Chapter 30 #2
I shrugged as Rhys hugged me tightly to him and kissed the side of my head. Lucian smiled down at me and said, “I’m going to get Ella while you say goodbye to Pearl and this guy.”
He tilted his head to Rhys, who released me and stepped up to Lucian.
They did the whole man hug, back-slapping crap guys do instead of showing emotion, and I stifled a smile when they did.
Skid rolled his eyes and lifted his hand into the air to signal to the rest of the Death Hounds who were with Pearl and Ella.
Stella and Hawk walked up, and she hugged me as she whispered, “You’ll sleep better tonight.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you up there?” I asked, and she nodded before walking to Hawk.
He offered me his meaty fist, and I tapped my little fist against his before he wrapped his arm around Stella’s neck and walked her to his bike. Pearl walked up to me, and I hugged her deeply. “You did so good, and I’m proud of you. They said your father is coming to get you?”
“I talked to him, and he should be here soon,” she replied, and we turned at the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.
The Death Hounds at the road spoke with the man and pointed toward us before he pulled down the driveway and parked behind Lucian’s SUV. A man jumped out, and Pearl ran to him as she said, “Daddy.”
Rhys, Lucian, Skid, and I walked up to them and waited for the embrace to conclude before we spoke with him.
He was a nice man whose brother was one of the Syndicate members jailed as a result of Sergey’s testimony.
He’d moved away when he was eighteen and had no idea this was still happening until Pearl disappeared and Skid contacted him.
He graciously accepted protection for them until Rhys could get their situation more secure.
I hugged Pearl again and watched as she drove away, a little bruised but otherwise unharmed. Hopefully, she could move past this and learn to trust again, but the fear I saw in her eyes said she was going to be paranoid for a while. I couldn’t blame her, but I knew better.
The monster that haunted me was dead. My own mother was gone, the crazy idea she was trying to create was destroyed, and the only thing left, I assumed, was to deal with whatever remaining people were part of her madness.
Rhys took me to the back of the SUV and wrapped his arms around my waist, tugging me close to him as he asked softly, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I kissed him softly and replied, “I promise, I’m fine.” Looking at the house then back to him, I asked, “Do you know how long it will be before you’re finished here?”
“With what we learned, we have a few hours, maybe half a day, until we can leave. And I’ll be heading straight to Pierce Bluff to get you. You are staying at Devlin’s building, aren’t you?” Rhys asked.
“I’ll be there until you arrive, then I want to spend some time with my family.
And I want you next to me when I do,” I told him, and he smiled before pulling me into a devastatingly passionate kiss.
It was a long kiss, but the level of love and affection he relayed with a few swipes of his tongue spoke volumes.
He released his hug and took me by the hand as he escorted me to the side of the SUV.
Lucian was in the passenger’s seat, and one of his men was driving while a yawning Emma was in the backseat.
I climbed in and she scooted next to me, so I hooked her seatbelt and then mine before turning back to Rhys.
“I love you,” he whispered, stroking my cheek as Emma snugged closer to me.
“I love you,” I replied, and he kissed me softly before closing the door.
“I’ll let you know when we get home, and if anything comes up—” Lucian began to say, only for Rhys to interrupt him.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll call you,” Rhys joked, and I saw Lucian shake his head with a smile from the sideview mirror.
Lucian’s man pulled away from the house, and I looked down to see Emma’s eyes closed as she slept peacefully, unaware of how close she came to a nightmare. I stroked her hair from her forehead.
“When will her aunt be picking her up?” I asked, and Lucian turned in his seat.
“She’ll be here tomorrow. She lives in Washington state and the fog is thick, so all flights are delayed.
Skid told her we’d keep her safe until she arrives.
” Lucian looked down at the sleeping girl.
“I know we had different mothers, but you remind me so much of my momma. She was a good woman who wanted a better life for me, Devlin, and Stella. I see so much of her in you.”
I smiled at him and said, “Thank you, but I give credit to my Granny. She taught me nothing is out of reach if you try hard enough, but to never be a doormat to anyone. She said if you can show kindness to the smallest of people, be it size or status in life, that shows the true measure of your heart.”
“She seems like a good woman,” he remarked as he turned back in his seat to face forward.
“She was the best,” I replied as I looked out the window.
I must have fallen asleep because I was awoken by a soft voice and tiny hand.
“Hey,” the little voice said, and I opened my eyes to see a little boy with black hair and blue eyes looking at me through the front seats.
Emma was gone, and I jumped up to see where we were, only to notice Lucian, Stella, Hawk, Elise, and a few other people speaking off to the side of the SUV.
Emma was asleep in Skid’s arms as a beautiful woman with brown hair stood next to him, smiling at the cuteness of it.
I looked at the little boy and realized it was DJ, Devlin’s oldest son. He smiled and stretched his arms out to me. “Hug peese,” he requested, and I pulled him into my lap as he wrapped his little arms around my neck. “Hannah,” he said as he sat back and placed his little hands on my cheeks.
I heard someone walk up and turned to see Lucian, and Elise smiling at us. “I see you met the ladies man,” Lucian remarked and reached to take him from my lap so I could get out of the vehicle.
Elise pulled me into a hug as the group walked up to me.
I looked at everyone surrounding me, smiling and saying how happy they were that I was there, and for the first time in longer than I could remember, I felt like I had a family.
It was always Granny and me, and she had said that one day, I’d be surrounded by people who loved me and wanted the best for me, and when it happened, she’d be smiling down at me and cheering me on.
I looked up to the ceiling and smiled before turning back to the attention of my family.
As we walked to the elevator, I couldn’t help but think about the future, specifically, my future with Rhys. Whatever it was, and wherever we were, as long as he was by my side, I knew everything would be okay. His love brought me back to life, and his protection saved me from a nightmare.
He was the best man I’d ever met, and an eternity with him wouldn’t be enough.