Page 54 of Pump Fake

I wouldn’t let her go for anything. “Are you hurt?” Gently, I tilted her face up until our frantic gazes caught and held.

“I’m okay. Promise.” Her arms tightened around me. “Just don’t let go.”

“I’m never letting you go.”

Shouts and orders echoed through the hallway, but in our bubble, Brielle slowly relaxed.

“Thank you, Ares. For coming.”

“I would follow you into hell and back. I’ve got you, promise.”

“Liam!” Fiona growled.

I jerked my gaze to where Liam’s furious sister stalked down the hallway, cops moving aside for her.

“The hell? I told you to stay out of it.”

“It all worked out, sis. Relax.”

“He did not just say that.” Brielle’s jaw dropped.

I rested my forehead against hers, wanting to shut them all out. Liam and his sister bickered like crazy but loved each other fiercely. I could understand her fear. Liam pushing her buttons by telling her to relax just dispelled some of that.

“You interfered in an investigation.” Her voice went quiet.

He wasn’t out of the woods yet. None of us were.

“We’ve got video for you, Fi”—Liam tossed her his phone—“implicating the chief.”

“Goddammit,” Fiona snapped. “McHenry. Give me an evidence bag, and get the feds on the line.”

Kylian fell against the wall beside us. “You okay, Brie?”

“Yeah.” She gave him a small smile, the tight grip she had on me never loosening.

“You three.” Fiona pointed at me, Kylian, and Liam before her voice softened. “I’ll need statements. And, Brielle Sinclair?”

“Yes?”

“Do you need an ambulance?”

“No.” Her voice wavered. “I’m not hurt.”

“I’ll need you to come down to the station, too, just for a statement.”

“Of course. But… I want Ares to take me.”

Fiona nodded.

An officer jogged over with a plastic bag before stepping to the side to place a call.

We watched as Vincent and Anthony Canino were cuffed and taken away. Fiona reamed Liam a little more for putting himself in harm’s way before she let him know the bust had been successful. They’d saved a few of the girls and arrested a roomful of people.

It took a while before Brielle and I were outside and by my car. Liam and Kylian dragged their feet, chatting with Fiona so we could have a moment.

I wouldn’t waste another second before telling Brie what I needed to. “I love you. I know it’s not the best time or place to tell you that, but I almost lost you. I need you to know. You’re everything to me.”

Her lips parted, and some of the fear fell from her beautiful ice-blue eyes. “I love you too. I have for a while. I just… didn’t know what to do about it.”

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