Page 159 of Healed in the Alpha's Embrace
“We’ll get him, Zoey,” Noah said. “He won’t keep getting away with this.”
Warman cleared his throat. “Zoey, you should get in touch with your lawyer about all this. Keep her updated. Every contact from George is another mark against him legally.”
“I will,” I replied. “Thank you, Chief.”
When Warman left, I turned to Noah, my stomach tied in knots. “I’m so sorry about all this.”
Noah opened his mouth to protest, but I held up a hand. “Please, let me get this out. I’m not trying to take the blame for George’s actions. I hate that he targeted your business and is causing problems for you, for Kyler, for the kids who train there...”
Tears welled in my eyes. The gym meant so much to Noah. It was his life’s work, his purpose. It gutted me that George had vandalized it and destroyed the equipment. Those kids relied on the place. Ro relied on the place. Now their second home had been violated.
Noah rubbed soothing circles on my back. “You have nothing to apologize for, you hear me? Nothing. This is all on George.”
I clung to him, finding comfort in his scent and his warmth. In his arms, I could almost believe we’d make it through this nightmare. That he could keep the broken pieces of my heart safe.
“We’ll recover,” Noah said against my hair. “We’ll figure out a way to keep training the kids. This is only a temporary setback. I won’t let him steal this from those kids.”
Noah’s determination bolstered my own. George had taken so much from me already—my confidence, my sense of security—I couldn’t bear him doing the same to others. To Noah.
Raising my head, I met his piercing blue gaze. “You’re right. We can’t let him win. I won’t let him destroy the amazing work you’re doing here.”
Noah’s lips quirked into a smile, and he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “That’s my brave Zoey.”
I wanted to believe him with every fiber of my being. To trust in his strength, his protection. But I knew all too well what George was capable of. We had to be ready for anything.
“Mommy, Noah, I’m starving.” Ro raced into the kitchen with the unstoppable energy only an eight-year-old could muster this early in the morning. “Can we make bacon and pancakes? Pretty please?”
Noah chuckled. “Hmm, I don’t know, buddy. You think you can handle flipping the pancakes all by yourself?”
Ro puffed out his small chest, a determined glint in his eye. “Of course I can. I’m a pancake-flipping master!”
My heart swelled watching them together, the easy banter, the genuine affection. Ro had been through so much, yet here he was, finding joy in the simplest things.
“Well then, Master Ro, looks like you’re in charge of the pancakes.” I ruffled his sleep-mussed hair. “I’ll handle the bacon if Noah will start whisking the batter.”
“On it,” Noah replied with a wink, already reaching for a large mixing bowl.
As the three of us moved around the kitchen, I loved the domesticity of it all. The warmth and laughter, the sense of belonging. It was everything I’d ever wanted but never dared todream I could have. Especially not after George. But here, with Noah and Ro, I could almost believe that happiness was within reach.
“No way, Noah,” Ro’s indignant voice pulled me from my musings. “You gotta make the bacon super crispy. That’s the right way to do it.”
Fighting back a grin, Noah held up his hands in mock surrender. “All right, all right, crispy bacon it is. I bow to your superior breakfast wisdom, little man.”
I savored every moment, etching this precious memory into my heart. George might be lurking in the shadows, but he couldn’t touch this. Couldn’t taint the love and laughter present in this sunlit kitchen.
After we finished our hearty breakfast, Ro was practically vibrating with pent-up energy. He bounced on his toes, grinning up at us with those big, pleading eyes that were impossible to resist.
“Can we go to the park? Please, Mom? Noah? I wanna run around and play on the jungle gym.”
I glanced at Noah in question. He nodded, but I didn’t miss the concern in his eyes.
“Sure thing, buddy,” he said. “A trip to the park sounds perfect. Go get dressed while your mom and I clean up here?”
“Yes!” Ro jumped up and down before dashing off to his room.
Noah and I shared a glance, then started chuckling.
The park wasalive with the laughter and shouts of children when we arrived. Ro took off like a shot, making a beeline forthe monkey bars while Noah and I settled on a nearby bench to watch him.
