Page 59 of Rear View

Ryah

Xavier lay beside me in the hospital bed, holding me tight as if he couldn’t let go, even in his sleep. The pressure on my chest faded to nothing when the weight of his arrest, of Barlowe’s shadow, of everything was lifted.

Free. I was free. We were free. It was over. Xavier was mine and I was his. This was it.

Still, it’d taken its toll. Only a few hours had passed since the press conference, but it could’ve been a lifetime with how exhausted we were.

Seeing as I was in good hands, my family had left to shower and run errands.

Dr. Vernon had done my scans under Xavier’s intense eye, then negated his visitors rule and quickly turned tail.

Sheila and Alec arrived shortly after, the latter taunting X about being dramatic while my rally driver had just rumbled a laugh and called him a dick.

They were followed by Earl, his crew and a sobbing Yara.

Zoya had been taken to recovery but was good, a fact we’d texted about incessantly since she’d woken up an hour earlier. I couldn’t wait to see her, to hug her and cry together. Tell her exactly what she meant to me.

Real, or chosen, it’d been good to be surrounded by family.

Xavier stirred and I laid my palms against his chest, my heart clenching when I tracked them up. Those arctic eyes cracked open, and I smiled. “Hey, rally boy.”

That arm around my waist cinched tighter. “Hey, darlin’,” he said, his voice thick. His eyes tracked between mine. “You get any sleep?”

“A bit.”

His brow arched. “That true?”

I dipped my head in a nod before I wiggled up his body, brushing my lips across his. “You’re my life, Xavier.” My fingers grazed his neck, skimming higher and higher until they curled into his hair. “You’ve given me everything.”

“Not everything.” He brushed several strands of hair back from my face. “Not yet.”

I tucked my head into his throat, breathing him in. My kiss trailed a languid line up and along his jaw.

Groaning, he sealed his grip over my ass. “That leg of yours is gonna make it real tough to bend you over this bed and fuck you senseless, yeah.”

I loosed a soft moan while a liquid heat pooled between my thighs. “I’m up to the challenge.”

He angled to see me, then nipped at my bottom lip. His head dipped, his mouth meeting mine, the kiss so deep, it reached my soul. I mewled, molding my body to his while my hand skimmed low.

Someone rapped on the door. We froze for one second. Two.

Moving into a more appropriate position, I called, “Come in.”

A second later, Juan Castillo crossed over.

My heart warmed and I smiled, because I owed the man everything.

Xavier pressed a kiss to my forehead and rose. Castillo extended a hand as the two closed in on each other. Xavier took it, sealing his fingers over Juan’s one by one before he jerked him to his chest. They collided with a thud as my rally driver’s arms snapped around the crown attorney.

“Christ, thank you, Juan,” Xavier said, the words hoarse and muffled.

Castillo cleared his throat and the two drew back. “I just did what needed to be done.” He smirked. “Not sure I made any friends down at the EPD, though.”

Xavier huffed a laugh.

Juan raked a hand through his hair as his attention roved my way. “I thought you’d like to know, a certain officer has put in for early retirement.”

I’d have preferred he face some consequences, but at least he wouldn’t be anyone else’s problem. Shuffling, I sat up straighter. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Pulling two items from his pocket, he extended his hand to Xavier and passed them over.

Xavier stared down at the key chain I’d given him, his mouth tipping up in a grin. His thick fingers rolled over it and his shoulders lowered, as if having it again put him at ease. Next, his stare tracked to Fallon’s letter.

Juan’s palm landed heavily on X’s shoulder. “You’ve done him proud, son.”

My heart fumbled in my chest. Tears slipped free.

Xavier swallowed hard.

Dropping his arm to his side, Castillo said, “It’s likely to hit the media any minute, but I wanted you to hear it first that Peter’s in custody.

Your mother’s coming back to testify, but I’ll be covering her protection while she’s here.

” He gestured between Xavier and me. “And when you two are ready, I’ll be filing a permanent protection order against Derek. ”

Xavier’s head pulled back, his brows shooting high, the laugh he barked, deep. “You’re a slick son of a bitch, you know that?”

Juan flared his hands wide in a “who’d a thunk it” gesture. “I didn’t get this job by accident.” He inhaled, good and slow, squaring himself to Xavier and vowed, “I’ll get the bastard.”

Xavier inclined his head, the grin that took him warming the very depths of my soul as he said, “I know you will.”