Page 90 of Unraveled Love

“You ready to hear?” Jaxon asked, glancing at Addi. “You can go take a walk, or go eat in the waiting room.”

“No.” She shook her head and moved her chair closer to me. “I’ll be okay.”

I nodded at Jaxon. “Go ahead.”

“Right. Then, first, and there’s no easy way to say this, but Lincoln and Mason didn’t make it.”

“Fuck.” I’d suspected, especially since Jaxon had told me the first time I woke up that Cort was okay but hadn’t mentioned the other guys. Didn’t make the news any easier, and as tears welled in Addi’s eyes, I reached out and took her hand, running my fingers down the back of her hand until she loosened her grip on the coffee and held mine back. “That sucks. They were good men.”

I hadn’t known either well, hadn’t had the time with them, but Mason had always made everyone laugh. They’d given their lives for Addi, and they would always have my respect.

“They were. I’ve notified their families and have taken care of getting them back to Raleigh so they can say their goodbyes.”

I squeezed Addi’s hand, giving her a few moments before asking, “And Landon and Daniel?”

“Cort and Addi took care of them. They’re gone. I heard this morning that the older Bancroft was granted his motion to withdraw, and no one wants to go anywhere near Matthew’s case, so the great mayor of Charleston is stuck with a public defender.” I hadn’t thought it’d be possible I’d be smiling so quickly after learning about the men on my team not making it, but that pleased me. “My guess is, he’ll be spending the rest of his life behind bars for the evidence that’s being stacked against him.”

“That’s good news.” I brought Addi’s hand to my mouth and kissed it as, for the first time since I met him, Jaxon gave me a full-blown smile.

I hadn’t even known the man had it in him.

“And I’ve got more good news.”

Addi grinned and squeezed my hand back.

“Well don’t keep me in suspense.”

He rocked on his heels and brought his coffee cup to his lips, still smiling. “Apparently, the war between the Mancussos and Luca’s family has escalated. He got word about more girls being shipped out of their New York port, so he’s been taking out all their men who are guarding the area. Got word to MaryAnne that the next one he finds, he’ll call the FBI. She’s pissed she’s been losing all theirproduct.” He curled his lip in disdain as Addi’s smile faltered. I was on pins and needles waiting for him to finish. “And she agreed that if he stopped targeting the girls, she’d leave Addi alone. Forever.”

“Fuck that’s good news.” My chest lightened. “So it’s over,” I said, grinning at Addi.

Her eyes were shimmering with tears as she smiled back at me. “It’s over.”

“Thank God.” I adjusted myself on the bed but couldn’t sit up. A groan slipped free, making Addi jump to her feet. “Come here,” I growled as she tried to help me, and my palm slid to the back of her head. I brought her to my mouth, kissing her, not giving a shit that Jaxon was in the room, but as we kissed, my body heating and love for this woman flooding me, I vaguely heard the quiet click of the door closing.

“We scared him out of the room,” she said, grinning against my lips.

“Good. I love you and I’m so damn proud of you.” I brushed hair behind her ear and kissed the tip of her nose. “Promise me that when we get back to Raleigh, you’ll see the therapists Jaxon can refer you to. I don’t want this affecting you any more than it has to.”

“I will. And I love you, too, you know.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course.”

“Then show me,” I said right before I leaned in and took her mouth.

She was safe.

And she was mine.

It was the only thing I needed.

Epilogue

Addi

The sun was shining as far as my eyes could see. In the distance there were horses and cows. Corn fields. A field of cut hay that Shawn’s family was in the process of baling. We were in Kansas, and had been for the last week. His parents, Mike and Sue, were as kind as he’d told me they’d be. Sue had wrapped me in a hug so tightly the moment we met it felt like I’d known her forever. We’d had plenty of FaceTime calls with his parents over the months, and when they mentioned being a man down for hay baling season, Shawn had jumped at the chance to bring me to Kansas to help out his family.

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