Page 82 of Her Delta Force Protector

Kade bumped fists with Viper. “’Fraid so, man. You can blame Duke for that, though.”

“Sounds like a story there,” Tristan said.

Harper eyed Duke. “Why’s half his leash missing?”

“I tied him to a tree so he’d stay put while I came for you,” Kade said. “Next thing I know, he’s stalking dirtbag over there. He had to have chewed his leash in half to escape. About the time I decided I was going to have to shoot a cop, Duke attacked. I had to settle for shooting his ear.”

Viper high-fived Kade. “Dude, you’re so going to get free beers off that story.”

“Won’t turn those down.” He bumped Tristan’s shoulder. “What was that about Miss Mabel running into the back of Earl’s truck? How many times does that make now?”

“I stopped counting. I think she does it on purpose just to get his goat.”

The two brothers looked at each other, then burst out laughing. Harper exchanged a glance with Viper, and they both shrugged. She didn’t get what was so funny to the brothers, but she loved seeing Kade laugh.

Tristan told them what had happened when Theo and cohorts drove through town, and by the time he finished the story, she and Viper were laughing, too.

“You assholes laugh now while you can,” Theo said. “I’m going to throw every charge I can think of at all of you.”

“Thought I told you to shut up.” Kade stepped next to her, touching his arm to hers. “Why don’t you two get this douchebag out of here?” he said to Tristan and Viper. “He probably needs to see a doctor. Harper and I will be right behind you.”

Tristan and Viper hauled Theo up by his arms, and as they walked away with him, Theo was yelling threats about what he was going to charge them all with. Duke started to follow, then stopped and looked back.

Kade waved a hand at him. “Go on. You know you want to.”

After giving them a bark, Duke caught up with the three men and nipped at Theo’s heels.

“I think he considers Watson his prisoner,” Kade said, sitting next to her. “You want to rest a little before we head back?”

“No, but I wish you could poof me back.” It was at least a thirty-minute walk, and she wasn’t sure she had that much energy left.

“I’ll carry you.”

She rolled her eyes. “You will not.”

“Up you go then.” He stood, then held out his hand.

When she was on her feet, she forced her legs not to show him how rubbery they were as they started walking. What she wouldn’t give for a warm bath, a glass of wine, and then a bed. “How’d you find me?”

“I didn’t. Duke did.” He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Wish we’d reached you sooner, before Watson hurt you. Did he say anything about his activities or Abby Warton?”

“Oh, he sort of admitted he had something to do with Abby’s death. I really hope the necklace Chase gave me is working because my mind’s a little fuzzy on everything he said.” The arm Kade had around her was all that was holding her up, and she was sure he knew that.

When he’d appeared and she’d waved hi, what she’d really wanted to do was jump in his arms and for him to kiss the ever-loving daylights out of her because he was so happy to see her. Other than a grin and a wink, she hadn’t gotten any emotion from him. Pretty much what a best friend of his would get. She wasn’t surprised, but she’d hoped she was more than a BFF by now.

She didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that their time was over. But she couldn’t think about that right now or she’d cry in front of him, and that, she refused to do. He’d been up front with her, hadn’t made her promises he wasn’t going to keep. If she’d fallen in love with him and wished for a lifetime with him, that was her secret. And, suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to be home with her dad. He would hold her while she cried and told him about a man she loved.

And someday, it wouldn’t hurt anymore. She had to believe that.

Chapter Forty-Four

Kade walked out of his cabin after his interview with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. The SBI had arrived and taken over his cabin, bringing him, Harper, Viper, and Cupcake in for separate interviews. Harper had gone in first, and then him. Thankfully, the necklace had worked and recorded what Watson had said to her. Kade thought the SBI would be able to collect enough evidence without the recording to charge Watson and his cohorts with some serious crimes, but the recording was the icing on the cake. They felt they could use it to get confessions from those involved. The SBI told him they were bringing in the FBI.

One of the SBI agents and Tristan had taken Watson to the hospital to get his ear and dog bite treated, then they’d take him to the Horace County jail where Rawls and his muscle were being held until the SBI transported them to wherever. Kade didn’t really care. It was over and Harper was safe. That was all that mattered.

Where was she? She’d refused to go to the hospital to have her cut looked at, but Cupcake, the team’s medic, had cleaned it and put a butterfly bandage on it. A bark and then a splash caught Kade’s attention, and he shook his head. The hero of the day was Duke, and if he wanted to grow gills and be a fish for the rest of his life, that was fine with Kade. It was the woman sitting at the end of the dock, watching Duke play in the water, that he wanted.

“I called my dad to let him know it’s over,” Harper said when he sat next to her.

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