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He shifted us around, my back against the wall as he pushed his knee between my thighs, hitting my center, my heat. I let him kiss me, and while I wanted to be more than just his secret girlfriend, I also was willing to accept whatever he gave.
My lips parted, drinking him in, pulling him tighter against me. Every thought from my mind disappeared as we kissed, and time seemed to stand still.
Someone cleared their throat rather loud. Were they trying to get our attention?
I whimpered in protest when Jaxson pulled away, and we both glanced at the intruder: Lincoln.
He held his cup of coffee in his hand and took a long, slow sip. “Why don’t the three of you get out of here,” Lincoln said. “I’ll drive with Mason and Hazel to pick up his truck.”
“Are you sure?” Jaxson asked.
“You have a ten-hour drive home. Izzie doesn’t need to be kept out any later than necessary. I’ll probably end up renting a hotel for the night and driving back tomorrow if Mason doesn’t get released soon,” Lincoln said.
Jaxson’s cell phone rang, and he hurried over to grab it from Izzie as she watched her movie.
I stood awkwardly, giving Lincoln a weak smile. He’d been good to me, I had no complaints, but I still wasn’t happy that he knew our secret. “Listen, what you saw—”
“It’s none of my business,” Lincoln said. “You make him happy, and I can honestly say there aren’t too many people other than Izzie who can do that.”
“You won’t say anything to the others?” I hoped he could keep it to himself and not mention it to his buddies.
“Again, it’s not my place,” Lincoln said. He stepped closer. “You don’t have to worry, Ariella. I like having you around. You’re good for Jaxson, and you make him happy. That’s all that matters.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Jaxson hung up the phone and shoved it into his pocket.
“Daddy, phone.” Izzie reached for his pants, trying to retrieve his phone.
“Not right now,” he said and lifted his little one into his arms, giving her kisses. He shot a look at Lincoln. “Can you give Mason a message?”
Lincoln sipped his coffee. “Sure, what’s up? Is everything okay?”
“The sheriff called to let us know they found his uncle’s dog, Bear. They’re keeping her at the station until someone comes to pick her up. Thankfully she was all right, with a few scratches but no significant injuries. I let him know Mason was being released soon, but we’re in Fargo, so it probably won’t be until tomorrow.”
“He’ll be relieved to know Bear is all right,” Lincoln said. “Text me the sheriff’s number, and I’ll make sure we pick up Bear on the way home.”
* * *
It was a long drive back to Breckenridge. Jaxson insisted on being the one to drive. Izzie had fallen asleep an hour into the ride. It was dark and late, which probably helped her fall right to sleep.
“What’s going to happen to Hazel?” I asked.
“You heard the sheriff; they don’t plan on charging her with any crime because they closed the investigation and ruled it self-defense,” Jaxson said.
“That’s not what I’m talking about. Franco is still out there.”
“He’s in prison,” Jaxson said. He glanced at me and reached for my hand as he drove.
Our fingers intertwined together. I gave his hand a squeeze, trying to reassure myself as much as him that I was okay. I didn’t feel like myself. I still felt disconnected, lost in the events of the day. “You don’t worry that he’ll come after you and your family?” I asked.
“If I worried about that, I’d be worrying about every bad guy who we deal with,” Jaxson said. He kept his voice low, careful not to wake Izzie. “Declan is fixing the security system and finding out how Nikolai managed to disable it.”
Hearing that from Jaxson, I wanted to feel at ease. I wanted Franco to leave Hazel alone along with the rest of us. I squeezed his hand. “I guess it’s just been a long day. Emma came to the house this morning, barefoot and hysterical.”
“Nikolai shot up the compound where she’s been living,” Jaxson said.
“You knew she was living there? How?” I asked.
