Page 82 of Ghost

“Well, he did.” Toby looked up at me as he said, “He made sure he couldn’t hurt us again.”

I thought back to the moment when Dylan burst through Toby’s bedroom door. I’d seen him angry many times before, and it had always terrified me. But this time felt different. This time that look in his eyes was more determined, like there was only one way this was going to end—it was going to be us or him. And I feared it was going to be us.

That feeling remained until Sutton came.

The second I saw his handsome face, I knew our nightmare would soon be over, and thank God, I wasn’t wrong. Sutton knocked down the front door and stormed into the living room so quickly that he caught Dylan off guard. As he spun around to face Sutton, Dylan’s gun left my temple, and before he could make a move, Sutton shot him.

As Dylan collapsed on the floor, Sutton rushed over to me and grabbed me in a tight embrace. He unlocked my handcuffs, and I rushed to gather Toby in my arms. I could see that his wrist was hurt, but he was alive. He was okay, and I’d never been more relieved.

It was over.

And because of Sutton, we’d survived.

I looked down at Toby and smiled, “Yes, he made sure he’d never hurt us again, but it had to be hard for you to see that.”

“I didn’t see it. I was too scared to watch,” he admitted. “I just heard it, and I was glad he got him.”

“I’m glad he got him, too, but...”

“I’m okay, Momma. I’m not gonna be all messed up in the head ‘cause Sutton shot him,” Toby assured me. “Now, I ain’t gotta worry about Dylan coming for us.”

“No, you don’t, but if you ever want to talk about things...”

“I know.” He eased down on his pillow and closed his eyes. “I love you, Momma.”

“I love you too, sweet boy.”

I continued to play with his hair until he drifted off to sleep. I stayed with him for over an hour, making sure that he was sleeping soundly before I got up and headed to Sutton’s room. When I walked in, he was in bed, looking at his phone. As soon as he saw me, he put it on the bedside table and asked, “How’s he doing?”

“Better than you’d think.”

“Ah, he’s a smart kid. I got a feeling that he’s gonna be just fine.”

“I certainly hope so.”

I crawled up next to him, and as I settled into the crook of his arm, the fear, pain, and helplessness I’d been carrying just melted away. He wrapped his arm around me, solid and strong, and I could feel the steady beat of his heart under my cheek. It was like all those shattered pieces inside me were starting to stitch themselves back together. For the first time, I felt safe, truly safe, and with him here, holding me like I was the most precious thing in the world, I almost believed that everything was going to be okay.

Dylan was dead, but our nightmare wasn’t completely over. So, I asked, “Have you figured out what you’re gonna do about Dylan? I know you said you’d take care of it... but he’s connected to some very powerful people. They’ll be looking for him.”

“I’m aware of his connection,” Sutton answered. “The club will handle it.”

“But he was in his patrol car. There could be a tracker inside of it, or his camera could’ve been recording.”

“We’re aware.”

“I know you can’t tell me things about the club, but this is different. I need to know that you aren’t going to get into trouble because of all this... I need to know that I’m not going to lose you.”

“You’re not going to lose me, babe,” he answered confidently.

“But you can’t be sure of that.”

“Yeah, I can.” He pulled me closer. “Those things you’re worried about, like the camera and the tracker, are the very things we will use to make this thing go away.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve already said too much.” A sexy smile slipped across his face as he demanded, “Now, stop talking and give me your mouth.”

He leaned over me and kissed me ever so softly. His fingers tangled into the hair at the nape of my neck, grasping it firmly as he pulled me even closer. He kissed me deeper and more passionately than ever before. I placed my hand on his chest, and as the fog of worry lifted, I realized that the waiting was over. I didn’t have to be scared anymore.

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