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Silent tears streamed down my face.
“You’re okay now,” he whispered into my ear. “I’m not going to leave you. It’s okay now.”
A knock on the door broke into our moment.
“Hey,” Trick called through the wood. “Everything okay? You need anything?”
“Yeah,” Luke told him. “I need you to open the fucking door and get out of the way. We’re coming through.”
The door immediately sprang open. “Chloe!” Trick cried, rushing inside. “Are you okay?” He came straight to us, looking me over immediately and touching my arm and face to assure himself that I was really there.”
“I’m okay,” I assured him, just as Luke growled, “I told you to get out of the damn way.”
Trick reached for me. “Here. Give her to me.”
“I’ve got her,” Luke assured him testily and tightened his grip on me.
Trick glared. “She’smysister.”
But Luke refused to let go. “I don’t know how well this towel will stay on her if we transfer her around too much. Just clear a path for me, and I’ll get her up the stairs.”
“Fine. Just don’t drop her.”
“And here, that was the first thing I planned to do.” Luke rolled his eyes, then glanced at me. “Head’s up. I may have to hurt your brother before the end of the night.”
Exhausted and finally feeling safe again for the first time in hours, I dropped my head onto his shoulder and tightened my arms around his neck, glad I could stay right where I was, warm and secure. “Just don’t do any permanent damage.”
“I think his brain’salreadypermanently damaged,” he muttered.
My eyelids fluttered. I think I could fall asleep right here. “Probably from hanging around you so much.”
Luke tipped his face to the side, trying to see me. His glance was speculative as if he wanted to glare at me for my quip but also wanted to smile. What he saw in me must’ve told him that I was okay enough to crack a joke.
But instead of firing back, he murmured, “Yeah. Probably.”
I sighed and closed my eyes fully. “Wake me when it’s over, will you?”
He leaned his face over so he could briefly press his temple to my hair, even as he answered, “Will do. You just sleep tight. I got you.”
So I did. I slept hard and deep, comforted by Luke’s smell in my nose, his warmth on my skin, and his arms locked protectively around me.
10LUKE
Trick and I had a small debate over what to do after we found Chloe.
I wanted to take her straight to the hospital to get checked out. He was determined to get justice and wanted to wait until the police showed up so that the bastard who’d kidnapped her wasn’t left alone and given a chance to escape.
“Dude, I’m not keeping her in this house any longer than she needs to be here,” I insisted.
He nodded as if he understood and took my arm as he led me to the door. “Fine. Go sit with her in the truck. I already called the police. They shouldn’t be that long.”
When he opened the front entrance for me, he paused to reach out and touch Chloe’s cheek. I think she’d passed out on me before I’d even gotten her all the way up the stairs. But I could tell she was still breathing because I could feel every exhale against the side of my neck and her breasts swelling against my chest when she inhaled.
“She shouldn’t have to be dealing with this,” Trick murmured quietly, his gaze full of concern.
“No shit,” I muttered and shifted past him, turning sideways to carry her through the doorway. “Come open the truck door for us, too, will you?”
Trick hurried to comply. And once I’d slid into the passenger seat with Chloe nestled securely in my lap, her brother peered in at us and asked, “Is there anything you need?”
