Page 89 of Jonny’s Redemption

Dick’s bloody lips stretched into a nasty smile and he said, “Dray…woods…safe.”

“Drayton? Is that where you put her?”

“Woo…safe…” Dick’s eyes were drooping.

Jonny felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced up to find Vaughn and a paramedic.

“Sir, I need you to move.”

Jonny gladly moved away from Dick and turned to see Jameson moving away from Candy.

“Go. I’ll handle this,” Vaughn instructed.

“Clifford—”

“Go get her.”

Jonny didn’t have to be told twice.

28

I heard shouting. Words I couldn’t make out but I knew the voice.

Jonny.

That was why I was rushing down the hall with my hair wet, a pair of sweats on, and one of Jonny’s tees.

“Leave her alone!” Macy shouted bold as brass, right in Jonny’s face.

“Macy,” his angry growl rumbled and filled the living room.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Evie gasped and I turned her way. Chasin had one arm around her shoulder, the other was slanted across her front, and his big paw was resting on her belly. Protective, as was his way. But I wasn’t looking at Chasin. I was focused on Evie. Her lips were pinched and her eyes flared.

She was trying not to laugh.

What in the world was going on?

My best friend wasn’t wheezing and choking because I was injured.

Maybe I should back up a tad. The rescue had been anti-climactic. All Dick had done was leave me tied to the oven door. Which was surprisingly well-built because I had tried to break the handle then I’d tried to bust the whole door off but I couldn’t get it to budge. If I were into camping, I would seriously buy the make and model of Dick’s caravan. The inside was pretty decent and Dick obviously cared about it because he kept it spotless. The only issue I’d had while I waited for Jonny to find me was I had to pee so bad that when Jonny and Jameson got me loose, I didn’t even kiss my man before I was up and running out the door. Thankfully, it had been Jonny who came outside looking for me or Jameson would’ve gotten more than he’d bargained for.

I was perfectly fine. Sure I had a bump on my head. It wasn’t bad but after Jonny had found me he insisted—as in against my will, forcibly carried me into the ER so I could get checked out. I didn’t even have a concussion. Though I did, kinda, sort of, have a headache. Not that I was going to mention that. Jonny had been in hyperdrive, alpha protector mode since he’d found me in Dick’s camper.

Dick Dillinger had succumbed to the gunshot wound to his chest. That wasn’t Jonny’s fault, Clifford had shot Dick. Candy was critical and they flew her to Shock Trauma, which was where Sheriff Baker was as well. Last update Vaughn passed along was Baker was in surgery but expected to make it, and so was Candy. Though, neither of those injuries were Jonny’s fault either. Sadly, a cadaver dog found Anderson Bull in a shallow grave on the property of a junkyard. That was Clifford’s doing as well.

Now we were home, I’d taken a shower, and I’d hoped I could get dressed before I had to face all of our friends. Seeing as I was standing naked—well, not naked as in no clothes, but I had wet hair and no makeup which was naked for me—I hadn’t had the opportunity to prepare.

“Nothing,” Jonny answered.

His gaze traveled from my face down to my sweatpants, back up to my face, and smiled.

“Don’t know why yous looking at me like a circus clown. Why the shoutin’?”

“Yous?” Chasin snickered and I rolled my eyes.

A few months ago hearing Chasin poke fun at how I spoke would’ve embarrassed me, maybe even made me run and hide. Now, I embraced who I was and where I came from. Every day since I left Kentucky I worked damn hard. I’d just been mistaken about what I was working hard at. I didn’t need to lose the holler to find myself. I just had to find myself. And that discovery had led me to Jonny.