AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Will be all right, sweet lassie.” He kissed her forehead and prayed that was the case. That Freya’s injuries were survivable. That the bullet hadn’t ripped through something like an artery. The wait was killing him. But he smiled at Maddie. “I promise.”
With his blessing, she went to Sophia, who strode away with her. He rubbed at the ache in his chest. He’d almost lost them both today because he’d been careless with them. He would never be careless with them again. Even if it meant she wanted him to leave her alone. It would be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but if that’s what she wanted, he would do it.
“What the hell happened?” Gabe asked, his gaze tracking his wife before glancing back at him.
“Have a seat, and I will tell you everything.” Jasper nodded at the chairs. They sat together. Jasper went into explicit detail. From Josh calling him over Freya’s false identification, to him leaving to get the phone from the safe deposit box, the abduction, and the entire series of events leading up to the hospital.
“Well, fuck.” Gabe ran a hand through his hair, looking shell-shocked at the turn of events.
“Exactly.” He knew the feeling.
“So the wedding we witnessed is null and void. What are you going to do? It’s understandable if you decide it’s not for you.” Gabe studied him.
He glared at his cousin like he’d lost his fucking mind. He pointed to the doors leading into the emergency room. “She’s in there because I failed her. I swore to her that I would never let him get near her. And the moment something came up that I didn’t like, that challenged what I thought I knew, I lost it. I left her to fend for herself with that psychopath. She deserves better than that.” And as much as he loved them, he worried he wasn’t good enough. That he’d never be able to forgive himself for not being there when they needed him most. That Freya wouldn’t forgive him for all the things he said to her today when what he should have told her was that he loved her and would fight for her.
“So man the fuck up and be better. If Freya’s what you want, then do whatever you need to do to keep her in your life. Unless you can’t forgive her for lying, which I understand. However, under the circumstances, I also understand Freya’s point of view. She was doing what she needed to protect her kid. I may not like her method or that you were hurt in the crossfire. But you need to decide if she’s the one for you.”
“I know.” And he knew what he needed to do, what he wanted. But all they could do was wait. He knew Asher would arrive once the investigation at the cabin was completed. And he knew Asher would ensure they gathered every shred of evidence.
Sophia returned with a freshly changed Maddie, who grinned and squealed the moment she spied him. She ran to him on her little legs, and he bent down and scooped her up. “There’s my little lassie.”
And in his heart, he knew what he wanted.
His girls.
28
Freya woke and surfaced through a fog of painkillers only to find the FBI Agent at her side. Her eyes glanced around the room, but she was alone with him.
“Where’s—” she croaked, parched from the long day and everything that transpired. She didn’t even know how much time had passed or how long she’d been out. Monitors quietly beeped. She had many wires and tubing hooked up to her.
When she tried to rise, he said, “Here, let me help you up.”
He pushed a button on the bed and lifted her into a sitting position. “Your daughter’s with Jasper. It got really late, and he took her home so she could get some sleep. How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been shot.” Maddie was safe and with Jasper. If nothing else, it was the one positive note on an absolutely shitty day.
Asher flashed a smile at her response. “The doctor said you were lucky. It’s only a flesh wound through the muscle. You don’t have any broken bones. Although, you’ve got some intense bruising and cuts you sustained during the abduction. I promise this won’t take long, but in order to wrap this case up, I need to get your statement.”
“Okay, is there any water?” Her throat felt like she’d swallowed a bucket of sand.
“Absolutely. They left a tray in here.” He moved the tray into her field of vision. On top there was a Styrofoam cup with a lid and straw that he handed her.
The first sip of ice water hit her tastebuds, and she gulped, realizing just how thirsty she was.
“Easy. You don’t want to drink it too fast, or you’ll get sick with all the painkillers in your system.”
She stopped and released the straw. He was right. “Sorry. I’m not thinking clearly after everything.”
“Understandable, hon. Can you walk me through the events that transpired, from the moment Ian Gerritson took you and your daughter hostage leading up to when we arrived on the scene?”
It was literally the last thing she wanted to do. But she knew there was no getting around it. She had to tell him everything.
“Yeah.” She recounted all of it in explicit detail. She described everything that was said between them. Everything she did to protect Maddie. Every place he hit her. And the moment he held his gun on Maddie with the intent to kill her. It was one of those events in her life she knew she would never forget.
He had her go over it a few times to make sure there was nothing she missed. And while she was groggy and in a bit of pain, she would live.
She dredged up a hazy memory but thought she couldn’t be right. Did that really happen? “What about Ian? I thought—”
