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“They have to take us back. I’ll miss my court date and then I’ll be in more trouble,” I told him. He nodded, looking miserable. We left the cabin, and I cast a last, longing look at the place. I’d been so happy there, the happiest I’d ever been. It was physically painful to walk away from it.
We got into one of the huge SUVs that Bennet’s team had driven part the way up a track. Bennet got in beside me, tossing his own keys to one of his teammates.
We drove out of the woods in silence, and only once we hit the highway did Diesel turn in his seat and look at Bennet.
“Status update,” Bennet said to him.
“The cops are on it, arrests are being made, and an emergency hearing for Laura with our firm’s lawyer is taking place tonight.”
I tried to catch up with the conversation. “Wait, my hearing is tonight?”
Diesel nodded. “Doug Greyson is out of the hospital. The charges are downgraded, and the plea will be self-defense. Given the uproar in the town, they’ve brought in a judge from out of state. He might throw it out,” Diesel said.
“Throw what out?”
“Your case,” he said flatly, like that was a normal thing.
“My case? My stabbing someone?”
“You acted with emotion to protect a minor from harm, and Doug Greyson is already out of the hospital. Given what’s come out about the men, if we can call them that, who worked with Brian, public opinion isn’t really in their favor.”
“I don’t understand,” I said numbly. I shot a look at Benji, who was absorbed in Emily’s tablet with headphones on. “Someone please fill me in.”
Emily reached out and snapped the radio on. The nine o’clock news was just starting.
“The latest today in the case that is exploding suburbia. Do you really know if there’sa monster lurking next door? Well, neighbors of Brian Lavin, must be asking themselves that today as more women come forward, joining the voices of the accusers, and piling yet more evidence on the local millionaire investor. A raid by the FBI this morning, in which assets were seized from his house, revealed a laptop with incriminating video evidence.”
“Turn it off,” I blurted. I took my seatbelt off and threw myself at the door. The car stopped just in time for me to stagger from it, and throw up violently in a ditch. Bennet’s warm hands came to hold my hair back, and he pulled a strand from my mouth as I hurled the contents of my stomach and more. My skin felt sweaty, and I was dizzy. His solid presence was a wall to lean against as I swayed.
“When did you do all this?”
“I set the wheels in motion as soon as you told me the truth. I told you I was going to take care of it, and I was always going to do that,” he said firmly. I twisted around and looked up at him.
“You couldn’t have told me?” I took an outstretched bottle of water and rinsed my mouth, spitting on the ground.
“I didn’t want to tell you before it was all in motion. I didn’t want you to be disappointed. I think you’ve had enough of that in your life. My aim is that you never had it again,” he said quietly. I stared up at the man who had pushed through my self-protection barriers like a bulldozer, refusing to give in, or give up. This was the man that had chased me when I’d pushed him away and ignored his business and best interests, just to be beside me, and listen to my story.
“What’s going to happen now?” I wondered, unable to imagine a world that Brian wasn’t breathing down my neck and blackmailing me in.
“Now, we’ll go back. You’ll return as the avenging guardian angel that you are, and your name will be cleared. Then you and Benji will move in with me.”
“Move in with you?” I repeated, shocked.
“Damn right you’ll move in with me. I’m not letting you out of my sight. You’re too damn tricky,” he murmured and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“Aren’t we rushing things? What if you change your mind? Now that I’m no longer a damsel in distress?"
“Laura, you were never a damsel in distress. You escaped me twice, kept Benji safe, and got all the way out here. If I wasn’t already obsessed with you, I’d never have caught you. As for rushing things, I’m exercising about as much restraint as I can, for the sake of Benji. If I got you alone? You’d not just be living with me, you’d be marrying me.”
CHAPTER17
Bennet
“Marrying you? I’ve driven you mad, up in the woods, the isolation, the endless tins of beans,” Laura stated flatly, and let out a shocked laugh when I tugged her tightly to me.
“It’s not madness, it’s love,” I confessed, suddenly solemn. “I’m in love with you, Laura, and you’d have to fake your own death, and do it damn well, to get rid of me now.”
“Noted. I better start planning now,” she teased. Despite the rollercoaster of emotions this morning had taken us on, I saw the light of relief and genuine laughter in her eyes. Yes, she’d been traumatized, and yes, she carried guilt, and she probably always would. Her bravery was also the only reason Brian’s entire system was coming crashing down. She was braver than she knew, and she’d carry her demons with her for the rest of her days. Hell, I couldn’t judge. I had my share of demons. Good people always did. Benji would have his own as well. There was more than enough room for every single one of them, as long as we were together.
