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Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Phoebe had slumped down, sitting on the window ledge, her shoulder resting against the frame. If this girl got a shot off, it could startle Phoebe and make her fall. I still needed to get her away from the window, but I had to deal with this lunatic first.
Jerika gave me a beady-eyed smirk. “Oh, you both will be victims, you giant. Nothing’s going to stop me. I’m going to get to the top if it kills me!”
Rushing her, I grabbed her wrists and spun her into the wall. I slammed her hand to the wall and a shot rang out just before the gun fell to the floor. It felt like I watched in slow motion as Phoebe swayed on the window ledge at the sound of the shot. She was leaning back out of the window now, but her hand clutched the window frame precariously.
“No!” I raced across the apartment and grabbed onto her arm pulling her inside.
With a shriek, Jerika raced straight at me. I deflected her, giving her a shove. She lost her balance, stumbling with wide eyes as she fell out the window. Phoebe lunged to catch her, but I grabbed Phoebe’s waist and saw their hands just missed. I hauled Phoebe inside the window, pressing her into my chest. Glancing over her shoulder, I saw Jerika lying in a growing pool of blood in an unnatural position on the sidewalk below.
We both collapsed to the floor holding each other.
Clutching Phoebe as tightly as I could, she repeated through her sobs, “I tried to catch her.”
Breathing her vanilla scent, I pressed my lips to her temple. “Nothing you could do there, Raven. Hold onto me instead. I’ve got you.”
* * *
After hours of interviews with various police detectives, we were finally released. I took Phoebe to a hotel in town who knew me well enough to give me a suite without notice.
Once we stepped inside, I saw Phoebe wander into the bathroom and stare in the mirror. “Raven?”
She turned to look at me with desperate eyes, reaching for me. “Ransom? You came.”
My chest heaved with all the emotions I didn’t know how to express. “I told you I’d always come for you.”
She shook so hard as sobs wracked her body, I rushed to her and held her from behind. She felt cold, so I reached over and flipped on the shower. As the water warmed, I noticed she looked dazed, exhausted, beaten down by the miserable day we had, but she was still fighting. Fighting to get out of her own head. Fighting to see today for what it was. Fighting to see us in the mirror as a couple.
“Y-you’re sure you want this, us?” she whispered.
I saw the two of us in the mirror and knew I wanted this forever. “Sure as hell do. Always.” I turned her in my arms so we faced each other. “You understand that I love you, who you are, and the way you look every day. You’re always going to turn me on.”
She tilted her head and stroked my beard. “Really? And you want me to move in and be all coupley and shit?”
Nodding, I let my hands linger on her hips. “Fuck, yeah, I want to couple the hell out of everything. Matching pjs, Halloween costumes, and everything. I’m totally and completely in love with you.”
Pulling her into the shower, we took our time cleaning off the filth and grime from all that happened. As good as she felt as I lathered her body, this wasn’t about coming together with sex. It was about connecting as a couple. Gentle touches to support each other through a traumatic time. Leaning on each other when our grip on our sanity was tenuous.
When we were done, I toweled her off slowly, appreciating every curve. And she let me.
Wearing nothing at all, we collapsed in bed and curled up together.
Listening to the horns honk outside, traffic flowing through Manhattan, Phoebe’s voice startled me. “Do you think she felt any pain?”
I spoke into her neck where I nestled. “No, Raven. She didn’t feel a thing.”
Burrowing into my side, she held me close. “How did we survive today?”
I entwined my legs with hers. “Together. Just like always.”
I felt her snuggle in under my chin and we fell asleep.
* * *
The next day on the flight home, I dismissed Andrea so we could have the main cabin to ourselves.
Phoebe bit her lip. “I took a job with Clarke Communications. I was moving back to Minnesota anyway.”
My jaw dropped. “I was willing to move to New York to be with you. I’m sorry I’m such a grumpy, greedy bastard.”
