I lunge forward, grabbing his falling body, my hand squeezing the detonator before it can release.
As his limp body falls to the floor, I slip the detonator from his grasp, careful to keep my own hand clasped around it so it doesn’t go off.
Relief floods my body. “You okay?” Danny asks, tucking his gun back in his holster.
“I’m good,” I say, getting to my feet. Officers descend, making sure the perp is dead while I go in search of Marley. I find her on the floor, shaking like a leaf a few aisles over, holding Lyla in her arms while she cries.
“Shh...it’s okay. It’s over,” I reassure them. “It’s all over.”
I remove the backpack from Lyla and hand it and the remote to one of the officers then gather them both in my arms. Marley sobs into my chest and relief floods my body, thankful that I still have them both and they are safe.
Chapter 30
Marley
We arrive home the following afternoon after spending several hours at the local police station giving our statements. We found out that Zayne and Steven’s operation was bigger than I thought. The bastards even had a website set up that had all of the looks and appearances of being a legitimate adoption agency. It was quite an elaborate setup. It breaks my heart to think about all of the babies that were taken from their parents and even more devastating to think about the adoptive parents who trusted Steven and Zayne. But it’s unlikely they will ever be able to track them down considering all payments were made in cash and Steven destroyed any incriminating documents.
Once inside, I carry Lyla to bed. She slept most of the way here but she’s still out cold. Exhaustion has taken its toll on me as well and all I can think about is being wrapped in Asher’s arms, and he doesn’t hesitate to do that the moment I step back into the living room, knowing exactly what I need.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For saving us. For getting there in time.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Marley. I would do it a million times over. I will do anything to keep you both safe.” He holds me tighter, nuzzling my neck. Then he whispers close to my ear, “I love you. I’ve never said those words to a woman and meant them but I mean it. When I thought there was a chance I could lose you, I didn’t—”
“You don’t have to explain. I felt the same way. I love you too, Asher. I love you so much.”
He leans down to kiss me, lifting me up to wrap my legs around his waist then carries me to my bedroom. “I need you so much, baby. I need to feel you. To know you’re here with me. That you’re alive and you’re mine.”
“I am yours. I will always be yours.”
Asher makes love to me but this time it’s different. It’s slow and sweet but still possessive in a way that makes me feel safe, adored, and most of all, loved beyond measure. It doesn’t matter how we started out. All that matters is where we end up, and as long as it’s together, I’m perfectly content with that.
