"Shit, Jake. You couldn't wait for me before you shot the bastard?" Maddox says as he approaches from the other side.
"He was pointing the gun at Nate. I didn't want it to go off, and then I'd be stuck dealing with the wrath of my mother," Jake says as he kneels down next to Garrett.
"Is he dead?" I ask without moving.
"Hell no," Jake says. "I shot the prick in the leg so he couldn't run. Looks like he fell and hit his head on this rock when he went down," he says with a chuckle.
I pull Lia against my body. She's shaking from head to toe. I hear the distant sound of sirens approaching and know that the cavalry is almost here. I pull back just slightly enough to look down at Lia. She's safe.
She's free.
"Do you remember when you asked me what my dream was when you first brought me here?" Lia asks with shaky breath, tears prickling the corners of her eyes.
"Yes," I croak out over my own dry throat.
"Well, my dream is you, Nate. You're my dream," she says strongly.
I grab my girl and slam my lips down onto hers for a bruising kiss. I revel in the feel of her skin brushed against me, her lips pressed firmly against mine, and her breath fanned out over my face.
"I love you so fucking much," I tell her as I devour her mouth with another fierce kiss. "So fucking much," I add in between breaths.
"I love you, too," she whispers as she threads her arms around my neck and kisses me back with everything she has.
She's my light. She's my happiness. She's my home.
And I love the ever-loving shit out of her.
Chapter Fourteen
Lia
I watch from the back of the squad car as they lift Garrett off the ground and push him towards the waiting ambulance. When he came to, he started spewing all sorts of crap about his daddy's money and how he was going to make Jake pay. Of course, that didn't stop Jake from reading him his rights as two other cop cars and an ambulance pulled up.
"You doing alright?" Maddox asks as he crouches down in front of me. Nate is over giving a quick statement to one of the cops and Jake is busy recounting the events to his lieutenant.
"Yeah, I guess. As good as can be expected," I say with a small smile.
"You did good, girl. You don't have to worry about that guy anymore," he says.
"Is he going to be alright?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Jake only shot him in the leg, and he even missed the major arteries. They'll take him to the hospital first and as soon as he's released, he'll be escorted to County Jail. He has a whole slew of charges ready to be filed against him, so chances are, he's going away for awhile."
"God, I hope so," I say, more to myself than anyone else. "And Nate? He's not going to be in any trouble is he?"
"No, he didn't fire his weapon. It's a registered gun and he's licensed to carry. According to his statement and yours, he was acting in self-defense and only pulled his weapon after Garrett's was trained on him. You'll both need to go down to the precinct and give a formal statement, but I am confident that there won't be any charges against either of you."
"Thank you," I whisper as I lean forward and give him a hug. "For everything," I add.
Maddox returns my hug and says, "It was nothing, honey. You're going to be a wonderful addition to the family someday," he says with a wink, which makes me laugh. "And besides, Avery would have kicked my ass all the way to Wednesday if I let anything happen to you. She's kind of attached."
I smile widely and give him another hug as Nate and Jake walk up. "Get off my woman, Jackson," Nate barks.
"She hugged me, dude. I can't help it that women find me irresistible," he adds like salt to a wound, earning a growl from Nate.
I stand up and pull Jake into a tight hug. "Thank you," I whisper.
"It was nothing, Lia. Not only was I just doing my job, but I sure as shit didn't want to listen to my brother whine and cry for the next fifty years about how I got him shot," Jake says with a cocky grin.
"Let go or I'll shoot you and it won't be in the leg," Nate says nodding down to his groin region as he pushes Jake back and out of my arms. He grabs me and hugs me close as Jake and Maddox both smile and shake their heads.
"I was just telling Nate that we all need to head down to the station to give your statements. Avery is meeting us there with the good coffee since the shit we have at the station sucks. Shit, she's probably already there creating a scene because we're not all there yet," Jake says with a rueful shake of his head.
"Are you kidding? You know your sister is always late and won't be there for another thirty to forty minutes," Maddox adds with a laugh.
"What's going to happen next?" I ask the three men in front of me.
"Well, first you'll give your statement at the station. Then it's a waiting game. We will have to see which way he pleas, and I'd bet my lifetime subscription to Sports Illustrated that he will be entering a plea of not guilty. More waiting, then. I'm sure the D.A. will want to speak with you at some point, but probably not until we get closer to the trial," Maddox says.
"Trial? I'm going to have to testify, aren't I?"
"Probably, sugar. The Monahan family has a lot of money and a lot of notoriety to throw at this thing, and I can't imagine he'll go down without a fight," Jake adds.
I swallow a big gulp of stagnant air. Suddenly it's hard to breathe again as the realization starts to set in. This will never be over. At least not for a very long time. I'm going to have to relive my entire life, spilling everything that has happened to me over the past four years, before God and everyone. The thought terrifies me all over again.
"Don't you worry, Lia. I'm going to be there every step of the way. You're not going at this alone, baby. I'm right there with you. I will be by your side through this whole thing, and when it's over, we'll walk away together and never look back. This has molded us into who we are, but it doesn't define us. Remember?"
"I remember," I whisper.
"And we'll be there, too. All of us," Maddox adds, reassuringly.
"Yeah, you're kinda stuck with us now. We're like the clap. You've got us for life," Jake says with a deep laugh.
"Gross, dude. You just compared yourself to an STD," Nate says, shaking his head from side to side.
He pulls me tightly against him and suddenly it's easier to breathe again. I know this road is going to be rough. I know that it's going to be hard. I know that I'm probably going to want to back out and run away. But I can't. I won't. Garrett must pay for his crimes and it's my responsibility to help bring those crimes to light. Even if it means airing my dirty laundry and openly talking about our relationship. I can do it. For me.
For my future.
As long as I have Nate by my side, offering comfort and support, I know that I'm going to be just fine. With a little time and maybe some therapy, I know that I will finally be able to live the life I thought was only a dream. Right now, it's right there within my reach. It's time to reach out and grab it. So, I do. I grab Nate and hug him tightly against me once more. He's it. My dream.
"Lia, you're riding in this squad car and Nate's going to ride in that one," Maddox says, pointing at the car adjacent to us.
"Why can't we ride together?" I ask, gripping his hands in mine. The thought of Nate not being beside me as this whole ordeal comes to a close is slightly terrifying.
"Not until the statements are done," Jake adds. "As soon as you're both done, you can both go home and sleep. Or hump like rabbits since you have a whole eighteen hours worth of break-up make-up sex to get to."
I smile up at Nate as he leans down and kisses me. I can't get enough of his kisses. Or his shoulders. Or his back. Or his amazing ass. And those tattoos. But those abs, seriously …
Nate helps me down into the back of the car. He places another perfect kiss on my lips and whispers those three words I love to hear, "I love you."
"I love you, too," I reply and give him another peck on the lips before he stands. Maddox closes the car door as one of the officers from earlier gets in the front seat. There's a firm slap on the roof of the squad car signaling that everything is ready to go.
"Ready?" the officer asks as he starts up the car.
"I'm ready now," I reply as I keep my eyes locked on Nate's.
I'm ready to see what this life has in store for me. I'm finally ready to start to live. I truly feel free for the first time in my life, and I know I have Nate to thank for it.