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I glanced toward the house. Someone was watching us from the window, half-hidden behind the curtain, but the window was so dirty it was hard to make out who it was. I waved anyway, and called out, “Kelly!”
A loud groan caused me to turn to where Cole and Savage had just dumped Bronx into the truck bed before replacing the tonneau cover. It was going to be a hot ride for Bronx, but I didn’t care. When I didn’t see Monk, I assumed that he was back there, too. Tamara was pushed none too gently into the back seat. By the time I returned my gaze to the house, Kelly had pushed through the door and was running toward me.
She threw herself into my arms, the force causing me to stumble back and let out a little cry of discomfort. Liam was right there to steady me.
“Easy there, sweetheart,” he said in a kind voice to Kelly. “Harlow’s hurt.”
Kelly instantly pulled away. “Oh, I’m sorry!”
There were tears in her eyes, tears that I knew were ones of happiness for finally being rescued. “It’s okay, honey. We’re going to get you back home to your mom, okay?”
She nodded enthusiastically, but her gaze darted around nervously. I could see in her eyes that she was still uncertain about what was going on.
“You never have to worry about those men again.” Liam was quick to assess her unspoken concerns and set her mind at ease. When Kelly turned her watery gaze on him, he added in a strong tone, “Promise.”
I loved him even more for his intuition and his kindness toward Kelly. His declaration brought a tiny, hesitant smile to her mouth, and I could feel the change come over her. She was starting to believe that this was real, that she was going home.
“We need to go.”
Everyone moved at Cole’s command. Snake climbed behind the wheel, and Kelly scooted in next to him. I climbed in with Liam, squeezing in against the door. It was tight, but it couldn’t be helped. I knew that Kelly would feel better with me next to her, and Liam needed to be near me. Cole and Savage flanked Tamara in the back seat. Snake started up the truck and immediately pulled away from the curb.
“Should have put you in the back with your men.”
I could only assume that Savage was talking to Tamara. “Yes, you should have,” I said, surprising myself. I wasn’t normally a vindictive or cruel person, but Tamara had played a big part in what had happened to Kelly and me. If Liam hadn’t found us...I shivered violently at the thought of what we would have gone through.
“You okay, babe?”
I grabbed Liam’s arm and snuggled up to it. “I am now.”
Chapter 28
Harlow
It was silent during the ride home, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I kept one hand wrapped around Kelly’s, squeezing it occasionally for comfort, trying to keep her grounded so that she wouldn’t get too lost in what had happened to her. I burrowed as close as I could to Liam to give her and Snake more room, but also because I needed to be near him. I needed to feel the hard strength and warmth of his body against mine and know that I was safe again. I closed my eyes a couple of times to hold back the emotion inside of me that wanted to break free.
“Klutz!” I gasped, opening my eyes when his image suddenly flashed through my mind. “Liam, he—”
