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Two weeks later…

“Uh… helloooo . Earth to Chase…”

Chase blinked, looking up from his desk to find Lucky standing in his office doorway. The expression on the man’s face said he’d been trying to catch Chase’s attention for a while.

“Sorry, what?” He gave his teammate his full and undivided attention.

In typical Lucky fashion, the cocky bastard strolled into the room like he owned the place, plopping his ass down in the chair positioned directly across from Chase’s.

“You good?” The other man’s crystal blue eyes searched his.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Better than good. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know. I’ve just noticed you seemed a little off lately, and I wanted to make sure everything was all right.”

Chase frowned, confused by both Lucky’s concern and out in left-field assessment. “Off how?”

“Dude, you’ve been as distracted as a dog on a squirrel farm. Every time I’ve seen you the last couple of weeks, it’s like you’ve got your head lost up in the clouds.”

His lips parted with the reflex to make up an excuse or lie, but the truth was, he had been distracted. In a big, big way.

“Sorry,” he apologized, rolling his office chair a few inches closer to his desk. “I guess I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

Lucky nodded. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with your recent reunion with a certain high school sweetheart, now, would it?”

It has everything to do with her.

When Chase refrained from saying those same words aloud—or any at all, for that matter—his friend took his silence for what it was. An admission of guilt.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Lucky flashed a knowing grin. “I’m guessing things between you two are going well?”

They were better than well. Things between him and Scottie were…

Fucking perfect.

Chase stopped the smile from forming on his lips a half-a-second too late. Before he could even attempt a lame-ass excuse the man probably wouldn’t buy anyway, the smartass was right there, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.

“Ah ha!” The computer genius sat up straighter in his chair. Pointing a finger toward Chase, he exclaimed a confident, “I knew it! What did I tell you?”

“You’re going to have to be a little more specific in your questioning, Oh Wise One.”

“Whatever. Cut the bullshit, Boyer. I knew you two were going to hook back up again.”

After a moment’s pause, Chase responded sternly, “Yeah, well…if you came here looking for all the sordid details, you’ve come to the wrong place.”

It was one thing to let his friend in on the fact that he and Scottie were back together. Revealing intimate details of the personal, private moments they’d shared in the sanctity of her bed, however…

Yeah, that’s not fucking happening.

“So something definitely happened.” Lucky smirked. “Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any details for you to have to worry about.”

Damn. He’d walked his ass right into that one.

Knowing his friend was like a dog with a bone, Chase relented and gave him the basics. “Fine. Scottie and I are…together.”

The other man’s goofy smile spread wide. “That’s awesome, Chase. Really. I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. I’m…happy, too.”

“You should be. But…” Lucky’s dark brows gave a slight dip. “I’m sensing some hesitation. What’s up with that? You not into her as much as you thought you’d still be?”

“What?” His expression turned incredulous. “No, dickhead. It’s nothing like that.”

“Then what is it?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m just…” Chase sighed, falling back into his chair. “I’m all in, you know? I mean, I knew Scottie was the one the very first time we kissed. But then her mom got sick, and everything changed. She moved away, and…you already know about all that.” He gave a quick shake of his head. “Anyway, here we are, and I’m as all-in as ever.”

“But she’s not,” Lucky presumed.

“I don’t know what she is, to be honest.”

“You haven’t told her how you feel?”

“Not yet.”

It was Lucky’s turn to shoot him an are you an idiot look. “Why the hell not?”

“Because things between us are still so new. I don’t want to push her too far too fast and end up?—”

“Too fast?” Lucky’s boisterous laugh echoed off his office walls. “Dude, it’s been fourteen years. And that’s not even counting however long you two dated when you were kids. Trust me…” He sat up straight before sliding himself to the edge of his chair and resting his elbows on the top of Chase’s desk. “If things between you two have already fallen right back into place, that woman isn’t sitting around hoping you take your slow, sweet time.”

Chase stared at his friend from over the top of his computer screen. Waiting a beat, he let his lips curl into a grin. “Guess you really are the brains of this place.”

“I’ve been sayin’.” His teammate pushed himself off the desk and stretched his arms out to his sides. “About time someone recognizes they’re in the presence of brilliance.”

“All right, all right.” Chase snorted as he rose to his feet. “Let’s not get carried away.”

The other man stood, the two friends meeting near the corner of the desk.

Returning to his previously serious tone, Chase offered Lucky his hand. “Thanks, man. I think you’re right.”

“Usually am.” Lucky took his hand and gave it a good, firm shake. “But seriously. Just talk to her. If she’s not in the same place yet, at least you’ll know. And if she is, the two of you can quit wasting time and start going after that life you had planned before everything turned to shit.”

He released his grip, and the two men walked across the carpeted floor to his office door. “I gotta say…” Chase stopped just shy of stepping out into the hall. “I never thought I’d be taking love life advice from the likes of you.”

“No offense taken, asshole.” Lucky shot him a teasing frown. But then, “Just kiddin’. To be honest, I never thought I’d be the one giving it. In all seriousness, though…” The former SEAL’s gaze intensified. “My life is a million times better with Ellie in it. And I know for a fact that Arch and Hayes would say the same about their women.”

“I don’t doubt that.”

“Good. ’Cause you can ask any one of us how we felt when our women’s lives were on the line and we thought we might lose them forever…” He cleared the emotion from his throat. “That’s a special kind of hell you don’t ever want to experience. So if you think you and Scottie have what the rest of us have, don’t walk, brother. You fucking run to that woman the first chance you get. Like…today! You go to her, man the hell up, and tell her how you feel.”

His friend’s impassioned speech left Chase blinking. It also left one hell of an impression.

He’s right. You need to talk to her. Let her know she’s your end game.

“Thanks, Lucky. I really appreciate?—”

“Heads up!” Archer gave Chase’s shoulder a slap as he walked by in haste. “Webb’s on in the war room. Hayes said it’s urgent.”

The expression on Lucky’s face hardened. At the same time, Chase felt the muscles along his spine grow tense.

It was the second unscheduled meeting with SECNAV in as many weeks. And with each new call, it seemed as if his team was finally getting closer to uncovering the truth.

He and Lucky fell in line behind Archer, walking the length of the hallway to the last door on the right. They waited while the team’s demolitions expert entered his personal security code, and one by one, the three government-trained operatives made their way into the soundproofed room.

The heavy, fireproof door snicked shut behind them. Three small beeps letting them know the electronic locks were in place once more. Chase’s attention immediately went to the conference table to his right, where Logan and Van were already seated.

“What’s going on?” He made his way to his usual spot at the table.

Logan tipped his head toward the giant screen mounted high on the wall and said, “We’re about to find out.”

Right on cue, Webb’s oversized image appeared. The powerful man didn’t wait for Archer and Lucky to fully sit before diving right in with his reason for the call.

“I apologize for keeping you gentlemen late, but I thought you’d want to know…we found her.”

“Dawari?” Chase assumed. His gaze slid away from the screen for a quick scan of the others around him.

“Affirmative,” Webb confirmed. “Present intel shows Kaamisha Dawari, along with two of her most trusted lieutenants, has returned to Kandahar.”

Fucking Kandahar.

The city where it all began.

“How fitting.” Archer seemed to share Chase’s sentiment toward the second largest city in Afghanistan.

“Guess to finally reach the end of this thing”—he looked around the table—“we have to go back to the very beginning.”

“When?” All eyes turned to Logan.

It made sense that the man was worried about the timeline. His wife was due to have their first child in a couple more weeks.

“If this was a fully sanctioned job with government approval and support…two days. Sending you boys in off-book? It’s gonna take some time. Two, maybe three weeks.”

Van shot the man a deep scowl. “It’s going to take you three fucking weeks to drop us where you know our target is sitting right now? She could be a fucking ghost in three weeks.”

“I’m well aware, Mr. Braddock.” Secretary Webb met Van’s disapproving gaze. “But this isn’t Hollywood. I can’t just make one phone call and get the resources needed for a mission such as this. I have contacts to reach. Ones I know I can trust to keep this whole thing under wraps. Then there’s the matter of transportation to get you and your team out of the country and into enemy territory without raising any red flags. Not to mention securing a safehouse, weapons, ammo, wheels for once you’re there. So while I can appreciate the desire to capture Ms. Dawari and get justice for your friend, you’re only going to have one shot at this. We need to make it count.”

Webb wasn’t wrong to want to dot every redacted I and cross every whited-out T. Chase knew that. Everyone in the room knew it.

Including Van.

Though it was clear the grumpy medic wasn’t happy about the realization, Van let the argument go. Chase slid a glimpse in Logan’s direction to see how he was handling the choice he’d most likely have to make…

Go after the woman who stole Hunt’s life and ended their Naval careers or risk letting her get away to avoid missing the birth of his first child.

Chase knew what he’d do if it was him . And he had a pretty good feeling he knew what Logan’s choice would be, as well.

Family first.

It was a no-brainer for him. It was how he’d been raised. Logan, however…not so much. Thankfully, the other man hadn’t inherited his asshole father’s abusive genes, instead sharing in the team’s collective ideology that family was everything.

Theirs may not be a family made of blood, but that didn’t matter. Every man in that room would give their lives willingly to save one of the team.

But even as that knowledge resonated with Chase, he also knew the married Eagle’s Nest operatives would put their wives’ well-being above all else. And he didn’t blame them one fucking bit.

I’d be the same way if it was Scottie’s life on the line.

The conversation he’d had with Lucky before Webb’s call came rushing back. When they did get called up to go after Kaamisha Dawari, Chase was going to have to leave her behind.

He’d never had to do that before…leave a woman he loved behind for a mission. This time would be his first. As he and the others made their way out of the war room, Chase knew what he had to do.

They may have a couple of weeks before the call comes in to go, but he refused to wait that long to come clean. Scottie would know how he felt about her, not two weeks from now, but tonight.

It would require a quick stop at his apartment on the way to hers, but after that, Chase’s intentions toward the sexy chef would be crystal clear. And if he was lucky and she somehow felt the same way, well…

I’ll be the happiest man in the entire fucking world.

The pit stop at home took a bit longer than planned due to an accident a few miles from the office. He also took the fastest shower known to man, sprayed an extra spritz of cologne, and combed his hair just so.

By the time he turned onto Scottie’s street, the sun was almost set. He glanced down at the clock, mentally noting she’d texted him an hour ago, letting him know she was headed home from work.

Perfect timing.

Nerves swirled inside his gut at what he had planned. But nerves weren’t the same as doubt, and Chase knew to the depths of his soul this was the path he was destined to take.

He drove past one block and then another. When he approached the block where Scottie’s adorable house sat waiting, his mind was filled with thoughts of the future, but as his truck carried him closer, he noticed a car that had just parked several houses up ahead.

Dark sedan. Slightly crooked back license plate. It’s embossed letters and numbers…

AMF0984.

Chase’s grip on the steering wheel tightened to the point he thought it might break. He let his foot off the gas, flipped off his headlights, and pulled over in front of an unlit house.

Sliding down in his seat, he pulled out his phone, and used the camera’s zoom to double-check the validity of his suspicion. Checking the screen, he used his thumbs to enlarge the image. His heart kicked against his ribs when he realized…

It’s the same car.

The same car. Same phony license plate. And everything in him said the bastard hunched down behind the wheel was the same man who’d been watching them outside Catalina’s.

But he wasn’t outside a restaurant where anyone else could be. The asshole was parked one house down from Scottie’s. And from the way he was sitting, hers was the house he appeared to be watching.

The fuck you are.

Chase turned off his ignition and unbuckled his seatbelt, releasing the latch on his console’s main compartment. He lifted the leatherbound lid before retrieving his SIG P226 MK25.

Out of habit and training—because he always kept his gun loaded and ready to go—he dropped the mag to ensure it was full. Sliding back the chamber, he eyed the gold round already present, his ingrained weapons check completed in record time.

To avoid revealing his presence when opening his door, he reached up to the control panel for his truck’s internal lights and switched them to off . After turning his cell to silent, he shoved the device back into his jeans’ front pocket.

Chase turned and looked at what he could see of Scottie’s house. The front porch light was shining bright, and he could see the small window above her kitchen sink. There was a low light coming through, and though it was hard to make out from this distance, he could’ve sworn he saw her shadow moving around inside.

Don’t worry, sugar. I’ve got you.

Renewed anger toward the man watching her home ignited. How fucking dare he bring Scottie into whatever shitstorm the asshole was intent on stirring up.

He didn’t give two shits if this guy did work for Kaamisha Dawari. He didn’t care who he was or what his reasons were for staking out Scottie’s beloved new home. The bastard was on Chase’s turf now, and by God, he was putting an end to this shit right the fuck now.

Crawling over his truck’s console and into the other seat, he slowly opened the passenger door. Once he was clear, he quietly pushed the door shut before crouching down on his way to the car parked a few feet away.

Chase used that and the other cars lined up between his truck and his target as cover as he cautiously made his way closer. The gun in his right hand was like an extension of his arm. A lethal addition he wasn’t afraid to use.

He approached the man’s illegally plated car. With his left hand pressed against the rear panel’s cool metal, Chase kept himself balanced as he crept the final few inches.

When he made it to his mark, he glanced up at the car’s passenger side view mirror. Thanks to the glow from the streetlamp a few yards behind him, Chase could tell the car’s occupant was still looking the other way.

The passenger window was down, making his job that much easier. But something nagged within his rage-filled gut. Something he couldn’t bring himself to ignore.

His first reaction had been the guy was possibly a pro. Hell, Lucky had thought so, too. But as Chase remained squatted, he realized a full minute had passed, and the asshole had yet to even realize he was there.

So…not a pro.

No. The chances of that were dwindling fast. That didn’t mean, however, that the prick wasn’t dangerous. The question was who that danger was headed for…and why.

Time to find out.

Chase drew in a steadying breath. He kept his finger off the trigger, just as he’d been trained. In his head, he counted down from three and then…

“Move a fucking muscle and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”

He stood at the man’s passenger door. His SIG was pointed at the back of the man’s head. His focus bouncing between the spot he knew his bullet would hit and the camera resting casually across the man’s lap.

“W-what…what do you w-want?” The guy lifted his trembling hands slowly into the air. “I have m-money. It’s not a lot, b-but?—”

“I don’t want your fucking money, asshole,” Chase growled.

“Then w-what? If it’s drugs you’re after, y-you’ve got the wrong g-guy.”

That nagging feeling in his gut intensified. Something about this wasn’t right. The guy didn’t act anything like a pro. He was shaking from head-to-toe for Christ’s sake.

Could be an act.

It very well could be a show. A performance to throw him off his game. But it wasn’t going to work. Not when Scottie’s safety might be in jeopardy.

“What I want”—Chase spoke slowly—“is for you to keep those hands right where they are. Now, I’m going to come around the front of your car, and then I’m going to open your door. On my command, you will get out of your car, and if you make a single move that could be construed as a threat, I will put a bullet through your fucking brain. Tell me you understand.”

“I-I understand.”

“Good.”

Moving swiftly, he rounded the car’s front bumper. Chase kept his gun held tight and at the ready as he opened the door and stood to the side.

“Get out.”

The man started to reach for his camera, but Chase used his free hand to fist the guy’s black jacket and yank him out of the car.

“Hey! What are you?—”

“Don’t go reaching for shit, dumbass!” He kept his voice low but the command sharp as the man and his camera fell to the pavement below. “Link your fingers behind your head.”

The man didn’t fight back or disobey. He did what Chase said when Chase said it. And the man was still literally quivering in his boots.

“Who hired you to follow me?”

“I’m not f-following you,” the scared man claimed. “I don’t even know who you are!”

“Bullshit!” He squatted down and pressed the gun against the back of the man’s skull. “I saw you.”

“I swear!”

“Stop fucking lying!” The pressure behind the barrel was increased. “I was there, remember?”

“I’m not lying! I have no idea w-who you are!”

“Bullshit! I was standing on that fucking sidewalk when you?—”

“So was she!”

The man’s words sank in, his stomach filling with an overwhelming dread. Keeping his weapon held securely in place, he picked up the guy’s camera, immediately opening the bastard’s most recently captured images.

Scottie.

Chase scrolled through numerous images. They were of her. He was with her in a few, but every fucking picture was of her!

Outside her home. Walking in and out of the shelter. Getting into and out of her car. Pushing a grocery cart through the fucking store.

As he continued looking at the disgusting display of obsession, Chase realized the asshole had been watching her for at least the last several weeks.

What. The. Fuck?

His vision turned blood red, the fury rising within him unlike any he’d ever experienced. He wanted to kill the man right goddamn now. He wanted to curl his finger around his gun’s trigger, and he wanted to?—”

“I’m a reporter!” the man nearly shouted. “I-I mean Miss Cahill no harm. I’m just…I-I’m just working on a story for the Seattle Gazette! Check my ID if you don’t believe me!”

A…reporter?

Chase yanked the man’s bulging wallet free from his back pocket, flipping the leather flaps open. Tilting the plastic window housing the driver’s license, he checked out the guy’s name, address, and picture…

Levi Taylor.

The address was local, and the picture matched the man’s face. But that didn’t mean the ID was real, so he called the one person who could tell him for sure.

With the camera resting back on the pavement near Chase’s booted foot, he continued holding the gun on his prisoner while pulling his phone free. Lucky answered on the second ring.

“Tell me you didn’t fuck things up with your girl.”

“I need you to run a name.”

The seriousness in his tone must’ve resonated with his teammate, because Lucky’s response was a quick and serious, “Tell me what you need.”

After hurriedly catching the other man up on his current situation, Chase relayed the information Lucky needed to run the man’s background. After sending him a pic of the confiscated ID to confirm the name matched the photo, he did his best to keep his breathing steady while waiting for the results to come in.

“Okay, so it looks like your guy is a freelance reporter who’s lived in the city for the past eighteen years.” The sound of computer keys being pressed came through the speaker. “Guy’s got a long list of temporary contracts with several different news and media outlets around the city.”

“Can you tell who he’s working for now? He claims to be doing a story for the Gazette.”

A few clicks of the keyboard later and Lucky came back with, “Looks like he’s on their current list of pending freelance stories. His proposed story title is…oh, well shit. This might explain things.”

“What?” Chase kept his eyes on the man still lying face-down on the ground.

“The title he submitted to the Gazette’s employee system… ‘Social Media Dropouts: Where Are they, now?’” Lucky paused for a few more clicks. “Everything matches, brother. Guy has a few minor run-ins with the law. Mostly trespassing shit from being an overzealous reporter. Other than that and a few parking tickets, there’s nothing to suggest he means anyone any real harm.”

Chase wanted to believe Lucky’s intel. Any other time it wouldn’t even be a question. But this was Scottie’s safety they were talking about. And when it came to protecting her, he never could be too careful.

“Thanks, man,” he told Lucky. “I’ll check back in soon.”

“Sure thing, brother. Keep me posted.”

Ending the call, Chase returned his full attention to Taylor. “Why do you have fake plates on your car? And why the hell did you take off the way you did that night when I tried talking to you outside Catalina’s?”

“Why?” The man released a humorless laugh. “Look at you, man! You’ve got a fucking gun to my head! Of course, I took off!”

“And the license plates?”

“Same reason! Listen, man.” He paused to catch his breath. “I work freelance, okay? That means I have to take my stories wherever I can get them. But this job…I don’t exactly make a lot of friends doing what I do, if you catch my drift. Putting a fake plate on my car helps keep my identity safeguarded… usually. ”

Chase processed everything from start to finish. Putting all the pieces together like a slow-motion picture. By the time he was all caught up to the present moment, he realized…

He’s telling the truth.

“Get up.” He kept the gun pointed toward the man just in case.

But when Levi Taylor turned around, and Chase caught sight of the front of his khaki pants, it became quite obvious the man wasn’t a threat.

“Yeah, yeah, I pissed my pants.” Taylor looked more embarrassed than pissed. “Can I please have my wallet back so I can go?”

He tossed the man his wallet. Bent down and picked up the fancy-looking camera. Rather than hand the expensive equipment straight over to the slimy piece of shit, Chase first removed the camera’s memory card.

“Hey! You can’t?—”

“You’re lucky I don’t bust the fucking thing in half.” He shoved the camera against the idiot’s chest. “Now get the hell out of here, and don’t even think about coming back.”

“It’s a public street, asshole. I can be here if I?—”

Chase grabbed the mouthy prick around his scrawny neck and swung him around, slamming his back up against his car. “If I see you anywhere near Scottie Cahill again, I will come after you. And next time, pissing yourself will be the least of your concerns.”

With that, he lowered his gun, released his grip, and took a step back so the guy could leave. Taylor wasted no time jumping back into his car. Dumbass didn’t bother with his seatbelt before peeling off and speeding away.

Chase closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And another. And…another.

Feeling more in control of his ramped-up emotions, he did a quick side-to-side check for any of Scottie’s neighbors who could have possibly been watching the show. Luckily, there wasn’t a single soul in sight.

Thankful for neighbors who keep to themselves, Chase went back to get his truck, parking it in Scottie’s slightly inclined paved driveway. His adrenaline had every nerve-ending on edge, another reminder of how quickly their lives could turn.

He walked up to the door, tapped his knuckles against the stained wood, and when Scottie opened the door, looking like a freshly showered angel come to life, he couldn’t keep from blurting out?—

“I love you.”

Scottie blinked, her gorgeous green eyes growing wide with obvious shock. She stuttered her response as she took a step backward “H-hi. And…um…w-what did you just say?”

Chase stepped over the threshold and into her home. With his eyes locked on hers, he blindly kicked the door shut behind him. And then he did what he’d been planning to do from the moment he left work to come here.

He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her body flush with his. “I said…” He spun them around and carefully pressed her back against the recently closed door. “I love you.”

“Chase…” Moisture filled her confused, emotional stare.

Tell her everything.

“I’ve been in love with you for what feels like my whole life. Even when I tried to pretend I wasn’t, you were here.” He placed a palm over his heart. “You’ve always been here, Scottie.”

Fucking always.

She blinked again, a single tear escaping the corner of one eye. For a moment, he thought he’d totally fucked things up because she just stood there, not saying a word. But then Scottie brought a hand to his scruff-covered cheek and whispered back, “Oh, Chase. I’ve always loved you, too.” She blindly swiped another fallen tear away. “I never stopped.”

Thank you, God!

“I want forever with you, Scottie,” he stated bluntly. “Since high school, I’ve known this was where I should be. That you are the person I was meant to be with. Hell, I can even prove it!”

A touch of humor flickered across her shimmering gaze as one side of her kissable lips curved upward. “You have proof that you want forever with me?” She chuckled.

Instead of laughing, Chase held her stare as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. But not just any ring…

“I bought this the day I signed my enlistment papers for the Navy.” He held up the small diamond ring.

“Y-you…what?” Those round eyes of hers grew wide as saucers. “Chase, you were barely eighteen.” Her face grew pale with the falling of her smile. “You enlisted the week before my mom died. That was…” She swallowed hard. “That was only two weeks before I?—”

“Left.” He nodded, his chest tightening from the memories of that night. “Yeah, I know.”

“Oh, Chase. I’m so?—”

His mouth covered hers before she could finish her sentence. “Don’t, sweetheart.” Chase kissed her again. “Don’t say you’re sorry. Things happened that were out of your control. Out of both of our controls. That’s all in the past. What I’m talking about…what I’m choosing to focus on…is our future.” He took her left hand in his while holding up the ring with his right. “ This is the future I want, Scottie. You and me. Forever. I just need to know if you want that, too.”

Scottie’s lids fluttered quickly, her damp lashes releasing a slew of silver streaks racing down over her flawless cheeks. “Of course, I want that, Chase.” Her watery smile widened. “It’s what I’ve always wanted. More than anything else in the world.”

His heart swelled to the point he thought it would explode right out of his chest. “Then marry me, Scottie.” He slid the ring over her left ring finger, relieved she still wore the same size as before. “Say you’ll be mine for the rest of my life.”

“Yes.” Scottie threw her arms around his neck and slammed her mouth to his. “Yes, I’ll marry you. Because you’ve always been mine, Chase. And I’ve always, always been yours.”

He wasn’t sure who moved first and couldn’t give a shit less. The only thing Chase knew was one minute they were both professing their love, and the next…

They were naked.

Their clothes were strewn on the floor around them. Chase was holding Scottie securely in his arms. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist, and his raging hard cock was thrusting in and out of her welcoming heat.

When they said the words to each other again hours later, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind where they stood. He was hers. She was his. And no one was ever going to take her away from him again.