Page 201 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

“Thank you for going to my father. And dealing with his stubborn ass. I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

“He has resources I don’t, and I wanted you found as quickly as possible.”

When she reached over to squeeze his thigh, he grabbed her hand, gave it an answering squeeze, then kept it enveloped in his.

“Did he do that to your face?” If so, she was going to have a serious sit down with her father. He needed to learn to accept Nox, especially since she planned on keeping him around for a long time.

And if it was up to her, forever.

Instead of answering her question, he deflected with, “Where do you want to go? My place? Yours?”

She tried to clear her dry throat. “Do you know where Devyn and Keenan are?” She needed to know her sons were okay and hadn’t been targeted, too.

“Your father had one of the Knights pick them up from your mother’s and take them to his house. They’re safe with Cait. Is that where you want to go?”

Her first instinct was to say yes because she wanted to see for herself that they were safe but earlier she had taken a peek in the small mirror built into the sun visor. She didn’t recognize herself.

The way she looked right now might upset her boys.

“Not yet. I don’t want them to see me like this. Can you take me home so I can shower, change and sober up some more before I go get them?”

“Whatever you want, baby. You also need to get more fluids in you. Food, too. And some sleep. If you want, I can get them after you clean up and while you take a nap.”

“I don’t want them to know what happened.”

“I won’t say shit but I’m sure they’re wondering why a Knight picked them up early.”

He was right, but she didn’t want them to know she’d been abducted and drugged. She’d need to come up with an excuse. One that would pass muster with a fifteen-year-old. Devyn was too damn smart for his own good.

“It was crazy, Liyah,” Nox murmured. “The Dark Knights rolled out to save you like they’re white knights instead.” He turned his head to glance at her. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if they hadn’t.”

She interlaced her fingers with his, holding on tighter. “Yes, you would’ve. I have no doubt you would’ve done whatever you needed to do to find me.”

His fingers twitched against hers. “I might never had found you without him and his contacts.”

“That’s what I’m saying. You did what needed to be done. You realized it was better to let him handle it and you didn’t interfere, whether he would deal with it legally or not. You didn’t let your ego, or your job, get in the way.” Her eyes began to sting when she whispered, “I thank you for that.”

His voice sounded huskier than normal when he said, “Anything for you, Liyah.”

It had to be the drugs wearing off, because she was not expecting those four words to make those tears fall.

But despite everything that happened tonight, her heart was full.

* * *

It was late.The boys were in bed asleep. Nox had picked up a meal for her to eat on his way back to her house with the boys.

She had showered and then climbed into bed while waiting for him to return. During that time, she had fallen asleep and didn’t wake up until he climbed in with her, offering her a bag emblazoned with “Bangin’ Burgers.”

Her boys’ favorite.

She sat up and accepted it. “Are you staying here tonight?”

“Planned on it. You okay with that?”

“Yes.” Before she could dig into the bag, Nox did it for her, pulling out a container overflowing with fries, as well as a wrapped burger. “Was my dad home when you got there?”

“No,” he answered after popping one of the fries into his mouth. He offered the next one to her.

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