed up the person closest to him and dragged her up the stairs. It all happened so fast, we didn’t have time to react. We just sat there, stunned.

All the relief I’d felt when it first started, because I’d known Gator was up there, and that he’d come for me, turned to panicwhen Wade threw open the door and the shooting started. What if he shot Gator? What if Gator died trying to rescue me?

But he hadn’t. I burrowed in close, and he wrapped his arms around me, and for the first time since this whole mess began, I knew I was safe. It was over.

He was murmuring words of comfort into my hair while he held me tight, and I soaked it all in. Other footsteps sounded on the stairs behind us, but I didn’t care who it was. What mattered in this moment was this, right here.

“I swear,mon petit, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

“I know, Daddy, but they said they had Lainey, so I had to go.”

“Lainey’s safe at home with her mother,bebe.”

“I figured that out, but I couldn’t risk it until I knew for sure, and I knew you would come for me. You told me you would, and you don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“Damn straight,” he growled.

“Umm, can we get out of here?” Noah asked from behind me, and I turned to see him standing there looking up at Crowe.

Crowe’s dark gaze swept everyone with a medic’s calm efficiency.

“Anybody feeling dizzy or having trouble breathing?” he asked quietly. His gloved fingers brushed a pulse at the wrist of the girl nearest him, then shifted to another. I’d forgotten that Gator told me Crowe was a paramedic before joining their crew, but I could see it now.

Behind him, Wolfe’s boots hit the last stair with a heavy thud. He scanned the room, weapon still low but ready. “Upstairs is secure,” he said before turning to look at Crowe. “We good to move them up there?”

“Yeah, a couple of them have been pretty heavily drugged, but it’s cold and damp down here. We need to take them up.”

Wolfe nodded. “Good. Knox is on his way over with the first aid equipment and some clean blankets. Tuck, get photos for Chance, and then let’s get everyone out of here.”

Crowe gave a short nod and started helping people to their feet one by one, murmuring reassurances, before handing them off to Hawk and Axel. “Take it slow,” he said. “Up the stairs, to the living room. We’ll get you water, fresh air, and some blankets.”

I looked up at Gator. “Everyone is okay?” The memory of those shots and wondering who’d been injured flashed through my head.

“Yeah, Maddox is a little sore, but he’s good. Your buddy Wade isn’t doing so great, but he’ll live.”

“Too bad,” I grumbled. I’d never considered myself to be bloodthirsty, but in this case, I figured I would give myself a pass.

I stayed tucked in next to Gator as movement started all around us. Tuck was snapping quick photos of the restraints and syringes, leaving everything untouched for the Feds. The woman next to me, the one who’d said no one ever came, stumbled as Axel guided her up.

“Your turn,mon petit,” Gator murmured. His voice was low, but his hand stayed firm on my back. “We’re going upstairs.”

I nodded, but my legs still felt shaky. The room smelled like damp concrete, mold, and despair. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I’d only been there a day. I couldn’t imagine how the others felt.

Gator kept his arm around me as we followed the others toward the stairs. “We have the men who were holding you tied up in the kitchen, and we’ll have to go right by them. I just want you to be prepared. There’s a fair amount of blood.”

“Whose?”

“Wade’s. None of ours.”

“Good. He deserves to bleed for what he did to those people down there,” I hissed.

“He’s lucky Axel shot him, or I might have, and I wouldn’t have aimed for the knee.”

I tried to picture Axel shooting someone, but it just didn’t work for me. “Axel shot him? In the knee?”

“Long story. I’ll tell you later. Let’s just get you out of here.”

When we hit the top of the stairs, he tucked me tighter against him like he was hiding me from the men in the kitchen, which was fine with me. As long as all our people were fine, I didn’t care what those assholes looked like.