Page 146 of First Chance

“I’m fine.”

“Lochlan, we’re safe. You can go get checked out.”

“I’ll be fine,” he breathes.

“Let me off, I’m making it worse.”

“Don’t you fucking dare leave me.” He wraps his arms around me tightly, grunting as he does.

Stubborn, sweet man.

“I won’t leave, I promise.” I scoot off his lap, and he’s in too much pain to stop me. I leave my legs draped across his thighs so he doesn’t fret, and hold onto his arm.

His hands are bloody and destroyed, making me gasp.

“Lochlan Dane. You need a medic!”

“I’m fine.”

“Alright, fill me in,” Jackson says, sitting down on the coffee table in front of us. “From the beginning, Jo.”

“It was Jerry from the junkyard, I thought he was a volunteer firefighter. He lured me into the woods because I thought he had found Emory.” I gasp, looking around. “Where’s Emory?”

“She’s fine. She’s asleep upstairs,” Hayes says from the other side of the couch, holding bolt cutters. “Becky and Tessa are with her.”

I nod, gathering my thoughts as he comes over to snip the chain from my waist. It takes a few attempts, but he gets me free after about a minute.

“He admitted that he was paid to start the fires. He wasalso paid to get rid of me so Lochlan would be forced to close the sanctuary.”

Lochlan grumbles deeply beside me.

“I pleaded with him and told him that I wasn’t really Lochlan’s fiancée. It was all fake, but he wouldn’t let me go.” Lochlan’s grip tightens on my legs as I continue talking. “He wanted me to be mauled by the bears per his brother’s orders. I don’t know who his brother is.”

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Lochlan grunts as he tries to stand up but I press on his chest, stopping him.

“Don’t leave me.”

“Yeah, let’s not make death threats out loud,” Jackson mutters, and Hayes laughs. “Your word is all I need, Jo. I’ll get a hold of the judge and get the warrant for his arrest.”

“Just like that?”

“Jerry the junkyard owner will be in cuffs before dawn, and I’ll find out who his brother is,” Jackson confirms earnestly.

“What about Curtis?”

“He might not make it, Jo. I’m sorry. He lost a lot of blood, but he’s on his way to St. John’s Hospital.”

“Oh my God,” I cry, covering my face. “He was trying to help me. He tried to fight him off but…” I can’t even utter the words out loud.

“He’s a good man. He was a soldier. He knew what he was doing when he tried to save you. He wouldn’t regret it,” Jackson promises.

“Seiver and Arizona went with him to the hospital,” Hayes adds.

“What about the bears? The fire?”

“They’ll run from the fire. They’ll be fine. If it gets too bad, we’ll let them loose.”

“Loose?”

---