Chapter 31
Raven leaned into Connor’s chest and closed her eyes. She was exhausted. All she wanted to do was crawl into her bed and sleep for days. No, months.
But she wasn’t in bed. She wasn’t even close to bed. Sirens blared around her. There were the loud voices of Ward and his deputies and paramedics.
“I really think you should let them look at you,” Connor said softly.
She and Connor sat on the front steps of Deep River Residence. Connor hadn’t left her side. Not when everyone had arrived. Not when they’d all rushed into the tree line.
She shook her head. “I’m fine. Plus, Herbert and Briar need the paramedics more.”
Connor growled. “You come first. At least before Briar.”
“Briar was shot. I wasn’t. Plus, she’ll be spending a very long time in jail. She’ll pay for her crimes.”
Connor didn’t respond, but his arm did tighten around her back.
“Raven?”
She shot up and spun at the sound of her mother’s voice.
“Mom?” She rushed up the stairs, not really sure where the burst of energy came from. “You shouldn’t be out here.”
“They didn’t want us to come out, but we knew you were involved.” She cupped Raven’s cheeks. “Are you okay, darling?”
“I’m fine. Herbert gave me a sedative, so I’m just tired.”
“He what?” her father shouted.
She looked at her dad. “He was confused. He thought I was his daughter.”
“Why are there ambulances and patrol cars?” Her mother gasped.
She hated her parents knowing any of this. They should be protected from it. But one glance at her dad, and she knew there was no getting out of telling him. “Briar Allen hit Herbert over the head with a rock to get me alone. She wanted me to access that same account Xander wanted me to access.”
All color drained from her mother’s face. “Briar who works here?”
Raven dipped her chin. “She was involved in the stuff Xander was doing.”
Her mother covered her mouth, while her dad looked like he wanted to kill someone.
She touched both her parents’ hands. “But I’m okay.”
Her mother pulled her into a hug, and her father enveloped them both in his arms.
She closed her eyes, letting the warm familiarity of her parents’ embrace soak into her skin, chasing away the last of the chill.
God, she loved her parents. When Briar had threatened them tonight, she’d been so scared. That Briar would win. That she’d kill Raven only to follow through on her threat to hurt her parents.
But that wouldn’t happen now.
She spent the next ten minutes just reassuring her parents that she was okay. In that time, paramedics and Zac passed them with Herbert on a stretcher.
“I can’t believe he drugged you,” her father growled, eyes on the older man.
“I don’t hold any anger toward him. I think his brain just wanted his daughter back so badly he convinced himself I was her.” She swallowed. “It didn’t help that Briar played into his delusions.”
Herbert had just been placed into an ambulance when a residence employee stepped outside to get her parents back in. It was hard to let them go. They had trouble saying goodbye to her too. But she assured them she’d be back tomorrow.
Thank God they left when they did, because the second the door closed, paramedics and deputies came around the building with Briar in cuffs. Her shoulder was bandaged, but she was walking. Ryan, Ethan, and Joel followed.
Briar met Raven’s gaze and stopped. “Wait.”
Paramedics hesitated, looking unsure what to do.
Briar took advantage of the hesitation and stepped toward Raven.
“It was never about hurting anyone,” she said, an almost resigned sadness in her voice.
“I didn’t even know they’d killed people until I was in too deep.
It was only about the money for me. Even tonight, I never planned to kill you or your parents.
I wanted you to think I would so you’d do what I needed you to do. ”
“Except that you could have killed Herbert when you hit him. And to save yourself, I think you would have killed me the second I gave you what you wanted.”
Briar’s brows flickered, like she was internally wondering if that was true. Maybe she didn’t even know what she was capable of.
“You’re not sorry about your involvement, Briar.” Raven shook her head. “You’re just sorry you got caught.”
“Come on.” One of the deputies urged the paramedics to keep moving.
Raven leaned into Connor’s chest again. “Can we go home yet?”
“Not until you talk to me,” Ward said, as he closed in on them.
She internally groaned, while Connor tensed. “It can wait until tomorrow.”
Ward lifted a brow at her. “You really want to drag this out?”
No. No, she didn’t. With a sigh, she started from Herbert handing her the cup of tea and finished with Briar setting down the gun.
Ward blew out a breath. “Wow. Guess you could say I saved the day on this one.”
“You saved the day?” Surely, she’d heard wrong.
“I told Connor about the woman trying to access your account. He wouldn’t have come down here if it wasn’t for that.”
She almost laughed, and she didn’t miss the scoff under Connor’s breath. Of course Ward thought his tiny contribution made him the hero. Still, she said, “Thank you, Ward.”
“You get some rest.” Ward looked at Connor. “And you and your team need to stop finding trouble.”
Connor’s eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything, Raven set a palm on his chest and looked back at the sheriff. “You have a good night.”
Ward grunted and walked away.
“I hate that guy,” Connor said under his breath.
“But you love me, right?”
“You know I do.”
“Then take me home.”
Connor’s fingers were tight around the wheel. He was so fucking tense his shoulders were locked and rigid. Again, Raven’s life had been put in danger. It made him so fucking angry he could barely see straight.
Raven reached over and wrapped her fingers around his thigh.
He set his hand over hers, only to frown at her chilled skin. “You’re freezing.”
“I’m fine.”
He turned up the heat.
Raven sighed and leaned back. She was tired. It had taken too long to get everything sorted before being able to leave. Another thing that pissed him off.
When they reached his house, he climbed out first and moved around to her side. With an arm around her waist, he headed straight up the stairs and into the bathroom.
“I’ll help you shower,” he said quietly, as he helped her out of her sweatshirt.
She shook her head. “I just want to lie down.”
Of course she did. Because she’d been drugged. It wasn’t Herbert’s fault. The old man was sick and had little control over his own mind. And Briar had used him to get what she wanted.
“I’ll get us some food.”
He went to step away, but she grabbed his arm. “Nope.”
“What?”
“You’re lying down with me.”
“Raven, you need—”
“You. That’s it.” She tilted her head. “Do you think there is anything more important than holding me right now?”
Shit, she was right.
She tugged him toward the bed and stripped off her jeans. The second he lay beside her, she curled into his side. “I was craving this.”
He stroked her hair. “I was so worried about you.”
“I’m okay because you saved me again.”
“No, Raven, you saved yourself. You got away from her. You ran. You hid.”
“You found me.”
“I’ll always find you.”
She sat her chin on his chest, her smile watery. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“Yes, but you can tell me again and again and it won’t be enough.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Raven.” He lowered his head and kissed her lips, the feel of them soft and warm and everything he needed right now.
When she settled her head on his chest, he stroked her back and whispered, “Sleep.”
And she did. He listened as her breaths evened out. Held her as her back began to move up and down at a steady rhythm. For the first time in hours, tension finally began to seep out of his body.
Raven was safe. She was in his house, his arms, and she was uninjured.
He closed his eyes, but sleep didn’t come. He hadn’t expected it to, though.
When his phone vibrated, he pulled it from his pocket to see the team chat.
Joel: Connor, you and Raven get home okay?
Connor: Yeah. She just fell asleep.
Ethan: How’s she doing?
Connor: She’s not injured.
Ethan: Not what I meant.
Connor: She’s tired, but okay for now.
Zac: Are you?
Connor: Getting back to the vicinity of it. Thanks for the backup today.
Ryan: Wanna hear something that will shine a bit of good on your night?
Connor: Fuck yes.
Ryan: I got a call from Tate, Linc, and Kolby.
Connor: Tell me you’re about to text what I think you are.
Ryan: They’re getting out. They’ve started the process of getting their separation orders approved. And they might come here.
Connor closed his eyes, the first real smile that night stretching his lips. Because fuck, that was good news. They were the last three members of their team who had stayed in the Navy. Knowing they were getting out, that they might come here and join them in Deep River…shit, it was everything.
Ethan: Sure as hell hope they come here. We could use the backup. Trouble seems to find Deep River a bit too easily.
Zac: You’re not wrong.
Connor: I think we’ve all earned a break.
Ryan: Get some sleep, guys. And look after your women.
Connor locked his phone and put it on the side table. He’d planned to just hold Raven for a few minutes. But as each one ticked into the next, he realized he had no desire to get up.
So he closed his eyes, thanking every lucky star he had that Raven was safe. That she was here. That she was his.