“Kyla Tupper-Murchie, you’re under arrest for violation of parole, kidnapping, breaking and entering, and attempted murder.”She then proceeded to read Kyla her Miranda rights as Officer Jacobs hauled Kyla out of view toward their police car.
“You love me!”Kyla screamed.“You love me.I know you do.I did this for us.We can be together.We’remeantto be together.”
Justine broke a few instant ice packs and had me place them on the back of my neck, my chest, and across my abdomen.They were helping to cool me down.But now I was starting to shiver since the wind off the water was cool and I was still soaking wet.“Lots of fluids,” she said.“Stay out of the sun for a while.You’ve definitely got heatstroke, but after about twenty-four hours, I think you’ll be okay.”She wrapped her stethoscope around her neck and stood up, giving me a reassuring smile.“You’re tough.”
I didn’t feel tough, but I croaked out a “Thanks.”
“Here.”Justine pulled a bottle of water out of her medical bag, opened it, and handed it to me.
I chugged it greedily, most of the water dribbling down my chin and chest.It was empty in seconds, and I took a deep breath.My throat was no longer as raw, and my lungs were less charred than before.
Vica, Wyatt McEvoy’s wife, came running through the trees, a blanket draped over her arm and a water bottle in her hand.“She will be cold,si?”she asked, unfolding the black and blue Mexican blanket.“All the wet and the wind.”She handed Lennox the blanket, and he draped it around my shoulders.I shivered a little as I fought off the waves of nausea and ignored the spots and floaties in my vision.
“H-how did you find me?”I asked, doing less chugging on this water bottle and just sipping it.
“It was Mabel, actually,” Lennox said.
“Actually, it was Damon,” Mabel corrected.“He told me about that guy who attacked Chloe Voss, Dom’s wife,” she glanced at Dom, who nodded, “and that he hid out in Bonn Remmen’s house.I suggested maybe that’s where Kyla took Naomi.”
“Team effort,” Lennox said softly, gazing at his daughter with pride.
“We saw her bring you here on the cameras,” Clint said, which is why we all ran here at once.
“There are camerashere?Already?”I asked, a rush of panic filling me.Oh god.What had they seen on them?Did Lennox and I give them a porno show twice a week?How come nobody told me about the security cameras?
“We turn a few off when …” Raina said, smirking.“You’re good.”
“When what?”Honor asked, confused, glancing between all the adults.
“Never mind, honey.”Gabrielle wrapped a protective arm around my daughter.
“That was some pretty sick tackling you did there,” Clint said to Raina.“Brought me back to the days watching Jagger play football.Though, I don’t think he ever tackled anybody like that.”
“I wasn’t a linebacker,” Jagger said in his defense.“I didn’tneedto tackle.”
My head pounded—less than before though—so I was having trouble following the conversations.“Wait, what happened?”
“Raina tackled Kyla,” Clint said.“Caught up to her almost at the beach, launched herself onto the woman, and fell on top of her.I’m pretty sure you flew a good ten feet in the air.”
Raina shrugged.“Nobody locks my cousin in a sauna and gets away with it.”She winked at me, but her yellow-green eyes were welling up with tears.“We were so scared, Nay.If something had happened to you …”
“But it didn’t,” Gabrielle said in her matter-of-fact lawyer voice.“She is okay.All thanks to the incredible teamwork of our two families.”She glanced at the McEvoys.“Thank you all for your help.”
“Yes, thank you,” I whispered.
“We’ll leave you be now,” Clint said.“Take care of yourself, Naomi.”He rested a hand on my shoulder, gave it a squeeze, then he and the rest of his enormous family headed back through the trail among the trees like wildlings to their property.
Then it was justmyfamily left.
“Can you stand and walk?”Maverick asked me.“We should probably get you home.”
Lennox and Austin helped me to my feet.Neither of them let go of me as we slowly made our way to Lennox’s truck.I probably could have walked there on my own, but the comfort was nice.To have my two favorite guys by my side.
We piled into Lennox’s truck—Honor, Austin, Mabel, Lennox, and me.
“You’ll be okay?”Damon asked Mabel as she slid into the backseat next to Honor.
“Dad, where are we going?”
