Page 28

TWENTY-EIGHT

WILLOW

The ride back to the clubhouse is a blur. I cling tightly to Ezra, my face pressed against his back as we speed through the dark streets. The adrenaline is starting to wear off, leaving me shaky and exhausted.

As we pull into the lot, I see Natalia waiting anxiously by the clubhouse door, Wren in her arms. My heart clenches at the sight of our daughter.

"Mama!" Wren cries as soon as she spots us. She wriggles out of Natalia's grasp and runs toward us.

I slide off the bike on unsteady legs, dropping to my knees to gather Wren into my arms. "I'm here, baby," I murmur, holding her tight. "I'm okay. Everything's okay now."

Ezra kneels beside us, wrapping his arms around us both. For a moment, we just cling to each other, a family reunited.

"Are you hurt?" Natalia asks softly, approaching us with concern in her eyes.

I shake my head, but Ezra speaks up. "She needs to get checked out," he says firmly. "And I need to get this shoulder looked at."

It's only then that I notice the blood staining his cut. Fear grips me as I realize how close I came to losing him tonight.

"Ezra," I gasp, reaching for him. "You're hurt?—"

He catches my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm. "I'm fine, Little Flower. It's just a graze. Nothing Doc can't fix up."

As if on cue, Doc emerges from the clubhouse. "Let's get you both inside," he says gently. "I want to check you over."

Ezra helps me to my feet, keeping an arm around me as we make our way inside. I'm reluctant to let go of Wren, but Natalia gently takes her, promising to bring her to see us once Doc is finished.

In the small medical room, Doc tends to Ezra's wound first, cleaning and bandaging the bullet graze on his shoulder. I watch anxiously, unable to tear my eyes away from the angry red wound.

"He'll be fine," Doc assures me, noticing my worried gaze. "Now, let's take a look at you."

As Doc checks me over, cataloging my bruises and making sure there's no serious damage, Ezra holds my hand tightly. His thumb strokes soothing circles on my skin, grounding me.

"You're both lucky," Doc says finally, stepping back. "No serious injuries. But you need rest. And plenty of it."

Ezra nods grimly. "Thanks, Doc. We appreciate it."

As we make our way to Ezra's room, exhaustion hits me like a wave. The events of the day catch up with me all at once, and I feel my legs start to give out.

Ezra catches me before I can fall, scooping me up into his arms despite his injured shoulder. "I've got you, Little Flower," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

He carries me into his room, gently laying me down on the bed. As he moves to step away, I grab his hand, suddenly terrified of letting him out of my sight.

"Stay," I whisper, hating how vulnerable I sound but unable to help it. "Please."

Ezra's expression softens. Without a word, he kicks off his boots and climbs into bed beside me, pulling me close. I curl into his side, careful of his injured shoulder, and let out a shaky breath.

"It's over now," Ezra says softly, his hand running soothingly up and down my back. "You're safe. I've got you."

I nod against his chest, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "I was so scared," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "When Lochlann took me, I thought... I thought I'd never see you or Wren again."

Ezra tightens his arms around me. "I'm so sorry, Willow. I should have protected you better. I should have made sure Lochlann was really dead the first time."

I shake my head, looking up at him. "This isn't your fault, Ezra. You came for me. You saved me."

He leans down, pressing his forehead against mine. "I'll always come for you, Little Flower. Always."

We lay in silence for a while, just holding each other. The steady beat of Ezra's heart under my ear helps calm my frayed nerves.

"What happens now?" I ask finally, voicing the question that's been nagging at me.

Ezra is quiet for a moment before responding. "Whatever you want, Willow. If you want to leave, to take Wren somewhere safe and start over, I'll understand. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you both protected."

My heart clenches at his words. Even now, after everything, he's giving me an out. Putting my needs, my safety, before his own desires.

I push myself up on one elbow, looking down at him. "Is that what you want? For us to leave?"

Ezra meets my gaze, his eyes filled with a mixture of love and resignation. "What I want is for you and Wren to be safe and happy. Even if that means I can't be with you."

I shake my head, feeling a surge of love for this man who's been through so much, who's made mistakes but has fought so hard to make things right.

"Ezra," I say softly, "I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you. You and Wren—you're my family. My home."

His eyes widen slightly, hope flickering in their depths. "Are you sure, Little Flower? This life... it's not always easy or safe."

I nod, feeling more certain than I have in years. "I'm sure. We've been through so much, lost so much time. I don't want to waste any more."

A smile spreads across Ezra's face, lighting up his eyes. He pulls me close, capturing my lips in a tender kiss. When we break apart, he rests his forehead against mine.

"I love you, Willow," he murmurs. "You and Wren—you're everything to me."

"I love you too," I whisper back.

“Tell me what happened when he took you. Tell me what he did to you. How did you get those bruises?” he asks, and I know he’s not going to leave it unless I answer.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself to tell him what happened with Lochlann. I know Ezra. He needs to hear it, even though it's going to be painful to relive.

"When he grabbed me from the clubhouse, he hit me in my jaw to subdue me," I begin quietly. "He was... angry, ranting about Ivy and how he thought we had planned something together."

I watch as Ezra's jaw clenches, but he stays silent, letting me continue, which I really appreciate.

"He kept demanding to know where Ivy was, but I honestly had no idea. I told him I hadn't seen or spoken to her since... since that night years ago." I swallow hard. "He didn't believe me. He was convinced Ivy and I had planned some kind of escape together."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ezra says, his brow furrowed. "Ivy just stood there that night and watched. She didn't try to help you."

Pain slices through my chest at the reminder that my sister did nothing to help me while I was being assaulted. "I know. That's what I told him. But he was obsessed with finding her for some reason." I shiver, remembering Lochlann's manic state. "When we got to the warehouse, he tied me up, and when I couldn't tell him what he wanted to hear, he got more violent. He hit me a few more times, threatened to... to hurt me like he did before."

Ezra's arms tighten around me protectively and I sink into his embrace. "I'm so sorry, Little Flower. I should have been there to protect you."

"You came for me," I remind him gently. "That's what matters." I take another steadying breath before continuing. "He made that call to you. I was so scared he was going to kill you when you showed up."

"I wasn't going to let him hurt you again," Ezra says fiercely. "No matter what."

I nod against his chest, snuggling closer to him. "I know. And you didn't. You saved me, Ezra."

He’s quiet for a moment, and I take a breather to process everything that’s happened. Finally, Ezra speaks again.

"Do you have any idea why Lochlann was so fixated on finding Ivy?" he asks. "It seems strange that he'd be looking for her after all this time."

I sigh. "I don't know. From what he said, it sounded like Ivy disappeared around the same time I did. But I swear, I had no contact with her. I wouldn't have, not after what she did."

Ezra holds me tight. "Don’t worry about her, Little Flower. Right now, you need to rest and recover."

As if on cue, there's a soft knock at the door. Natalia pokes her head in, Wren at her side.

"Someone wanted to see her mama and daddy," Natalia says with a soft smile.

Wren doesn't wait. She rushes into the room and climbs onto the bed, wedging herself between Ezra and me. Her little arms wrap around my neck as she buries her face against me.

"Mama," she whimpers. "I was so scared."

I hold her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I know, baby. I'm so sorry I scared you. But I'm okay now. We're all okay."

Ezra wraps his arms around both of us, creating a protective cocoon. "That's right, princess," he says softly. "We're all safe now. And Daddy's not going to let anything bad happen to either of you ever again."

I look up at him over Wren's head, seeing the fierce determination in his eyes. I know he means every word.

"Thank you, Natalia," I say, glancing at my friend who's still hovering in the doorway. "For taking care of Wren."

Natalia gives me a warm smile. "Of course. That's what family does." She hesitates for a moment before adding, "I'm so glad you're okay, Will. We were all so worried."

I nod, feeling a lump form in my throat at her words. After years of feeling alone, of running and hiding, it's still sometimes overwhelming to realize I have people who care about me, who consider me family.

"Get some rest," Natalia says gently. "We'll talk more later."

As she closes the door behind her, I settle back against the pillows, Wren still clinging to me. Ezra adjusts his position so he can keep an arm around both of us.

For a long while, we just lay there in silence, soaking in each other's presence. Wren's breathing eventually evens out as she falls asleep, her little body finally relaxing.

"She was so brave," Ezra murmurs, gently stroking Wren's hair. "When she came running into the chapel to tell us what happened... God, Willow, I've never been so terrified in my life."

I reach out to take his hand, intertwining our fingers. "You were both so brave," I tell him. "Coming after me like that."

Ezra brings our joined hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. "I meant what I said before. I'll always come for you, Willow. No matter what."

I smile softly at him, feeling a warmth spread through my chest despite the aches and pains from the day's ordeal. "I know. And I love you for it."

As exhaustion starts to pull at me, I snuggle closer to Ezra, careful not to disturb Wren. Here, sandwiched between the two people I love most in the world, I finally feel truly safe.