“Ms. Wren?” Her light Louisiana drawl softens the edge of the badge. “It’s good to finally put a face with the name. Our mutual friend Harlow has told me a lot about you.”
I offer a shaky smile. “Good things, I hope.” I bet she’s here to take me in for questioning about what happened with Veles. I inhale deeply and try to settle my nerves. It was all self-defense so…
“We all pitched in and tried to locate you. I gotta say, that wasn’t easy. Thank God Beast was tenacious as he was or we might still be looking. I had to stop by when Storm called and let me know you were found. I needed to see you for myself.”
She gathers my hands and holds them when she says, “I’m sorry for everything you went through. You are a tough lady.”
“Umm. Thank you.” I look to Beast and then to the ladies standing at my side. “They kept moving us. If you need, I can show you how they did it, how they hid the drugs, moved the girls, laundered the money. I kept notes. Maybe it’ll help. I have lots of notes.”
She studies me a moment, then nods, respect flickering in her eyes. “That would help a hell of a lot. If you’re willing, we can build a bible of how these bastards operate.”
“Are you talking about those papers you have?”
I nod. “Would you mind getting them for me from your saddlebags?”
Beast heads outside and comes back in record time. “Thank you.”
I signal Harlow to join us and I hand them both everything I wrote down over the last five months. “Everything you need to know about the formula, about how they operated, and what you need for an antidote for the people who have overdosed are all in these papers. I tried to send this information to you, but the formulas were incomplete.”
I turn to Harlow. “That envelope I had a friend drop to you didn’t contain the full antidote. I’m sorry. I messed up somewhere in the formula.”
She looks to Reaper and then back to me. “I turned it into the Feds and they had some chemist work on it. They worked up something that they say works. But I’m sure they would love to see your full notes.”
“Yes. I would love that.”
Beast tucks me tighter to his side, his palm broad and possessive over my hip. He kisses the tip of my nose, a private promise just for me. “I think my woman will do anything it takes to help those in need. And you’re right, Detective, she’s something special.”
Detective Lafleur smiles at me. “I agree. Make sure you keep this one close, Ms. Wren. He’s one of the good guys.”
I look up at Beast and smile, my heart hammering against my ribs. “I plan to.”
As Lafleur drifts away, the brothers gather around, asking questions, cracking jokes, celebrating being on this side of thegrave and the Euphoria problem firmly behind us. Someone pops a bottle of whiskey and drinks start going around despite the early morning hour. Laughter rings out. Music thrums from the speakers. It’s something old, full of gravel and soul. I let myself lean into Beast, basking in the comfort of his arms and the warmth of his world.
But as the morning gives way to afternoon, I can feel Beast’s attention shift as if he’s got something on his mind.
“Beast?”
Beast
Layla fits into my world like she was always meant to be here.
I watch her in the kitchen, trading stories with Charli and Harlow, laughing at something Reaper says. She glows from the inside out. After everything, she should be bitter and closed off.
Instead, she’s sunlight after rain and brighter for all the darkness she’s survived.
My chest aches with something I can’t name. Love? I never believed in it. Not really. Lust, sure. Loyalty, always. But this need to see her smile, to give her every good thing I never thought I’d have is a new feeling that consumes me.
She catches me staring and grins, then ducks her head, a shy blush creeping across her cheeks. God, I want to spend the rest of my life making her blush like that.
I clear my throat and nod to Reaper. “We good here?”
He claps me on the back. “You did right by her. By all of us.” His eyes are knowing, a little teasing. “Go on, Beast. Go get your girl.”
I cross the room, take Layla’s hand in mine, and lean in. “Come with me. There’s something I want to show you.”
We step outside, leaving behind the noise. The air is crisp, sweet with the scent of blooming wildflowers and the tang of rain lingering from last night’s storm. I lead her down a narrow path, the earth soft beneath our feet, sunlight dusting the ground in various shades of gold. The compound fades behind us, replaced by the hush of the soft rustle of grass underfoot.
We step out of the treeline, and a meadow opens up before us. I always thought of it as a hidden secret in plain sight and now it’s something I get to share with the woman I love.
