That’s all we can ask for in this town. Not allies. Just fewer enemies.
“And to think, you did it all without Garrett’s help.”
“Woah now!” Garrett said, stepping forward. “I helped!”
“You did?” Connor said. “How the fuck did you help? All you’ve done is gotten us some hot chicks.”
“I tried to reach out to Sheriff Davis!”
“Tried.”
The bantering soon picked up in earnest, but that wasn’t the focus of my attention. Instead, I had turned back to the car about a hundred yards west, the one that had done just enough to let me get a jump in the battle. I walked back to my bike, ignited it, and rode forward, ignoring the Black Reapers calling my name. I loved those guys, but they were safe.
I got to the car, parked my bike, and walked forward slowly. I had a terrible fear, unfounded or not, that one of the bullets had hit Elizabeth and she was dead now. If that fucking happened…
But when I got to the front, she was looking up at me. Her eyes…
She opened the front door. I backed up.
“Elizabeth, are you—”
I couldn’t finish. She just embraced me in a tight hug. I knew better than to say anything more, so I just shut the hell up and held her tight.
We stayed there, holding each other, letting a couple of cars pass us, for longer than I’d ever held a hug. I rubbed her back, kissed the top of her head—whatever I could do to help her feel protected.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“You’re safe now.”
“Not just that,” she said. “I’m fine because I’m with you.”
I couldn’t help it. I smiled. I fucking smiled, and it felt really damn good.
“Thank you, Steele,” she said.
“Of course.”
It was my initial inclination to let her go. To just let her go home, get away from the insanity, and recover. But the longer I held her, the more it seemed like her recovery was happening right now, with me. The more time she was with me, the better she felt.
I thought about what Tara had said. I thought about everything from this week. I thought about how the worst case had happened, and Elizabeth came to me. There could not be a bigger sign that she wanted me and, for all of the superficial appearances of prudishness, could handle the worst.
I bit my lip. Before I could try and wrap things up nicely, I had to show her one last thing. She’d actually seen it already, but only at a distance—and now, she had to see it up close.
“Can I take you for a ride somewhere?”
