Chapter 35
Adalyn walked across the tarmac toward the waiting jet with the rest of her team, even though she’d be staying in New Orleans for the next week. It was time for them to go home, and she needed to be with her sister. To grieve. To process all the shit that had happened over the last few days.
Days that felt like an entire lifetime.
Rowan slipped his hand in hers, linking their fingers and squeezing tight as they reached the stairs.
“Thank you guys for everything,” she murmured, fighting the exhaustion from the last few hours. After the shit show at the long-abandoned summer camp, they’d had to go into major cleanup mode.
The only thing they’d been concerned about was erasing all evidence that any of them had been there or had any link to Miller. They didn’t care about covering up what Miller had done with the explosion, and they’d left him right where he’d fallen with plans to call in an anonymous tip about his body. He’d likely be linked to the earlier bombing as well, but that might well be pinned on the dead Ali. And at the end of the day, as long as the families had closure and thought that their dead relatives’ killer was gone, then that was what mattered.
They’d also located his safe house—well, Gage had, using all his magic skills. So they’d cleaned out all traces of Miller and everything he’d left behind, completely destroying his stuff. He was never going to hurt anyone again. And sure, the police wouldn’t know what really happened, but they’d gotten a win regardless. They’d stopped a shit ton of weapons and drugs from flooding the streets.
Hailey was the first to pull her into a hug. “You’ve gotta stop thanking us. And the safe house is yours until you want to head back home. It’s rented for the next month with the option to extend longer if you need it. And per Skye, don’t rush back home. Also…I’m officially trying to poach you to our team. I’d like you to work with our crew. No pressure, but think about it. I think we have a better incentive than Skye does to keep you.” She shot Rowan a sly look, half grinned.
“Or I could just move with her,” he murmured.
“Hey! We’re not losing you.” Hailey shook her head vehemently.
“Ooh, I’m texting Skye you’re trying to poach.” Gage practically cackled before hugging Adalyn. “I’ll see you back home.” Then he was up the stairs and on the plane, no doubt ready to get back to his wife and daughter.
It was the same with Jesse and Ezra, but to her surprise Rowan and Tiago hung back.
“Well…” She fought the stupid rush of tears. It wasn’t like she was saying goodbye forever, just for a little bit. “I can fly in to see you when—”
“I’m staying.” Rowan frowned down at her as if she’d grown an extra head.
She blinked, her sluggish brain trying to grasp the meaning of his words.
That frown grew, and god, he looked even sexier. “I didn’t bring my bags. I thought you knew I was staying.”
“Yeah, same,” Tiago added, his tone hard. As if he couldn’t believe she didn’t know they were staying. “You and Fleur are going to two funerals soon. And you’re not going alone.”
“I didn’t even notice about the bags.” To be fair, they’d been running around like headless chickens the last few hours, covering up the huge mess Miller had left behind. Luckily her aunt had erased all her security recordings, no questions asked. So there would be no record of Miller at her bar, of him kidnapping Rowan.
“Oh darlin’, I’m not leaving you alone for a really long time. Maybe ever again.” There was a spark in Rowan’s eyes that matched the dark tone of his words.
Despite the exhaustion that wanted to suck her under, shivers rolled down her spine and she buried her face against his chest and just held him for a long moment. It touched her that he was going to go to the funerals with her, that he was staying just to be with her.
“You guys boarding?”
She looked up at a male voice, saw someone in a polo shirt who worked at the small airport motioning to the jet. Clearly he wanted to close up and get their plane off. “Oh, no, we’re leaving.”
With one last wave at the jet, they turned and headed back to the warehouse she’d parked the SUV in.
Tiago moved in on her right side, bracketing her in along with Rowan. “So…how about I drive back and you two rest in the back seat?” he asked.
She shot Tiago a sideways glance. “You just don’t like my driving.”
“You drive like a demon with no license who stole a Lambo and is running from the cops. You’re worse than Reese, and that’s saying something.”
She snorted out a laugh. “That’s quite a vivid description.”
“An accurate one,” he murmured. “Back me up.” He chin nodded to Rowan, looking for confirmation.
Rowan kissed the top of her head. “I like her driving.”
“Yeah well you’re just as insane as her.” Tiago held out his hand as they reached the waiting SUV.
The rain had finally slacked off, but there was a chill in the air that went straight to her bones. She tossed the keys to him and leaned into Rowan, practically falling into the SUV. For the first time in a long time, she closed her eyes and felt maybe not peace with the world, but a semblance of peace. And it was all because of the man next to her. Sighing, she laid her head on his shoulder, smiled when he wordlessly strapped her in.
She’d noticed that he liked to do small things to take care of her, and to her surprise, she loved it. No one had ever taken care of her the way he did, made sure she ate and just…cared for her.
“So, this thing with your sister is serious,” Tiago said from the front, his words cutting into the pleasant silence.
She cracked open one eye. “Can you just play the radio or something?”
“Seriously?” he grumbled, but turned it on low. “I thought you’d want to know that I’m not just dicking around. I really, really, really like her.”
“That’s a lot of reallys.” She tried to fight a yawn. Lost. Closed her eyes again.
“Yeah, it is. She’s amazing,” he said on a sigh.
“She really is. And I kinda figured you weren’t just messing around with her. If you were, you’d have woken up in a barrel in the middle of the desert in just your underwear.” She curled into Rowan, embracing his warmth and steadiness.
“I can’t tell if you’re joking.”
“She’s not,” Rowan said, snickering.
She felt him kiss the top of her head again, smiled as sleep pulled her under. For the first time in ages she felt safe enough to let her guard down and sleep. Because Rowan would have her back if anything happened.