Page 94 of Tactical Lies

“Please,” she whispered as she chewed on her bottom lip to hold in a sob even as a couple of tears rolled free.

“Okay, honey.” His hand swept down from the top of her head, settling on her cheek where his fingers caressed her skin for a moment before he nodded to Cole.

With worried eyes, she watched as Cole probed Connor’s shoulder, watching for signs that the man she loved was in more pain than he’d been letting on. But she didn't see any tightening of his mouth, and Connor didn't grunt or whimper in pain. Didn't do anything, just held her steady gaze until Cole finished his examination.

“He’s good, Becca,” Cole assured her. “You both need a hospital but he’s okay.”

“Just a flesh wound?” she checked.

“Just a flesh wound,” Cole repeated.

“Cole, can you take her out to the car,” Connor asked.

“Why can't you? Where are you going?” she demanded, panic making her voice shriller than she’d intended. But after the last few hours, the last thing she wanted was to be away from Connor for any reason for even a single second.

“There’s something I have to do but I’ll be with you in a moment,” Connor told her, his gaze flitting over to where Jake and Jax were standing over the only man who had survived, and she knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to question the man, get answers any way he could, and he didn't want her to see it.

“Can't they do that?” she asked, hating to be needy now that it was all over when she’d been able to be confident and strong while in the middle of their ordeal, but she was crashing quickly. Everything was sinking in, what had happened, what could have happened, and she didn't want to be alone.

“I need to do this, moonlight. They were going to torture you and kill you. I won't be long, okay? Promise. And Cole and Cooper will go with you.”

When she managed a small nod, Connor leaned in and kissed her, then nodded to Cole when he pulled back. Cole scooped her up, carrying her outside. It was still raining and even though the car was fairly close to the cabin, she was drenched all over again by the time Cooper opened the back door of the SUV and Cole slid her in.

While Cooper climbed in beside her, tucking a blanket around her, Cole got in the front and turned on the engine, blasting the heaters as high as they’d go. It didn't really help. A chill had settled inside her, and only Connor could warm it up.

Keeping the plushie clutched in her hands, stroking it against her cheek, Becca did her best to imagine it was really Connor. She needed him now, in a way she couldn’t have him until they were alone, but at least she could curl into his side, reassure herself that he was alive, she was alive, and their second chance hadn't been stolen.

A scream ripped through the night, howling above the roar of the wind and she clenched her eyes closed.

Another followed and another.

Cooper turned her into his arms, and she burrowed into him. It wasn't that she didn't understand why Connor was trying to get answers any way he could, she did, his whole family wasn't safe while these men were still out there. The man deserved whatever he’d got as well, it was just there had been so much pain and blood tonight and she just wanted it to be over.

Could have been minutes could have been much longer, but eventually the door opened and Connor slid into the seat beside her.

Immediately, she was on his lap, wrapped up in his arms, and snuggled against him. “Did you get answers?”

“Said he didn't know who hired them,” Connor replied.

“Do you believe him?”

“Yeah. He and his friends are all former military. All had trouble with the law since they got out and hung around together at a local bar. Someone paid them a lot of money to come here tonight and torture and kill you, then kill me but pretend they’d kidnapped me. Use sending your body to my brothers as a threat of what they’d do to me if they didn't back off.”

“But they didn't,” she reminded him, feeling the tension in his hard body.

“No, they didn't.” His lips touched the top of her head, and his arms banded around her, and for the first time all night, she felt safe.

Safe with Connor.

Always.

All of her.

Even her heart.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

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