Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
FALLON
I clung to Nash and sobbed. It was over. I had someone who cared for me and wanted to keep me safe. It wasn’t new. I’d always had him, but this was different. He didn’t care who knew, and he’d put himself out there like nobody else before.
“Fallon, we’re going to need your statement.” I looked up into the face of Hal Carter. I’d gone to school with him, and I couldn’t believe that he was the one who was in charge of law enforcement in the county.
“Sure, what do you need to know?” Nash pulled me up and clasped my hand.
“Alone Fallon.” He muttered.
“No, I won’t say a word without Nash being here.”
“The man says you kidnapped his daughters. He was just there to bring you home.”
“Did he tell you he’s my ex-husband, and I divorced him, so move his mistress into my home? And as far as his children, Josie isn’t his, she’s Nash’s.” I watched the man’s face process the information as he wrote it on his little notepad. He looked up from me to Nash and back to me. “I can have a DNA test done if you’d like.” My tone was flat, but I was serious. If anyone questioned Josie’s parentage, I’d happily prove it.
“What about the baby?”
“She’s mine too.” Nash gripped my hand tighter, and I took a step closer to him.
Hal looked at Nash. “If you’re not, I don’t want to know. That’s fraud, Nash.”
“Pretty sure nobody’s going to challenge it.” Nash replied, smirking. An unease built in my stomach. Hal was right, it was fraud, and I’d be the one in trouble if it was challenged.
Hal tucked his notebook in his pocket and nodded. “Thank you both. We’ll get him booked and a bail set. That won’t happen until tomorrow. The judge is sick today.”
“When bail’s set, I want to know, and then I want updates about his whereabouts. If he goes back to Kentucky, I want to know,” Nash said through gritted teeth. “Also notify Drake Gatlin, I want his men keeping an eye on him. They are familiar with the area.”
I didn’t ask why he wanted all this information. It was probably better if I didn’t know his plans. “Wait, you're still in touch with Drake?” I asked, looking at him .
The Gatlin family had suddenly become interested in horses shortly before Nash found me. They’d bought race horses and specifically asked for me to be the only one to touch their animals.
“You know, we did some work for him back when we were running security.” He shrugged and started walking to the house. “We’ve kept in touch since then. He kept an eye on you for me.”
“Wait. What?” I stopped and pulled him back toward me.
“If you think I’d just let you be out there wandering in the world aimless and on your own, you’re crazy.” He wrapped his arm around me. “I didn’t know things were bad, or I would have brought the other four and taken you out of there by force and left carnage in our wake.” His voice was more of a growl now and his grip was tight around me. There was no question he’d burn the world for me.
“Don’t think I don’t know I pushed you into the arms of that psychopath, but you can be sure. I’m never letting you go again.” I looked deep into his eyes, but I didn’t have to look too hard. There was a fire in his eyes that burned my soul, and I knew I’d be his forever. I watched him go from fire to lust in the blink of an eye and he lowered his mouth and I pulled him closer to me and crushed our mouths together.
When he pulled away, he smiled. “Let’s go get our girls.”
“This will be the first time we confirm we’re together. Are you okay with that? I mean, it’s been a rumor running wild through the ranch, but this is different. We’re walking into my mom’s house as a couple.”
“I want every single person in the world to know I love you. Everyone has had more than enough lead time for us to be together. We have a child together, pretty sure they’ve figured it out.” He smiled and turned away from me. Nash said he loved me, not during sex, not while we were falling asleep, but right as we were talking about my family.
“You’re seriously going to tell me you love me, and then walk away?”
“Toots, I’ve told you I love you before.”
“Yeah, but not like this.”
“If you don’t think I meant it every time, I guess I need to do a better job showing you.” He knelt down and reached out in front of him. “Maybe I should start with this.” He held out a tiny purple flower with a yellow center. “First one of the year.”