AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Now, Mrs. Lawrence,” Katie said, stepping up beside her man, gun raised.
“I am his wife! We are meant to be together.”
Grace raised the gun she held and pointed it at his head. “He’s mine!”
“Drop the gun, Mrs. Lawrence!”
“No!”
Ryan dived to the floor. He heard the gun go off. Raising his head, he watched Grace fall to the floor.
“Ryan!”
And then suddenly she was there. Faith, crouched over him, shouting his name, and all hell was breaking loose around them. Ryan somehow rolled her beneath him. “It’s okay now, Faith.”
She was trembling.
“Faith, honey, I’m all right.” He couldn’t hold her but pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Keep your eyes on me, baby.”
“Is she d-dead?”
He looked up again and Fin caught his eyes, shaking his head.
“She is. Don’t look, Faith. You don’t need that memory.” He rolled off her.
Noah arrived and hauled Faith to her feet. Buster was there too.
“Get her out of here,” Ryan said.
“Not without—”
Buster threw her over his shoulder and headed back out the door.
Noah produced a knife and cut the zip ties on his wrists and ankles, then held out a hand. Ryan took it and was soon upright.
“Let’s go.” Noah headed toward the door with Ryan on his heels, leaving Katie and Cubby behind.
“I’m saying this once and once only,” Noah said when they were clear of the cabin. “I was wrong, and I apologize. I had no right to go at you like I did.”
“I would have done the same,” Ryan said, heading to where Buster held Faith.
“Ryan!” She ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck.
He buried his face in her hair and held her. Inhaling his girl, he simply closed his eyes and reveled in having her in his arms.
The loudwhomp whompof rotor blades alerted them to a Texan about to land.
“You shouldn’t have run away,” she said into his ear.
“I wanted you safe.”
“I may have been safe, but I would have been empty inside if anything happened to you.” She looked up at him. “I love you.”
He was filthy and smelled of smoke. Exhaustion was tugging at him, and he’d just been kidnapped, yet the surge of elation at her words eradicated all that.
“Christ, I love you.” He kissed her softly, then slipped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side as Brad landed.
Tex was the first to reach him. “You all good?”
