Page 45 of Her Silver Fox Firefighters
“The arrest warrant,” I reply.
Leo scoffs, his frame slightly more relaxed now that he’s heard the truth, or most of it, anyway. “A good lawyer can handle that. You can fight this, Olivia. We’re right here with you. Can’t you see that?”
“Leo, if Marcus gets his hands on me, I doubt I’ll be alive long enough to see a day in court.” Slowly, I get up from my chair and glance around the room. It saddens me that I was almost able to call this place home. “He probably killed my best friend and her parents. What do you think he’ll do to me in order to protect his operation, his freedom, and his reputation?”
“What are you trying to say?” Beck asks as he stands up.
I give him a tired, frightened look. “I need to get out of Ember Ridge.”
The opposition emerges before I can even formulate a reasonable explanation for my intention. Dax, Beck, and Leo tower before me with stern eyes, their hearts echoing mine as they silently make it clear that leaving is not an option.
It made sense in my head, and it still does, up to a point.
Dax wraps his arms around my waist. “I’m only going to say this once more because I know you’re an intelligent woman. You’re a brilliant woman, in fact, and I’m sure I can get through to you.”
“Dax…”
“You’re not alone anymore,” he insists. “And if Marcus Bennett wants to come after you, he’s free to give it a try. We’ll protect you. But you’re not going anywhere. You belong here, with us.”
“I don’t want to put you through?—”
Leo cuts me off and moves closer, his musky fragrance filling my lungs and reassuring my senses with his sheer presence. “You’re not putting us through anything. We’re doing this because we want to, because we wantyou. You’re a part of us, babe, whether you’re ready to see it or not.”
“Leo, you’ve got Luke. His safety and well-being are paramount.”
Beck chuckles dryly. “Honey, we’ve got more kills between us combined from our years in the service than all the bullets that Marcus Bennett ever fired in his fucking life. If you think we’re not going to go scorched earth on his ass to protect those we love, you’re in for a big surprise.”
My heart skips a few beats, and I want to believe this could actually work.
“Didn’t I just tell you he has connections all across the legal system?” I mumble, running out of arguments at this point.
“And we’re what, exactly? Three nimble firefighters who can’t do a damned thing to protect their woman?” Beck shoots back. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I almost feel insulted,” Leo mutters.
“No, I didn’t mean?—”
Dax laughs out loud, then kisses me hard on the lips, deepening the gesture until the last of my defenses crumble, until the last of my reserves dwindle away and I see the truth that has been standing in front of me all along.
“You drive a hard bargain, I’ll give you that,” I mutter against Dax’s lips.
“You’re our woman, Olivia,” he replies.
“And we’ll keep you safe,” Leo adds.
“What about Carlos? He still needs to do his job,” I remind them. “And Jocelyn was hell-bent on nailing my ass back there.”
Beck shakes his head in bitter amusement. “Carlos will do the right thing once we talk to him about all of this. Besides, he might actually come in handy if we decide to take Marcus down.”
“Whoa, take him down?”
I sound alarmed, and for good reason. It’s one thing to join forces and defend against a monster. At best, Marcus will realize that I’m not helpless, and that coming after me might cost him more than what I’m worth to him. But attacking him outright… I’m not sure that would end well for any of us, regardless of how strong and resourceful my men are.
“Well, we can’t let Marcus Bennett call the shots anymore, especially if you suspect he’s responsible for the deaths of innocent people,” Dax says. “It just isn’t right.”
“And don’t worry about Jocelyn either,” Beck adds. “She overreached, and now she’s having to reanalyze her options. We know things about her that could cost her a promising career.”
I wholeheartedly want to believe that Dax, Leo, and Beck have what it takes to face Marcus when he comes after me, because he will. Sooner or later, he will find me here in Ember Ridge. Maybe not today or tomorrow, if Carlos keeps to our side, but I cannot outrun him forever.
