"Protecting? How?"
"I will tell you everything, Dad. I promise. But not over the phone. It's a long conversation and I'm still decompressing from what happened with the judge."
At the mention of Maureen Ford, Dad let out a groan.
"It's okay, Dad. The people in Lucas's life, in my life now? They won't ever let anything happen to us. You met one of them today. Fluffy. Just wait until you meet Dr. Winchester."
"I like this doctor. Whoever she is." I didn't miss the smidgen of approval in Dad's voice. I also couldn't help but grin.
"You know all those times we thought Lucas was out getting into trouble, causing trouble? He wasn't. Not really. Yeah, he's scary, and dangerous, but only to those who threaten the people he loves. And he loves me, Dad. More than anyone could comprehend. More than I do, to be honest."
A ragged, drawn-out sigh sounded through the phone. I had no problem seeing Dad, his hand in his hair, his face scrunched up in one of his Goddamn-this-world-is-crazy frowns. "I just … you're my little girl, my daughter." His voice cracked. "And what kind of father would I be if I wasn't worried for my little girl?"
A hot lump filled my throat. Tears prickled at the backs of my eyes. "A bad one. And you're not a bad father. Not really."
"Are you really going to marry him, Veronica?"
"Yes, Dad." My smile stretched. "I am. Very soon, in fact. As soon as we know what's going on with the judge and hear word that Fluffy is okay."
"The judge has been arrested, and Fluffy is okay," Lucas said from the kitchen, before drinking juice straight from the bottle.
"What?" I blinked, throat tightening. "He's what?"
"What?" Dad asked.
Lucas lowered the bottle, wiped the back of his hand over his lips, and then smiled at me. "Maureen has been arrested. And Fluffy is okay. They removed the bullet from his shoulder and he checked himself out about … " He shot his watch a quick glance. "Ninety minutes ago. He was muttering something about getting ready for a date with a paramedic when I spoke to him on the phone."
Returning the bottle to the fridge, he closed the door and stalked towards me, Groot still under one arm, gaze raking over me from head to toe and back again. "So we can get married whenever you like."
"What?" Dad repeated.
I stared at Lucas. My heart smashed into my throat. "Dad, I've got to go. I think I'm about to get married."
"Ronnie?" Dad's voice sounded through the phone. "Ronnie?"
"What, Dad?"
"You're going to be happy, aren't you?"
Lips curling, Lucas came to a halt directly in front of me. My whole body craved his. Like a force beyond nature. I smiled, gazing up at him. "You have no idea, Dad."
"I love you, cupcake."
"Love you too, Dad," I murmured, as Lucas plucked my phone from my hand and tossed it onto the closest chair.
"So … " He smoothed his free hand over my hip to my ass cheek, and drew our hips together with a gentle tug. "Where do you want to get married?"
I swallowed. "I've heard Hawaii is nice this time of year."
Desire burned in his eyes as he lowered his head to mine. "So have I."
He kissed me. I kissed him back. Groot tried to join in.
Goddamn it, my life was incredible.
The End
Thank you for reading!
Dear Reader,
I had lots of fun writing The Bad Boy in Cuffs. The BBiC finishes the Lucas and Ronnie trilogy. Now that doesn't necessarily mean we won't see them again, but their Happy Ever After is complete. Fluffy's HEA, however … well, that's a whole different story. (See what I did there?) And then there's Dr. Lila Winchester. Something tells me the good doctor isn't finished with me yet.
Lexxie
Preview another book by this author
Bound By You
Outback Skies, Book 1
Lexxie Couper
Chapter 1
Desmond Russell climbed out of the plane and into a furnace.
The dry Outback heat sucked the moisture from his lungs, his skin, his every breath. He paused, allowing himself a moment to adjust to the searing summer temperature. When he'd boarded the small plane waiting for him on the runway at Sydney's domestic airport-three hours and forty-two minutes ago-the humidity of the day had clung to him like a shroud.
Humidity and the Outback however, didn't go hand in hand. This far from the coastline, the only hint of moisture was the small beads of sweat currently popping out on his temples.
With a soft grunt, Desmond shrugged out of his suit jacket and draped it over his left forearm. He didn't loosen the Windsor knot at the base of his throat. As hot as the day was here in Wallaby Ridge, a small town nearly in the middle of Australia-and it was hot, somewhere in the upper forties Celsius, by his educated guess, which made it around 118-plus in Fahrenheit-it was mild compared to some of the intense infernos he'd been in the middle of.