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I need to find my control again so I wind my arm around her. The second her weight slips into my arms, I’m grounded. As though having her in my arms centers me.
“Thank you,” she offers in a shaky breath, and I grind my teeth. There is an edge of fear in her voice I never want to hear again. Of course she’s scared, and the dried streaks of tears down her cheeks make me want to plant a bullet in the fucker’s head at my feet.
But that’s not all I see. There’s a hard slash to her mouth like she’s ready to kill someone, and my heart damn near bursts with pride.
One of the asshats stirs at our feet. One guy has his pants undone, his belt hanging open. I signal Lucian, and he sees it too.
With my help Justice slips off the table, but shoves free, rears back a foot and lands a solid kick to the bastard’s balls.
“Piece of shit,” she hurls at him like a true warrior, and then I whisk her away. The sooner we are gone, the better.
When we get Justice safely outside, one of us will come back and take care of the trash. My focus is Justice—revenge will have to wait. It’s nothing she needs to see.
One thing is for sure, if we decide to let them walk away from this, neither man will ever want to kidnap anyone again.
Justice puts her hand in mine. “Holy shit, that felt good. Let’s go now please. I don’t want to stay here another minute.” A tremor rolls through her, and I tighten my hand over hers. Our soft, gentle Justice would never dream of hurting another human being but it seems everyone has their limits.
I smirk, keeping an eye on the now groaning kidnapper withering on the floor next to his bleeding buddy who is finally coming to.
I look back to see Lucian take the butt of his gun across the bridge of his nose, and down he goes.
He looks at me and shrugs, saying nothing.
Jacob pulls out zip ties and secures both men for later transport.
Lucian moves into point with Jacob falling in behind him. Two men between her and whatever might come at us as we make a quick exit. I bring up the rear.
Like I said. Ten minutes and Justice would be safe.
Outside I turn and give Lucian a nod, knowing he’ll hang back and take care of cleanup while we tend to getting Justice home. On any other mission there would be loads of paperwork to deal with shots being fired, but this one we’ve all agreed to keep under the radar.
Justice sniffs a little, and I know she’s coming down from her adrenaline rush. My heart breaks for the kind woman in my arms. She lets out a long breath. “Take me to your home, please. I’m so cold and don’t want to be alone.” Jacob bends and silently scoops her up before sliding into the back seat and settling her on his lap.
I stop Lucian with a hand to his shoulder before he can go back inside. “On second thought, let’s tend to her. Call in our friends from upstate. Ask Lincoln, Cain and Grant to swing by and give us a hand with the trash. Fill them in on everything that went down. Fish out the bullet and make sure nothing can be traced back for when they drop them off at the hospital.”
“A good ass kicking?”
I pause. Notions of murder cloud my vision, but this isn’t war and we aren’t murderers.
“Tell them to make sure they’ll never harm another woman again.”
Lucian pulls his phone and nods gloomily. “Copy that. I was really looking forward to having a moment with our new friends, but you’re right. Justice comes first.”
I swing in beside Jacob and I exchange a look overtop Justice’s head as I pull her bare legs into my lap.
My eyes fall to hers in the dark cabin of our truck. We should probably tell her coming home with us is a bad idea, but instead we ride in silence.
Four
Justice
Ididn’t think I would ever feel warm again. Rot and mildew are all I could smell for the first fifteen minutes of my shower. The urge to turn and run to my saviors this second is so damn strong. I can’t explain it beyond an invisible tether pulling at me.
I wrap a towel around me and secure the thick edge between my breasts before swiping at the steam-covered mirror. I close my eyes and focus on my body, trying to ground myself in this moment. It’s amazing how a shower makes everything better. The aches and pains from the hard table edged out by the hot water.
I bite my lip. Maybe not completely better, but at least good. Yeah, I’ll go with good. Nothing can erase the last few hours from my life. That’s a fact. It happened and I have the bruises to remind me over the next few days of my close call. I hold a hand over the area of my stomach where the braver of the two assholes punched me for kicking him before they could manage to tie me up.
The skin over my lower abdomen hurts like a son of a bitch, but it will fade with time. I’ll do good to remember even fool amateurs like those two men can kill. My hands shake but by the time I finish blow-drying the long lengths of my hair, I’m able to at least brush the tangles out without shaking. “I’m safe,” I remind myself. And all due to the men waiting for me in the living room.
