Ghost moved beside him immediately, and together they shoved the metal wreckage aside. The child scrambled free and then launched herself straight at Buck and Ghost, and almost laughed, because, apparently, everybody felt safe with the giant, grumpy biker. The little girl buried her face against Buck's chest and sobbed, and he looked horrified. Ghost grinned despite the circumstances.
"Look at you,” Ghost breathed.
"Not now,” Buck grumbled.
"She's adopted you already,” Ghost said. Buck shot him a glare as the little girl clung tighter.
The ceiling exploded above them, and fire rained down around them, causing reality to return instantly. "Time to go,” Ghost shouted. Buck nodded as the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck while he carried her toward the exit. Ghost stayed slightly behind them, covering their retreat and watching for structural failures. He was watching out for Buck because apparently he'd spent years in love with the stubborn bastard without admitting it. Funny how near-death experiences gave people perspective.
The exit finally appeared through the smoke. They were almost to freedom. Ghost could see figures waiting outside now.They were Kings, rescued hostages, and Wren. Just seeing her standing there made his chest hurt. She looked terrified, furious, and beautiful. The second she spotted them, her entire face crumpled with relief. Ghost nearly stumbled because nobody had ever looked at him like that before—like his survival mattered. Like losing him would hurt, and the realization hit hard—way harder than the falling debris.
"Move!" Buck shouted, and Ghost reacted instantly. A support beam crashed where he'd been standing half a second earlier. The warehouse chose that exact moment to finally give up, and the roof started collapsing all at once.
Buck burst through the exit carrying the little girl, and Ghost followed. He was just about out of the warehouse when something hit him, and pain exploded across his shoulder. The force spun him sideways, and he hit the ground outside just as the warehouse collapsed behind him. The world became noise coming from the building’s demise—fire, screaming metal, and then silence. For one terrifying second, Ghost couldn't breathe. He couldn’t move or think until something warm touched his face—Wren’s hands.
Her voice called to him through the darkness. "Ghost." He heard everything in her voice—panic, fear, and yes, even love. They were all tangled together. "Ghost!" Ghost forced one eye open and found Wren hovering over him, covered in soot and tears. Buck knelt beside her, holding the little girl while looking one second away from murdering somebody.
"Hey,” he breathed, smiling up at them both. Wren immediately smacked his chest. "Ouch."
"You idiot!" she shouted, followed by another swat to his chest. Ghost laughed weakly, which apparently was the wrong choice because Wren looked ready to cry and commit homicide simultaneously. Buck didn't seem much better, either. "You went back in."
Ghost pointed toward the little girl. “It was worth it,” he said. The child still clung to Buck while staring at all of them with huge eyes, as Wren looked over and then sighed. Some of the anger left her face immediately.
"Okay," she admitted. "Maybe it was a little worth it." Ghost grinned and winced when pain shot through his shoulder.
Buck immediately leaned closer, replacing anger with concern. "You hit?" Ghost glanced down to where a chunk of burning debris had torn through his jacket and noticed blood soaked the sleeve beneath. Well, shit.
"It’ll be fine,” he lied. Buck looked murderous again, and the little girl started crying.
Ghost groaned. "Okay, everybody, calm down." That didn’t seem to help his cause because nobody calmed down—especially not Wren.
She pointed directly at both him and Buck. "We are having a very long conversation after this." Buck actually looked scared enough of her that Ghost nearly laughed himself unconscious.
The little girl spoke in her tiny voice, and it damn near destroyed what little composure that he had left. "You saved me." Ghost looked toward Buck, and Buck looked toward the child, and back at Wren and Ghost, and something shifted between them. It was almost like a missing puzzle piece finally finding its place. The war was over—Eli was caught, the hostages were safe, and somehow through all the fire and violence and chaos, they'd found each other. Ghost smiled despite the pain. For the first time in a very long time—he was finally home.
Ghost woke up to pain—a lot of pain. His shoulder felt like somebody had tried to remove it with a chainsaw. "Ow,” hegrumbled. A soft laugh answered him, and Ghost blinked slowly as he looked around the King’s clubhouse. He was in his room, and from what he could tell, he was still alive, which was a good start.
He turned his head and forgot about the pain entirely when he saw Wren sitting beside the bed, asleep. She had one hand wrapped around his wrist like she'd been holding onto him all night—like she was afraid to let go, and something inside him softened immediately.
"You staring at her again?" Ghost looked toward the doorway and found Buck leaning against the frame, holding two coffees. His guy looked tired, but he was alive too, and that was all that mattered.
Ghost grinned. "Maybe." Buck's expression softened as he looked at Wren, and neither man spoke for a moment. They just watched her. She was the woman who'd somehow walked into their lives and changed everything.
Wren stirred a second later and opened her eyes. Relief flooded her face the instant she saw Ghost awake, and then she was out of the chair and hugging him carefully. "You scared me."
Ghost wrapped an arm around her. "Sorry, sweetheart."
"No, you're not,” she mumbled against his chest.
"Fair,” he agreed.
Buck laughed, and Wren turned immediately to stare him down. "And you." Buck actually looked nervous, and Ghost enjoyed that far more than he should have. "You ran into a burning building."
"There was a kid in there,” he defended.
"I’m starting to believe that there will always be an excuse with you two,” she said. Neither man argued because she was right.
Wren's eyes filled with tears as the fear she'd been carrying finally surfaced. "I thought I lost both of you." The room wentsilent, and Buck crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. Ghost reached for her hand, holding it in his own, grounding himself.
