“Daddy,” Stormi cried from behind her mask.
I held her hand as I whispered soothing words so she wouldn’t worry. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t.
For the second time that night, the same feeling plagued me.
Something wasseriouslywrong.
Chapter Forty-Two
BRONSON
All the hairson the back of my neck were standing up on end.
Lake was trying to talk to me and my focus should have been on her and Stormi but something was off, distracting me. I was already worried the stress of the night would impact her pregnancy, but I couldn’t get what Huntley said to me out of my head.
Someone had made an anonymous call in about the fire, not leaving their name. But why? As I stood there, I found my gaze searching the crowd of people.
He’s watched before, he’ll do it again,I found myself thinking.
Lake kissed me, drawing my attention away from the thoughts niggling in the back of my head. She tried asking me something but Dave told her it was time to go so she got into the ambulance.
The feeling of someone’s eyes on me had my gaze snapping back toward the group of people. Lake’s voice broke through the noise and I answered her question, but I never pulled my stare from the crowd.
And then I sawhim.
A man, in all dark clothes, a ball cap pulled down low on his head, staring straight at me and my family. I knew without a doubt who I was looking at. Without hesitation, I took off running in a full out sprint, straight for the asshole that had caused my family so much trauma.
Even in the dark, I saw his eyes widen, and then he turned to flee. But he was no match for me. The man may have been older than me, but that didn’t always mean anything. He could have been in better shape. What I had on my side, fueling me, was rage that pumped through my veins and the love for my family fluttering in my heart.
This fucking ends now!
Those were my last thoughts as I tackled the guy from behind, taking him to the ground with a hard thump. I flipped him over, daggers shooting from my eyes as I stared into the dark soul who dared to mess with those who weremine.
Anger pulsed through my body as I fought to control myself from not slamming my fist into the man’s face. I was an officer of the law, I needed to do this by the book, but when it came to those I loved it was damn hard to keep myself in check.
Venom slipped from my lips. “You’re going down and you won’t hurt another person again!”
Other officers were now upon us. I flipped the douchebag back over and asked for a pair of cuffs from the closest policeman. Dragging the guy off the ground after confining him, I started marching him to one of the squad cars. Luckily I knew the other men on duty, so they hadn’t questioned me yet.
The man in my grasp started fighting to get free but it was no use. There was no way I was letting him get away. As I reached the marked car, I opened the back door, and pushing on his head, lowered him inside as he started shouting about my bitch of a wife deserving what she’d gone through.
I’d get to the bottom of it, but right now I had somewhere I needed to be.
Slamming the door with him inside, I drowned out any more words he spewed from his evil lips. I turned to my fellow cops and gave them a rundown of what had been happening, told them about the call that had come in about the fire, and told them if they investigated they would find the guy to be guilty.
His last words damned him already.
A small part of me wanted to stay and deal with the bastard, but I had confidence in the others and also my friends I was about to call.
I rushed toward my car, commotion still swirling around me while firemen fought the now dwindling flames that were once a full blaze of fury.
The thought of my family not being okay knocked the air from my lungs and I fought to breathe as I ran and dialed Lyric at the same time. There hadn’t been a moment to call anyone when my baby girl and sister-in-law were fighting for their lives. But I not only wanted their help with the man behind the fire and other incidents, but I needed their support.
And I knew my wife and Stormi would both need their friends.
I wrenched my car door open, struggling to find my voice when my friend answered my call for help.
Heart pounding in my chest, my voice thick with emotion, I said, “Stormi and River are on their way to the hospital.”
