“We have you,” I tell her as Asher and Collins continue to fight. Asher is able to get the weapon out of his hands and from there Asher is more experienced in fighting than Collins and is able to easily overtake him.
As soon as I get Rae’s hands free, I drop my phone into them. “Call the cops, baby.”
I don’t want to leave her side, but I also don’t want Asher to get himself killed. He seems to have it, but as he holds Collins down in some move that I’m sure is from his training, I see him wince in pain when Collins bucks up and it puts pressure on his shoulder that’s still healing.
“I got it,” I tell Asher, wrestling Collin’s arms from Asher’s grip so he doesn’t do any more damage to his shoulder than I’m sure he already did. Asher stays holding Collin’s legs down with his own.
I hear Rae on the phone with the cops, and I’m so proud of how calm she’s sounding.
“Where the fuck is her security?” I ask.
Asher shakes his head, wincing again as he moves his left arm. “I never saw anyone when I got here.”
I slam Collins’ arms down on the ground. “What did you do?”
“Does it even fucking matter?” he spits, licking some of the blood from his lip Asher split during their scuffle.
“It’ll matter when I fucking kill you.” Asher punches himagain and I want to stop him, but I also want him to shut the fuck up.
I look over at Rae who’s still on the phone; the blood on her face, tears on her cheeks, bruises already forming on her soft skin have me conflicted. I want to go back to holding her, but I also want to murder the man we’re holding down that’s still spewing threats and insults to all of us, but I tune him out, keeping all my focus on Rae.
When her lips quirk up in the smallest reassuring smile, I know everything is going to be okay. It may take some time, but we have all the time in the world. Anything for her.
CHAPTER 48
Rae
Iinsisted I didn’t need to be taken to the hospital, yet I’m currently sitting in the back of an ambulance. I already know the news is going to have a field day with all the cops and emergency vehicles at my house. I can see the headlines now. I don’t need to make things worse by going to the hospital when I’m fine.
I mean, as fine as I can be. I’m scared shitless, and my head is killing me, but I’m alive and that’s what matters. I also wouldn’t let Grayson and Asher leave my side. Not that they were trying to, but the paramedics were insisting they need to be looked at as well and the cops were trying to talk to all of us.
Another car pulls in. The cops that are blocking the entrance try and stop them, but I see it’s my dad’s car and tell them to let them through.
My mom doesn’t wait for them to move; instead she jumps out of the car and jogs over to me, tears in her eyes as she cups my cheeks.
“Honey, oh my God, what happened?”
“I’m okay, Mom, it looks worse than it is,” I try to tell her, glad she didn’t see how much blood there was before they cleaned me up and put the bandages over the cut.
“I’m so sorry,” she starts to cry and I pull her in for a hug.
“Why would you be sorry?” I question.
She sniffs and tries to hold herself together, looking at me once again. “I’m just sorry this happened.” She looks to Grayson and Asher who stepped back a little to give us space. “I’m glad you both helped her.”
“Of course.” Grayson nods.
“Always,” Asher agrees.
My dad runs over, pulling my mom and me into a hug, like he needs to hold us both to know that we’re right here.
“If I see who did this, he’s dead,” my dad declares and I huff out a breath.
“They took him already. But I think you’d have to get in line,” I tell him, and he looks up at Grayson and Asher.
“Thank you for keeping my girl safe,” he tells them both. If anyone was going to be worried about how my dad would react to our relationship, I don’t think he could be mad at either of them now.
My mom mumbles into our group hug, “I don’t think she’s your girl anymore.”
