Page 38 of Rehabilitated
“I know.”
“I never wanted anyone to die.”
“I know, baby.”
She shakes violently. “I just wanted them to stop.”
“They can’t hurt you anymore,” I say, holding her tighter, trying to soothe her.
It doesn’t seem to work. She cries into my chest while I stroke her hair, my bear rumbling softly inside me.
I tense as I hear footsteps, preparing for another fight. Ever freezes in my arms as I shift us away from the door.
“Russo!” Ansel shouts, bursting through the doorway.
He takes one look at the scene before him. The two bodies. The blood. The broken stair railing. The gun. Me holding a terrified Ever.
“I’ll make the calls,” he says.
His footsteps fade as he disappears outside.
I clear my throat. “So, that was my brother, Ansel.”
“He seems nice,” Ever says softly.
I chuckle at the absurdity of our conversation. “He is.”
“I wish we weren’t naked the first time we met.”
I laugh. Ever’s laugh is slightly hysterical.
We fall silent, both processing what’s happened.
After several minutes, Ever takes a shaky breath.
“What happens now?”
“Now”—I kiss the top of her head and reach into my pocket for my phone—“we get dressed and deal with the pack.”
I lift her into my arms, and she wraps herself around me without hesitation.
Outside, I can already hear trucks approaching. I know we have a long day ahead of us, but as I climb the stairs to our bedroom, I don’t feel tired. I’m at peace.
My mate is safe. She’s free from those monsters.
Now I just need to make sure she’s okay with how it happened.
10
Ever
My eyes droop, and I lean further into Russo’s side as we sit in the corner of the Midnight Haven, waiting to hear if they need anything else from us.
I’m numb and exhausted. We’ve been answering questions and giving statements all day.
“How are you, mate?” Russo asks, cradling me against his chest. “Are you ready to go home? Or we can go to the hotel if you don’t want to go to our place right now.”
“We should probably go home and clean up.” I sigh as he rubs soothing circles on my back.
