“You bitch!” Carl bellowed, and I could hear the crunch of leaves and the snap of twigs as he chased after me. “I’ll kill you!”
I wanted to wake up. I needed to wake up. I’d had this dream hundreds of times, and I always woke up before the shadow man caught me.
But this wasn’t a dream. This time it was real. And I knew with every fiber of my being that if he caught me, that was it. There would be no waking up. The happiness I’d fought tooth and nail for, scratching and clawing until my fingers bled, would disappear. I’d never see Hayes again. I’d never get to experience the wonderful life that we were only just starting to build together.
So I forced my feet to move faster and pulled a deep breath into my burning lungs. Then I opened my mouth and screamed as loud as I possibly could.
“Someone help me!”
Hayes
When I burst through the front door of the farmhouse forty-five minutes ago and found Marco lying on the kitchen floor, my mind had taken me to the deepest, darkest place imaginable. Trick and Lincoln had been there to pull me back from the brink as images of Tempie’s lifeless body flashed through my head.
As the EMTs were checking him over, Marco started to come to, and by the time they had him in the ambulance, he’d been cognizant enough to tell us what I already knew. Carl had drugged him and taken Tempie.
I knew exactly where they’d gone. Every instinct in me said he’d taken her to those woods. It was where he’d sent her that night. It was the only place that made any damn sense. And now I was in my truck, with my partner behind the wheel and at lease half a dozen cars and police cruisers behind us, whipping up Tolliver Mill Road, an old, abandoned road kids used to use for drag racing, the road Tempie and I would take before having to go the rest of the way to our spot by foot.
I could have been wrong, he could have taken her somewhere else, but my gut hadn’t led me wrong, so as Trick drove, I pointed out the way.
Trick pulled to a stop where I indicated, and I was out of the truck with my gun in my hands, held down at my side before he had a chance to bring it to a complete stop. I didn’t bother looking back to see if anyone was following as I took off into the woods. I knew the way by heart, and as I ran, I prayed. I prayed I was right, that I hadn’t led the team even further away from her. I prayed I wasn’t too late, that I’d find my Tempie and she’d be safe. She had to be safe. I couldn’t lose her. It wasn’t an option, because without her there was absolutely nothing. I couldn’t go back to that life of simply existing, not now. Not when I finally knew what it was like to be happy.
So I prayed and prayed as I ran as fast as I could.
We were losing daylight, but it was still light enough for me to see my way, and I was halfway to the spot when I heard a sound that would haunt me for the rest of my life.
“Someone help me!”
I jerked to a stop, trying to figure out what direction her voice had come from. A second later, she came bursting through the thickets straight ahead. Her right arm hung awkwardly at her side, and her face was smeared with blood, but she was there. She was alive and breathing.
Her head whipped around, her long, dark hair flying, and all of a sudden everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Those crystal-clear blue eyes hit mine, filling with shock, then complete and utter joy as she skidded to a stop. Her lips parted and I saw her mouth my name. I could see it in her eyes as clear as day. Trust and love. She saw me. She saw me and she knew I was there for her, and she trusted me to keep her safe.
Then another figure came running from the trees and my heart dropped like a stone.
“Tempie, run!” I shouted, lifting my arms and taking aim, but it was too late. Carl lunged, hitting her with incredible force and taking her to the ground. They rolled twice, coming to a stop with him on top of her. Then he moved, the light glinted off the blade, and she let out a bone-chilling scream as his arm whirred through the air, poised to strike.
And just like that, years of training kicked in. My mind suddenly cleared of anything and everything but what I had to do. It was my job to protect her, to keep her safe. She trusted me to do just that, and that was all that mattered. That was everything. And with that, I pulled the trigger.
Temperance
With a scream, I slammed my eyes closed and waited to feel that blade pierce my skin. But it never came.
The sound of gunshots suddenly filled the air like a million explosions, and a moment later, Carl’s limp body collapsed on top of me.
It took a second for my brain to register the fact that I was still alive. I was alive and Carl wasn’t. “Get him off me,” I whispered before losing it completely and thrashing around like a madwoman. “Get him off! Get him off, get him off, get him off!”
Carl’s lifeless body was flung to the side, and I was immediately scooped up off the ground. Hayes’s warmth and smell surrounded me, and I began to squirm in his lap, trying to burrow inside of him for safety.
“It’s okay,” he murmured into my ear. “It’s okay, angel. You’re safe. I got you. I’m never letting go.”
I was safe. He had me.
I was safe.
He had me.
Just like always.
I knew right then that everything was going to be okay. Because Hayes made it so.
I snuggled deeper into his chest.
Then I promptly burst into tears.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hayes
I stood off to the side in the hospital room as Rory, Eden, Nona, and Gypsy fawned over my woman, each of them batting away tears as they talked over each other.
I turned my head as Trick entered the room. He looked from the gaggle of women to me and gave his head a little shake before moving in my direction.
“See the girl posse’s taken over,” he said, humor laced into his tone.
I looked back to Tempie as she smiled and laughed at something one of the women just said. How she could laugh at the ordeal she’d just lived through was beyond me, but there you had it, my strong, unbeatable woman.
All things considered, she’d come out of that horror relatively unscathed. She had a dislocated shoulder and a nasty gash on her forehead, but it was because of the concussion that the doctors were forcing her to stay in the hospital overnight.
“How’s she doin’?” he asked, pulling my focus back to him.
“Physically, she’s just fine. But that’s not what I’m worried about.”
He read my meaning and nodded. “You’re worried about what this is gonna do to her head.”
That vicious knot in my stomach came back with a vengeance. “He kidnapped her, killed a man in front of her, and chased her through the goddamn woods. I don’t think it’s possible for her to come out of that free of demons.”
Trick turned his eyes to Tempie and studied her before speaking again. “I was right beside you that whole time, brother. You were in your head, didn’t notice a single thing but your girl, but I saw her face the moment she busted into that clearing. The second she laid eyes on you, she knew it was gonna be all right.” He shifted his body around to face me as he continued. “A look like that? Means there isn’t a single doubt in her mind that you can help her fight off every single one of those demons. Far as she’s concerned, as long as she’s got you, everything’s gonna be just fine. So the next question is, are you gonna be okay?”
I gave that some thought. Then I looked back to that bed. As if feeling my gaze on her, Tempie turned, and those blue eyes hit me like the brightest, warmest ray of sunlight. Nona said something that made Eden and Gypsy crack up. Tempie’s lips curled up in a smile, and she rolled her eyes to the ceiling, giving her head a little shake like she thought her friends were adorably ridiculous. Then she blew me a kiss and rejoined the conversation.
“I have her,” I told Trick, watching the light of my life as she laughed and smile with her friends. “I have her and she’s safe. Might take a while, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be just fine.�
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With that, he clapped me on the shoulder, turned, and headed out of the hospital room, leaving me with a sense of contentment that settled into my very soul.
“Honey,” Tempie whispered into the dark hospital room.
the arm I had around her clenched as I murmured, “Right here, angel.”
Visiting hours were technically over, her girls had all gone, and it was finally just the two of us.
When the nurses tried to make me leave earlier, I’d given them a look that said loud and clear, Just try and move me out of this room and see what happens. Tempie offered them an apology, and they eventually left us be.
When I’d tried to get comfortable in the shitty recliner, she’d scooted to the side and demanded that if I insisted on staying the night with her—which I did—I get into the bed with her.
So there I was, curled up on a paper-thin mattress in a bed big enough for one small person, and there wasn’t anywhere else on earth I’d rather be.
“Is Marco going to be okay?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, he’s gonna be just fine.” From what the crime lab found, it looked like he’d laced the coleslaw with an animal tranquilizer. According to the doctors, it wasn’t enough to cause any harm, but was potent enough to put a man as big as Marco on his ass. “He’s already back at home. Pissed as hell he let that asshole get the jump on him, but totally healthy.”
“He couldn’t have known,” she defended.
“You’re right. None of us knew. Marco knows that, but far’s he’s concerned, you were hurt on his watch.”
I felt her chest rise with a heavy breath. “Maybe I should talk to him. You know, after the dust settles. Let him know I don’t hold him responsible.”
“He knows that too, angel. But a man like Marco, something like this happens, it’s a hit to his pride. Just give it time. He’ll be okay.”
It took her a while, but she eventually relented and we lapsed back into silence so long I thought she’d fallen back to sleep, that was, until she spoke again.
“And Carl’s really dead?”
There was no question about that. When he raised his arm to stab her, I’d emptied my entire fucking clip into him. As had Trick, and Lincoln, and every single cop by my side in those woods. “He’s really dead. You never have to worry about him again.”
“That’s good.” There was another beat of silence before she spoke again, her voice wobbly with emotion. “Perry was so scared. For as long as I live, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that look in his eyes.”
I knew exactly how she felt, because for as long as I lived, I’d never forget the sound of her scream, or the way her body hit the ground when Carl tackled her. That image would be burned into the backs of my eyelids for the rest of my life.
“You feel the need to talk about it with me, I’m here to listen. You think you need to see someone professionally to help you work past that memory, you say the word and I’ll make it happen. But you aren’t alone in this, baby. I’ll help you in any way I can. What you don’t do is bottle it up and try to deal with it on your own so it haunts you for the rest of your life.”
The arm she had around my stomach tensed before she let it relax. “It’ll take work, I know that. But I’ll get past it.”
“Glad you think that, Tempie. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met, but somethin’ like this can—”
She squeezed me again, effectively silencing me. “I’ll get past it because I’ve got you.” The knot in my gut loosened all of a sudden, and a pressure began to build in my chest. “The moment I saw you, I knew it was going to be okay. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind. Not for a single second. I saw you, and just like that, everything was right.”
Christ, she was undoing me. “I love you, angel,” I whispered, hugging her close to me. “More than you could ever imagine and with all my heart.”
“Well thank god for that,” she said on a giggle. “It would suck if I was the only one feeling it.”
And just like that, the worst day of my life suddenly didn’t seem so bad. Because as long as I had her by my side, there wasn’t a single demon I couldn’t battle.
Epilogue
Hayes
One week later
Cherise Henderson’s eyes brimmed with tears as she reached out with a trembling hand and took the picture I was holding out to her.
The day after Carl Dwyer was killed by police, members of the Hope Valley police department went back and searched that fucking shack. We located a box with the items he’d taken from each of his victims, and as the days passed, I’d slowly been delivering them to their rightful owners. Harley’s earring had been given to her father. Lance Marcum’s sobriety chip had been sent back to his family in Chicago. Her parents’ wedding rings hung from a gold chain that dangled around Tempie’s neck. And now I was standing on the doorstep of Cherise Henderson’s house, giving her back the picture that had meant everything to her father.
“Th-thank you,” she stuttered in a barely there voice, holding the picture to her chest. “Thank you so much.
I dipped my chin, turned on my boots, and headed back to my truck, content in the knowledge that the case was finally closed for good.
Temperance
Three weeks later
“Come here, you little monster.” I squatted down and pulled Hayes’s running shoe out of Lady’s mouth.
My girl had a penchant for getting herself in trouble, mainly by chewing on all her daddy’s shoes.
Every time he caught her, which was pretty much every day since we got her three weeks ago, Hayes would gripe that I was being too soft on her, and that a new puppy wouldn’t learn unless I actually stuck with the training. But then I’d see him turn, trying to hide his smile, and I knew he’d already gotten over it.
My little cocker spaniel wasn’t exactly like my old Buddy, but she’d done a damn good job of filling that hole he’d left behind all those years ago. She also helped Hayes and I both get through a couple tough weeks. And with each other, as well as our new, rambunctious addition, we were steadily making our way back to normal.
As Hayes suspected, once the snow melted from the ground, Cat returned in all her diva-like glory. She hated Lady, but the lively little pup didn’t seem to care and was bound and determined to make Cat love her.
Personally, I was putting my money on Lady. She was just too adorable not to love.
“She get another one of my shoes?” Hayes called from the living room.
I pitched the shoe in the direction of the mudroom before he could come in and bust my girl.
“No,” I returned just as he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.
He smiled and shook his head. “You’re so full of shit.”
Planting my hands on my hips, I shot him a glare and snapped, “You can’t get mad at her for doing something that’s just in her nature. And besides, you’re the one who bought her, so technically, if your shoes are being ruined, it’s your own fault.”
Closing the distance between us, Hayes pulled me against him and leaned in to press his lips to that spot on my neck that always made me melt.
“Christ, I love you. Even when you’re bein’ a pain in my ass.”
I laughed and gave him a little shove. “Better get used to it, because you’re stuck with me forever.”
Those dark eyes melted into the richest chocolate as he smiled down at me. “Promise?”
“I swear.”
Then he kissed me.
Hayes
Three months later
Rows and rows of white wooden folding chairs lined the pasture behind the farmhouse. Twinkle lights and paper lanterns hung from the huge oak trees, and farther off, a huge tent was set up with tables, chairs, a stage, and a dance floor. That was where the reception would take place.
Just like she’d wanted, we were getting married at the farmhouse today, surrounded by all our loved ones and the great memories Tempie had shared with her family right here on this very land.
/> I stood at the altar with Lincoln and Trick at my side. Rory and Eden had just made their way down the aisle, and when the music changed, my eyes flew to the back porch.
Tempie stepped out on Ralph’s arm, and all the air escaped my lungs at the sight of her. My woman was beautiful every single day, but right then, moving down the steps in a simple ivory dress that hung just past her knees, with the biggest, brightest smile gracing her gorgeous face, she was fucking radiant.
Even from a distance, I could see her eyes, and those crystal-clear pools were filled with nothing but happiness.
Now that was a look I’d never forget for as long as I lived.
And I didn’t mind it one damn bit.
I held my wife close, swaying to the music as the band played a slow ballad. “You happy?” I asked as I leaned in to kiss that spot on her neck. Her whole body shivered and melted into me, and when I pulled my head back, heat shone from her eyes.
“I’m not sure it’s possible to be any happier than I am right now.”
“Hmm.” My lips pulled up into a teasing grin. “Pretty sure you just issued a challenge, angel.”
Her giggle was like music to my ears. “You up for it?”
“Oh, absolutely.”
We continued to dance around the floor in a tent behind the world’s most perfect farmhouse.
As the song came to an end and another started up, something over my shoulder caught her attention and Tempie’s smile fell into a frown. “I just wish everyone here was as happy as we are right now.”
Come Back Home Again (Hope Valley Book 2) Page 24
