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He took Tancy’s quaking hand. “Let’s see what we can do about not letting that happen again.”
“Good idea,” she said before leading her client away from the mayhem.
He watched the duo and felt the adrenaline drain away. Focusing on Tancy, he watched her tuck her client close as they headed toward the office. Full hips swaying and long dark hair flying like a flag, she was the picture of strength.
How the hell didn’t he see this coming?
Was there something he could’ve done to ensure that the final showdown never occurred?
He studied the buzz of activity and watched two officers put David into the back of a squad car as a deputy collected the gun off the pavement. A shudder ran down his spine when he watched the officer place it in an evidence bag and zip it shut.
Too damn close.
Closing his eyes, he focused on his breath, not the picture of a bullet slamming into Tancy. The crisis had been averted, and he didn’t need to think about a world without Tancy.
TWENTY-ONE
There was no levity. All they had was gunpowder and dynamite. One wrong move and everything would detonate.
The afternoon’s events had settled on them both, and Tancy couldn’t tell where the next moment would take them. Fear often turned into anger, and if she were a betting person, she would say that Teague was about to explode.
Every muscle in his body was strung tight, and the lines on his face suggested he was doing everything he could not to unleash the mother of all speeches.
She didn’t think he blamed her for what had transpired, but she was reasonably confident that he disapproved of her choice to put herself in front of her client. Sipping her bourbon, she snuggled deeper into her couch and stared at the cabinet he’d made. The sound of his teeth grinding grew louder, and she cut her eyes sideways. “You won’t have any teeth left if you keep that up. And I point this out not because I’m concerned with having a toothless boyfriend. But because you’d miss eating chips, corn on the cob, or…”
“I get it,” he said sharply.
Pinning her mouth together, she wondered why she was the one trying to lighten the mood. Shouldn’t he be the one comforting her? “Just to be clear, it was me who had the gun pointed in their face today.”
“Well aware of that.”
“Really? Because your quiet disapproval and smoldering anger suggest you were the one that had a difficult day at work.” She felt him turn abruptly and saw abject fear coloring his rugged features.
“I need you alive, so I can fucking breathe.”
“Oh.” She looked away and stared at the amber liquid in her glass. “That’s…”
“You are not expendable and can’t do something that will get you taken away from me. I love you, Tancy. With my whole fucking heart. There is nothing after you.”
A tear slipped down her face, and she understood his pain. She’d taken matters into her own hand, making it difficult for him to cross his ocean of anger and frustration. “I don’t take this lightly.” She looked down at her hands, surprised to see them shake. “We all have our quirks. Mine just happens to be inserting myself into situations that are a bit dicey.” She looked up. “I had to do it. Laura has children. Those girls need her.”
“I need you, Tancy.” He took the glass out of her hand, set it on the side table, and hugged her tightly. “I put myself back together piece by piece so I could have a shot at happiness. And by happiness, I mean you and me riding off into the sunset, making a beautiful life together.”
He kissed her head, and she remained still, allowing his words to sink in. There wasn’t a joke in the world that would make him feel less frightened, and she didn’t know if she could make a promise to make him more comfortable. “I hear what you’re saying.”
“But you can’t tell me it won’t happen again, can you?”
She pulled away. “If you’re asking if I’ll make a habit of jumping in front of bullets, the answer is no. But if you want a rock solid promise that I won’t defend a defenseless woman, I can’t do it.”
“I understand, Tancy. Probably better than most, given what I pursued over the last decade. But babe, you can’t save everyone.”
“I know, but what was I supposed to do? Take a chance and pray that David was a horrible shot?”
“You were a supporting character in that story, not the hero. Laura and David put that horror show in motion and were ultimately responsible for how it played out.”
“That sounds like victim blaming.” She grabbed her drink and took a gulp.
“The most challenging lesson a warrior learns is when to pull out so they can live to fight another day.” He rested his arm on the back of the couch. “It took me a while to admit that despite my superpowers, I couldn’t save every person, village, or hostage I was tasked with defending. I had to do my best and accept the outcome.”
