“No, only what we already know.” I watched Ben get out of his SUV just as a few more cruisers arrived.
“I’m going in there,” I said, and with a nod, Liam immediately moved to follow me.
“Wait a minute,” Cade said. “We’re not going to just storm the gates?—”
“She’s in there. I’m not storming anything. We go in quietly.” I checked my weapon, then tucked it away. I was wearing a Kevlar vest—we all were. Plus, I had stashed all my usual weapons of choice in their normal spots. I glanced at Liam. He had done the same. It felt like the old days, except that thistime, I had way more to lose than just my life. The fear had gone straight to my soul, and I couldn’t shake it, I couldn’t bury it, but I couldn’t let it consume me.
Liam clapped me on the shoulder. “Luke. Steady,” he said, and I nodded.
We all froze as a commotion started up from the side of the building. A bearded man came barreling around the corner, dragging Lily behind him. My whole body sighed with relief for a split second, then I snapped into action, following behind Liam, who had already started running in their direction.
“Shit!” Liam yelled as the two men we’d identified earlier as the probable kidnappers burst out from a door on the side of the building. The bearded guy with Lily let her go, turned, and rushed the bigger of the two kidnappers, tackling him to the ground.
“Go, Lily, go, go!” he yelled at her.
She looked back at him for a brief second, then turned in my direction. When she spotted me, she ran faster. She screamed as the ponytailed kidnapper caught up to her and grabbed her from behind, lifting her off her feet. Liam and I had almost caught up to the fray, with Ben and Cade close behind.
Lily swung her head forward before slamming the back of it into ponytail’s face. She did it hard enough I heard the impact. She shoved herself forward out of his grasp, then turned and punched him right where she had headbutted him. He stumbled back a foot or so and almost lost his balance. He fell after she kneed him between his legs and shoved him.
But Lily didn’t stop. She tackled him as he fell, landing with both of her knees in his stomach. He let out a sickeningoofas her weight hit him and his breath wheezed out in a rush. Using her closed fist like a hammer, she hit him in the face again and again, all the while screaming and cursing at him about how he killed Will and how he wouldn’t scare her son or hurt anybody else ever again.
“Lily, stop.” I had finally reached her, along with Liam, Cade, and Ben. She pushed herself to her feet and collapsed in my arms, sobbing.
“He killed Will. He tried to take Dylan,” she cried.
I held her tighter, then picked her up.
Ben put cuffs on Derrick, who was surprisingly still conscious. And Cade had the big one. Officers pulled their cruisers up to where we were and one of them cuffed the bearded guy who had run out with Lily.
She shuddered against me. “I’m okay. You can put me down, Luke.”
I couldn’t do it though. I wanted to keep her close and never let her out of my sight again. I could have lost her, lost everything. Instead of setting her down, I released her legs, then held her up with my arms around her hips. Her arms wound around my neck. With her breath on my cheek and her heartbeat next to mine, I calmed down.
“I knew you would come,” she whispered. The only thing I could think to do was kiss her. My mind had blanked of everything but the relief I felt from having her in my arms again. I put her down. She held my hand and stood at my side.
“That’s Jeff,” she said and pointed to the bearded guy. “His dad is in there somewhere. He’s the one who was following me around and watching from the backyard. He’s also the one who broke into Gram’s house. In his own stupid way, he was trying to help me. He was locked up in there too.” She addressed the officer handcuffing Jeff, “Don’t let him go. You should arrest him. I’m sorry, Jeff, but you know it’s true.”
He just looked at her and nodded.
“If his dad is okay and doesn’t need an ambulance or something, he should be arrested too” she said to Ben, who had just finished putting Derrick into the back of a cruiser.
“Dad!” Jeff yelled as two officers led an older man down the warehouse stairs.
“I’m okay, son!” the man yelled back.
Ben pulled Lily into his arms and squeezed her tight. “You scared me, baby girl,” he said into the top of her head. That started her tears up again.
Cade finished securing the second kidnapper, rushed to Ben and Lily, and took over the hug. “You really kicked his ass, Lily. Dad had to scoop him into the handcuffs.”
“I did? I don’t really remember,” she said sheepishly.
“Blind rage,” Liam said. “Now you know what you’re capable of. Bet your head hurts. That was one hell of a headbutt. Not to mention your hand.” He held out his fist, and Lily bumped it softly with hers, then threw herself into his arms. He looked surprised but leaned over and hugged her back.
“I knew she’d have it,” Cade said. “Lily is one of those quiet people you have to watch out for. Plus, she is a redhead.” He nudged her arm with his, then hugged her again. I heard him whisper, “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Lily. I was so scared.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and they held on to each other.
I glanced over at Liam, who was watching them like I was, both of us wishing we had grown up with that kind of closeness, that kind of love. With people who would drop everything and do anything they could, no matter what. Liam and I had acted like a couple of blind fools, keeping ourselves distant from the friendship we’d fallen into with each other over the years.
“I love you, man. You were there for me today. You’re always there,” I said to him.
