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“Hawke is on his way out,” Liam finally informs me after what feels like hours.
Thank you, God!
“All clear out here,” I hear Liam confirm.
“Emily,” I hear Hawke’s voice call. “It’s safe to come out,” he confirms.
Rushing out from behind the shrubbery, I throw myself into his arms. “Please tell me Antonio and Andres can’t hurt me anymore,” I cry out.
Holding me tightly to him, he embeds his hand in my hair and kisses the top of my head. “Neither of them will ever hurt you again; that’s a promise.”
Relief floods through me, and my body sinks into his.
Reluctantly releasing him, I ask if anybody else is hurt, to which he confirms Antony was shot in the leg. My gasp must be louder than I anticipate because he assures me it isn’t serious, and his friend is up and moving around.
“Thank you,” I tell him gratefully.
“You don’t need to thank me, sweetheart, but I do need to thank you,” he softly replies.
When I ask what he is thanking me for since he was the one who rescued me, not the other way around, he whispers, “for giving me something to live for.”
“The guns have been secured, Hawke, and we are ready to roll.”
The sound of Liam’s voice reminds both of us of where we are.
“We’ll be right behind you,” Hawke confirms, releasing me to grab my hand.
“I need to talk to you about something,” I whisper as we follow Liam toward the others.
“There’ll be plenty of time to talk once we are home safely, sweetheart. There’s something we need to do first.”
Not understanding what he means, I follow in silence. The closer we get to the others, the tighter Hawke’s grip on my hand becomes.
“Keep looking ahead,” he pleads as we pass by the front of Antonio’s home.
Doing as I’m told, I stare ahead until I see the welcomed sight of Hadley.
“Em,” she cries. “I’m so thankful you’re okay.” She hugs me.
“Thank you, Hadley,” I exclaim as I hug her. “Thank you for helping me escape.”
Releasing me, she tells me I’m one of the bravest people she knows. I’d like to believe that is true, but I’m nothing more than a coward compared to that girl.
“We’re all set to go, Hawke,” Jackson confirms.
“Emily and I will see you in a few days.”
Nodding, Jackson and his team get into their vehicle and start to drive away.
Huh?
“Why are we not going with them?” I ask in surprise.
“Your mom needs you, Emily,” is all he says.
Saying goodbye to Antony, Sean, and Hadley, I watch in silence as they drive away and then allow Hawke to escort me into the village to see my momma and sister.
The short drive toward the village has my mind reeling, and I remember my final moments with my momma before I left for good.
