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D akota and the baby get poked and prodded until I’m reassured by the doctor that everything is okay. Dakota has heavy bruises and a cut on her abdomen, but she’s fine. Squish is okay too.
Thank God.
Thank God for Dakota.
She’s sore, but she’s alive.
A pissed off woman, a hurt woman, turns into one hell of a warrior. She got herself and our son out of there. Protected her sister. Saved my goddamn life.
Because if anything had happened to her…
Terror rakes its claws down my spine.
Fucking unfathomable.
With my hand guiding her out of the exam room, I turn to the doctor, unconvinced. “Are you sure they’re okay?”
Dakota grips my arm and rolls her eyes. “We’re fine.” She takes my hand and pulls me down the hallway. “C’mon, Hotshot. I want to see about my family.”
It’s commotion when we enter the waiting room.
Half the damn town has come out to see about the McGraws.
Keeping a tight grip on Dakota’s hand, I pull her through the ring of people.
She’s covered in mud, her dark hair a wild snarl of forest, her faced bruised, but she’s never looked more beautiful.
Fierce.
When she sees us, Ruby bursts into tears, throwing her arms around both me and Dakota. Charlie passes me a flask and I take a nip and send it on down the line to Ford.
Richter arrives, a parade of cops flanking him. “What part of ‘you don’t have a badge’ did you not understand?” he asks, shaking his head as he takes my statement.
It’s short and simple. Aiden King kidnapped Dakota and held her hostage. I shot him to save her life.
No remorse. Bastard tried to take my family from me. He got what he deserves.
Soon the doctor arrives. He informs us a bullet grazed Stede and he should recover in two weeks. Fallon, on the other hand, has a nasty concussion. The cut was shallow. Nothing life-threatening, but because of the concussion, she’ll need months to recover.
We see Stede first.
Dakota flies into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Stede reaches out and grips my hand as I approach. Tears line his silver eyes. “You brought my girls back to me. Thank you, son.”
I clear my throat of emotion. “I told you I’d protect them. I meant it.”
Dakota fusses with his blanket. “You feel okay, Daddy?”
Stede barks a laugh. “Hell, I could lead a parade right now.”
Dakota scowls. “Don’t even think about it.”
By the time we make it to Fallon’s room, Wyatt’s already there.
Fallon sits upright in the hospital bed in a white gown, thick caramel hair hanging past her shoulders. It looks like she went eight seconds on a bull. She’s bruised from head to toe, and a nasty shiner paints her right eye. Wyatt stands next to her, a tight expression on his face.
Dakota cries as she rocks her sister in her arms, and though Fallon’s dry-eyed, she’s shaking.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Dakota searches her sister’s face. “You don’t have to pretend.”
“I’m fine, Koty,” Fallon insists. But I don’t miss the tremble of her lower lip, warring with the stubborn jut of her chin.
“How do you feel?” I ask, reaching down to squeeze her leg through the blankets.
She stares at me with glassy, drug-laced eyes. “I’m higher than a fucking choir,” Fallon slurs, sticking an arm up in the air like a jazz hand. She yanks at her IV tubing and Wyatt lunges to steady it.
Fallon barks a harsh laugh. “Down to three lives now.”
“Don’t say that,” Dakota scolds, helping her settle back into the bed.
“Tougher than me, that’s for sure,” Wyatt drawls. He takes a long last look at Fallon, whose eyes are slowly closing, then crosses the room.
I follow him out into the hall.
“Hey.” I snag his arm before he can duck out. “You okay?” He looks shell-shocked as the adrenaline wears off and the hard reality of the night sinks in.
The muscles in his jaw and throat work. His shoulders slump. His eyes stay glued to Fallon’s hospital door as he runs a hand through his shaggy hair to grip the back of his neck. “He hit her, D,” he says, his voice breaking. “He could have killed her.”
“You go back to the ranch. Ride it off.”
“Nah.” He shakes his head. “I’m gonna head to Fallon’s and clean up her place. I don’t want her to see it like that.”
“You have time,” I tell him, wanting him to rest. “It’ll be a few days before she goes home.”
“I just…” He clears his throat. “I have to get outta here. Do something.”
I watch him stride down the hall.
We’ll all have to wrestle with the weight of tonight, but maybe none more than Fallon.
A noise behind me has me turning. Dakota stands in the doorway. Her smile is the brightest light I’ve ever seen. “Fallon’s asleep. Let’s go home.”
Dawn’s breaking on the horizon by the time we get back to the ranch.
Without words, I carry Dakota upstairs, strip her bare, and kiss every inch of her skin—every bruise that bastard inflicted on her.
I show her I love you with my mouth between her legs, then I pull her on top of me and fuck her until we’re both prepared to detonate.
After, my hand strokes slow, lazy circles over her belly as we lie in bed. I’m careful of the bandage on her belly. It makes me want to kill the bastard all over again for marking her.
“I don’t think this is what the doctor meant when he said rest and relaxation,” she whispers.
I give her a devilish grin, push up on my elbow and snag my jeans. From my pocket, I bring out her dog tag. Dakota watches as I remove the tracker, then slip the chain back over her neck. Where it’s always belonged.
Her beautiful brown eyes are glassy with tears. “I never had any doubt that you’d come for us,” she says, rubbing her thumb over the tag.
“I’ll always come for you,” I murmur, my lips dropping to hers. I breathe her in. “Five seconds, five minutes, five lifetimes.”
She laughs lightly. “That’s what tonight has been. One long lifetime.”
I tuck her against me. “Get some sleep, Cupcake.”
“Can’t. I’m afraid it’s all a dream and if I fall asleep, I’ll wake up and it won’t be true.”
“It’s true,” I tell her, running a fingertip over her ring. Dakota, safe and sound in my arms, wearing my ring, is all I’ve ever wanted. “No matter where you are. I’ll be there. I’ll find you. Even in your dreams.”
Her eyes soften. “Even on the moon, Hotshot?”
I cup her face and lower my brow to hers. “Forever on the moon.”