Page 31 of Pick Yourself Up (Heroes to the Core #3)
Follow Up
G ray couldn’t let Amber go. The fear continued to roar through his blood, although seeing Allard and his fellow thug trussed up helped.
He hadn’t caught the man’s real name yet, but he was the same asshole who’d hit Amber back at The Sidderlight.
He’d be sitting his ass back in jail for the foreseeable future, right alongside his buddy.
Marcus approached with a grin. A smile that didn’t bode well for the assholes. “I’m going to come to the farm tomorrow for full statements from you both. No need for that tonight. I’ve got empty cells waiting for these two. They’re not going anywhere just yet.”
Gray nodded. “Not for a long time, I hope.”
Marcus smiled. “I’ve got a call into a friend of mine who is the lead FBI agent over in New Hampshire.
Another call into the local cops back in Chicago.
Not only have these two broken parole in pretty much every way imaginable, they’ve crossed state lines to do it.
Seeing as they work for a major crime family, things got very serious when they did that.
So, they won’t be in Phail long, but they’ll be in FBI custody and then in prison for a long time to come. ”
He nodded. “Good. That’s great news.”
The chief agreed. “It is. Putting away the scum of the world is always a pleasure, and it’s even better when we know we have all the evidence we need to keep them there.”
Then the police chief turned to Amber. “You can rest easy. The family they work for is going to be pissed at them, not you. These idiots will be safer in jail. The Lauzons prefer to keep a low profile. I’m sure they’re going to cut their ties with these two.”
“Do you think they’ll send someone else after us?” Amber’s voice trembled, but her eyes were clear now.
Marcus shook his head. “No. These two were acting independently. Well, Spade was following Allard’s orders.
But they weren’t following Lauzon’s orders.
The family wants the entire Sidderlight mess to fade into the past. And this one too.
I’ll have a friend in Chicago keep an ear to the ground, but I believe this incident is completely over as far as the two of you are concerned. ”
Amber sagged in his arms even as relief coursed through him.
Marcus took his leave, and the crowd thinned. When Graham arrived with a tow truck, Gray stood aside to let them take the vehicle.
Amber patted his chest. “I can walk.”
Reluctantly, he lowered her feet to the road and then tucked her into his side. Boomer took up position on her left and she ran her fingers through his fur.
Knox approached and pulled her in for a hug. Then Jolie. Thea and Dodge. New friends from Phail and Midnight Lake.
“Time to head home.” Gray’s voice was thick and growly, but no one seemed to mind. He figured they all understood.
In moments, they sat in the back of Knox’s truck with Thea in the front seat and Jolie squeezed in next to Amber and Boomer.
The ride home was quiet, and when they turned into the drive, his nerves settled further.
They passed the B&B where he’d have a window to fix the next day. It could wait.
At the farmhouse, they found a note taped to the back door. It was from their neighbor, Lorraine.
Thanks for letting us know Amber is going to be okay and that those jerks are in jail.
Mort and Callum helped me cover up the broken window with a piece of plywood and turned off the alarm with the code you gave me.
My troop patrolled the orchard with Hemsworth and Fox.
There was no trace of anyone else. The ducks are in the Quack Mobile for the night.
Amber’s eyes filled with tears as they read the words. “That’s so nice.”
Jolie hugged her sister. “They’re pretty great neighbors.”
Amber nodded. “We’ll have to have them over for a meal again soon. See how we can help them for a change.”
Now that she knew them all, Gray knew Amber wouldn’t stress out about inviting them over again.
Knox smiled. “Good idea. We’ll figure it out tomorrow. Anyone want to have a glass of the new cider recipe I made? We can sit out here on the back porch.”
To his surprise, Amber nodded. Was she taking care of the others again, knowing they would all need time to believe she was okay?
Knox and Thea shooed them to the side and quickly set up chairs around a small table. It was crowded, but they all wanted to be close. He tugged his chair right next to Amber and wrapped his arm around her. Boomer sat on her other side and put his head in her lap.
Knox brought out a plate of cookies along with the cider. Then he patted Boomer’s head. “Want a treat, boy? I don’t have a steak to give you, but I’ll look into how to get you one. Thanks for taking care of Amber today. She’s special, and I’m glad she has you.”
Boomer sat up tall and wagged his tail. When Knox tossed the treat in the air, he leapt and gobbled it down, licking his face afterward.
Gray rubbed the shepherd’s head when he returned it to Amber’s lap. “We owe you, Boomer. Anything you need. Anytime.”
He licked Gray’s hand and then yawned, making them all smile.
The twinkle lights they’d installed along the edge of the porch turned on when the light dimmed, keeping the atmosphere bright enough that he didn’t think Amber would be nervous. She didn’t tense under his arm, although she leaned her head on his shoulder.
After a few moments of silence, Amber spoke softly. “Thanks so much, everyone. Tomorrow I’d like to hear about what happened at your end. Tonight, it’s enough to sit here and enjoy the peace.”
He kissed her hair. “We’re all safe and we don’t have to worry about those assholes anymore. It’s good to be home.”
Amber leaned back and smiled up at him. Then she hoisted her mug. “To home.”
They echoed her words and clinked glasses.
It was damn good to be home.
A mber woke, nestled in Gray’s arms. She didn’t have a clue what time it was, but rain slapped against the windows with force enough to have her snuggling deeper into the covers and the man holding her.
She hadn’t thought he was awake, but his hand immediately ran up and down her arm, and he kissed her hair. “Morning.”
She swiveled enough to see him. Wide-awake eyes roamed her face. She kissed his jaw. “Good morning.” She wondered how long he’d been awake, but was glad he hadn’t slipped out of bed, leaving her to face the morning by herself.
He shifted in the bed so that she was on her back and he was on his side, looking down at her. He brushed some hair off her face and kissed her softly. “How are you?”
She smiled. “Warm, snuggled up with this sexy guy I’ve fallen in love with, safe and happy.”
His eyes widened, and she watched as they filled with joy. “Me too.”
She widened her eyes in mock outrage. “You’ve fallen in love with a sexy guy? I’m shocked and saddened.”
He laughed and kissed her deeply, causing her heart to swell and her body to tingle.
He pulled back only far enough to look her in the eyes. “I’m so in love with you, Amber. You’re an amazing woman and I love everything about you. Including the sexy package that’s wrapped around that incredible heart of yours.”
Tears misted in her eyes, but she blinked until they disappeared. “I’ve known I was in love for days and days. I thought it was too early to tell you. And then I almost didn’t get the chance. I’m never going to miss another opportunity to tell you I love you.”
His eyes dampened as well, but he didn’t look away, didn’t hide himself from her, letting her see all of him and his emotions.
“I’ve never been as scared as I was yesterday. The possibility of losing you almost made me unable to function. If Boomer hadn’t been here, we might not have found you in time.”
Her heart ached for him. “But you did function, and you worked together to find me. To keep me safe.”
Together, they looked over to find Boomer watching them. With a grin, Gray patted the bed. “It’s okay. Come up and check her out for yourself.”
The dog didn’t need to be told twice. He leapt up and stepped over and around them until he was on Amber’s other side. He licked her face and then snuggled up to cuddle with her.
She wrapped one arm around him and looked at Gray. “Looks like Lia was right.” Boomer had been traumatized by the day’s events just as they had.
Gray nodded and ran his hand over the dog. “It’s okay, Boomer. You saved her. Hell, you saved us both. Thanks to you, we’ve got all the time in the world. We’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”
Her heart leapt again, but Gray smiled at her and shook his head. “Not asking yet. I’ve got things to prep first.”
Her heart soared. “The answer will be yes. And you don’t need to prepare anything. I’m already yours.”
His eyes darkened, and her body shivered in response to the lust she saw there.
Boomer hopped to his feet and licked Amber again before leaping off and curling up on his bed.
Gray grinned at him. “Thanks, Boomer. You’re a hell of a wingman.”
Then Gray rolled on top of her, keeping his weight on his elbows. “How’s your head?”
She laughed. “All good.”
“You sure?”
“Perfectly. Make love to me, Gray.”
“I can do that.”
And then he proved it.