Chapter 21
Cade
“What the hellwere you two thinking?” Dalton roared. It might have been aimed to both women, but his eyes hadn’t strayed from his wife. I’d only seen the man lose it a few times, and to be honest, he was scary as fuck—never violent though—and quick to defuse.
“Kip—” Devolin tried.
“What about Lucas? I got that gun in case you ever needed to defend yourself, baby.” The man dropped in front of his wife and grabbed hold of her hands in his, shaking them in his grasp. “You’re not supposed to use it for vigilante business. What if you’d been hurt… or died? Then what? How could I have explained that to our…our son…or your mom?”
“You should have stayed put in the truck and called us,” I added, my gaze squarely on Aspen, whose eyes flared.
“And what?” she spat, but I could tell there was regret in her fiery gaze. As much attitude she was gearing to throw my way, I could tell she was shaken up by what she’d witnessed inside the cottage, and that alone had me bristling to hurry her away, tuck her in the safety of my home, and never let her leave. “Was I supposed to let the beefy men handle my troubles like I always seem to be doing lately?”
I sighed, shaking my head. “Not what I meant, and you know it,” I growled.
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“Jesus, fucking Christ!” Brycen said, then slammed the door shut, and I could hear him tell Rex about his two whipped teammates, brought to their knees by their women, because by the time he’d attempted to walk out of the cottage, I’d taken up the same position Dalton had been in.
“I know that’s not what you meant, Cade, but it doesn’t negate the fact I’m being made to feel like the helpless little woman in all of this,” Aspen said.
I leaned in to kiss her forehead. “I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I know.”
“Dalton?” my woman added, then turned to the couple beside us. “I’m sorry. When Devolin grabbed the gun, I thought we’d be fine. I didn’t even think about Lucas, or you. That’s on me. Please don’t be mad at her.”
The man gave Aspen a small smile which turned genuine as though he was suddenly entertained again. “Women,” he mumbled as he shook his head, his eyes aimed at his wife’s knees.
No sooner, Devolin smacked him. “You’d be lost without me, Kip.”
My boss was none too proud to admit it either. “Yes, baby, I would, which is why I’m certainly debating the merits of putting you in cuffs and throwing away the fucking keys.”
“Just try it, Kip,” she retorted. “And it wasn’t Aspen’s fault either. I have my own mind. Oh, we almost forgot! The dog needs to get checked out.”
I had to admit it, Dalton knew when to stop arguing. His point was made, Devolin knew it, understood it, and while she might not agree with his view, she knew she was his life and that’s why she wouldn’t push it either.
Fuck, but I want that. With Aspen.
“What’s wrong with Molly?” I turned to the dog who’d taken up vigil beside us, Renegade at her side.
“She’s limping. I think she must have gotten hurt when the break-in happened.”
I cupped Aspen’s face in my palm, then pecked her lips before giving her a sympathetic look. “Then let’s get the guys to pack you both up, get to town, and see about a vet.”
Aspen
“But what about my cottage?” I demanded as Cade ushered me out the door, hurrying me to the passenger side of his truck, nudging me inside before shutting it behind me. “Cade?” He looked steaming mad. Evidently, my bedroom was something worse than I could have imagined. I wouldn’t know. The guys never let me move past the entranceway.
“The guys will handle it.” He slammed the rear cab door shut, after he deposited my overnight bag with enough clothes for a week, and my laptop case. He stormed back toward the house, nudged Renegade out of his way, then crouched to pick up Molly.
A minute later, the four of us were in Cade’s truck, on our way to town.
Two minutes afterward, the man at my side grabbed my hand and laced our fingers.
“Let’s get your girl looked after, then I’m picking us up some dinner.” He sighed. “After we eat, we need to talk.”
“What will the guys do?” Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. “Did you guys find anything out there?” My head reeled with so many things I wanted to ask, but if the look on his face was anything to go by, I wasn’t going to get anything from him until he deemed it time to divulge something.
He shrugged his shoulders, then squeezed my hand. “They’ll secure your place. Brycen’s already placed a call with Stan to let him know what’s happened. They’re going to get some of the equipment Stan already has on hand installed. The man usually waits until all the equipment for an order has arrived before beginning an installation, but he’s doing us a solid because whoever this is…they’re escalating and that doesn’t sit right with him, just like it doesn’t with us.”
“But—”
“I need the address to your vet,” he cut me off. “We’ll try there first. If they can’t fit Molly in, we’ll take her to mine.”
“Renegade!” the receptionist exclaimed the moment we walked through the door. “How’s my good boy?” Renegade rushed to her, tail wagging with happiness to see her, but his whining told her something was up.
I looked at Cade with amusement in my gaze. “Let me guess, Dr. Feinstein’s your vet?”
The man in question made his appearance, his bespectacled face beaming at Cade’s dog, but concern overrode his expression the moment his eyes settled on Cade cradling Molly in his arms. “Molly?” For the first time since he entered the room, the veterinarian looked my way. “What have we got here?”
“She was attacked. I think it’s just a sprain,” Cade explained.
The man nodded toward one of the open examination rooms. “Right this way. Don’t you worry about a thing, Ms. Ridge. We’ll get her feeling as good as new and ready to birth that litter of yours in no time.” Smirking at Cade, as he sat my dog on the examination table, he added, “I take it Renegade is the father?”
Cade shrugged his shoulders and backed away to my side, wrapping an arm around my waist and grinned. “Guilty.”
Renegade groaned, but stood sentry by the examination table, ensuring the good old doctor did all he could for his mate.