Page 27 of Taken from Her (Phoenix Ridge Police Department #4)
Diana watched Lieutenant Angela Hodges coordinate with the federal agents below, their voices carrying up the ridge as jurisdictional boundaries were negotiated with professional courtesy.
The federal operation was a multi-state task force investigating a trafficking network that had been using the forest staging area for months.
“Looks like we walked into the middle of their bust,” Lavender observed, settling beside Diana on a fallen log that overlooked the valley.
Diana holstered her weapon, adrenaline finally beginning to ebb as backup units secured the area. “Bad timing, but good outcome. They’ve been tracking the same people who took Tara, Isabel, and Joanna.”
Below them, evidence technicians documented the clearing while tactical teams secured additional sites deeper in the forest. The investigation that had consumed Diana’s life for weeks was expanding beyond Phoenix Ridge into something much larger.
“So, it’s over?” Lavender asked.
“The immediate danger, yes. The rest will take time.” Diana rubbed her temples, exhaustion replacing the sharp focus that had carried her through the crisis. “Federal prosecutors, multi-jurisdiction coordination, and prosecution prep—months of work ahead.”
They sat in comfortable silence, watching law enforcement activity flow around the forest like a carefully choreographed operation.
The crisis had passed, but Diana felt something fundamental had shifted during those terrifying moments when protecting Lavender had become more important than anything else.
“You saved my life today,” Lavender said quietly.
“We saved each other.” Diana looked at her, noting dirt smudges on her face and the calm way she’d handled everything from surveillance equipment to tactical pursuit. “Your knowledge of the forest got us to higher ground, and your suggestions made calling for backup possible.”
Still, when you positioned yourself between me and those voices…” Lavender trailed off. “I’ve never had anyone protect me like that.”
Diana felt something tighten in her chest, recognition of what she’d discovered about herself during the crisis. Not just that she’d protect Lavender, but how completely she’d been willing to sacrifice everything else to do it.
“I couldn’t lose you,” Diana said. “Not to random criminals, not to federal agents, not to anything. The thought of something happening to you was more terrifying than being outnumbered.”
Lavender turned to study Diana’s face, something shifting in her expression. “Diana?”
“I know we’ve said we love each other, but today, when I thought we might not make it out…” Diana searched for words that could capture what she’d felt. “I understood that this isn’t just about now. It’s about everything. The future and building something that lasts .”
“Meaning?”
Diana took Lavender’s hand, feeling how naturally their fingers intertwined. “Meaning I want to wake up next to you for the next thirty years. I want to solve cases together and figure out how to balance work with whatever this is we’re building.”
She gestured to the forest around them.
“I want coffee on your houseboat every morning and to go to community meetings where we pretend we’re just colleagues while everyone knows better.
” Diana’s voice carried a certainty that surprised even her.
“I want to protect you, and I want you to protect me. I want to stop pretending that keeping people at arm’s length makes me better at my job. ”
Lavender’s smile was soft but unmistakable. “That sounds like a pretty comprehensive life plan.”
“It is.” Diana laughed, noting how the admission felt both terrifying and inevitable. “I’ve never wanted anything that wasn’t related to duty or career advancement, but I want this. I want us.”
Below them, Angela Hodges was walking up the ridge, radio in hand. The real world was reasserting itself, demanding attention and evidence processing.
But for these few moments, Diana allowed herself to sit on a fallen log with the woman she loved, processing how close they’d come to losing everything they were building together.
“We should head down,” Lavender said.
“In a minute.” Diana stood, helping Lavender to her feed. “I need you to know that whatever happens with this case, you’re my priority now. Not just professionally, but personally.”
“Are you sure about that? Because once you say it, I’m going to hold you to it.”
Diana looked at Lavender’s face, at the intelligence and strength that had been reshaping how she understood everything. “I’m sure. I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Angela reached them as they started down the ridge, but Diana noticed how she smiled at their obvious closeness rather than commenting on professional boundaries.
“Chief, the federal task force wants a full briefing on your investigation timeline,” Angela reported. “They’re saying your community intelligence provided breakthrough evidence for their operation.”
“Community consultation,” Diana corrected automatically, then caught Lavender’s amused glance. “Give me five minutes to coordinate with my consultant, then we’ll head down.”
After Angela left, Diana and Lavender stood at the ridge edge looking over the forest that had tested their partnership and confirmed their commitment.
“Ready for whatever comes next?” Lavender asked.
Diana thought about federal briefing and prosecution preparations, about explaining their unconventional methods to task force commanders, and justifying community consultations to people who’d never worked outside official channels.
“Ready,” Diana said, meaning it completely.
They walked down the ridge together, partners in every sense that mattered, carrying evidence that would help prosecute the people who’d stolen three women from their community and the certainty that they’d built something strong enough to survive whatever challenges lay ahead.