“How romantic,” Max muttered dryly.
Marty’s eyes swung toward him, hate shining in them, just as the sound of sirens wailing pierced the air.
“Fuck,” Cash growled, clearly not pleased. “Really didn’t want the cops in our business on this one.”
“They figured it out quick,” Max commented, sounding surprised.
“Probably wasn’t hard, like it wasn’t for us,” Cash replied. “Once they found Palmer’s body, his wife probably became the prime suspect, and this property isn’t hard to find.”
“Couple of dipshits,” Thorn grumbled to himself as the sound of sirens grew closer.
“Layla, I want you to stay right where you are,” Cash commanded. “It’s gonna get crazy for a bit but it’s gonna be fine. Layla,” he pressed when my eyes darted around the room, focusing on Thorn. I was worried about him. At Cash’s tone, I looked back at him. “Baby, it’s gonna be fine,” he repeated.
He was so self-assured, so steady that despite the impending chaos, I took a deep breath, and like I did with everything else, I trusted him completely.
Seconds later, the front door burst open and heavily armed police stormed the room, all shouting commands, guns drawn. Cash remained calm, holstering his weapon and putting his hands up. “Who’s in command?” he demanded. “Brenner?” he guessed, his gaze toward one of the officers.
At the man’s nod, Cash began to share what had happened—in detail. “Have the confession recorded,” he concluded, pointing toward Max. Now I understood what the two of them had shared a look about. “Now, I need to see to my wife. You got this piece of shit?” he asked, shoving Marty toward the nearest officer. “And let the paramedics look at my pop. He’s been shot.”
“We’re not done, Walker,” Brenner warned, but Cash was already striding toward me. He dropped to his knees in front of me and pulled out the Swiss Army knife he kept on his key chain. “Let’s get you untied,” he murmured, getting to work on the electrical tape binding my wrists and my ankles.
I bit my lip, trying not to show how much ripping it off hurt as my hair and some skin came off along with the tape.
“Baby.” His voice was pained. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m okay, get this shit off,” I replied firmly. He did what I asked, getting to the rest of the binding at my ankles. The moment he was done, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck. “Riley?” I demanded.
“She’s fine,” he soothed, rubbing my back in soothing circles. “I’m gonna get you home to her. But first, I wanna have you checked out.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted. I just wanted to see Riley and to go home.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Baby, I don’t know what he drugged you with, and you could be pregnant. I’m not taking any chances.”
When he put it that way, I couldn’t argue. “You called me your wife,” I pointed out as he held me close. The chaos continued to swirl around us as Marty was handcuffed and carried out to a cruiser, but in that moment it was as though it was only us.
“Far as I’m concerned, you already are, and after this shit? Took ten years off my fucking life. You’re getting my name and a band on your finger before the week is out.”
Despite myself, I grinned. “I’m okay with that. And,” I glanced over at Thorn, who was arguing with the paramedics as they attempted to get him on a stretcher, “I have an idea.”
Chapter 29
CASH
After being checked out at the hospital, where it was determined that Layla was free to go home, we pulled up in front of our house at close to midnight.
“Are you disappointed?” she murmured.
I turned to her in the dim light of the cab. “Disappointed? About what?”
She turned to face me, looking tired but beautiful. “That the pregnancy test was negative.”
I reached over, cupping her face, sliding my thumb across her cheek and relishing its softness. “No, baby. We have time. And after what you went through, who knows what might have happened had you been newly pregnant. Things happen for a reason,” I replied, and I meant it. I might not be disappointed that she wasn’t pregnant now, but it didn’t mean I wouldn’t be working to change that in the very near future.
“She’ll be asleep.” Layla sighed in disappointment, her gaze to the house as I cut the engine. “I can’t wait to wrap my arms around her.”
“She’ll be up before we know it, and you need your rest.” She’d been so incredible, so strong through this whole ordeal, but I knew she was exhausted.
She nodded. “I am pretty tired. But I want to get back to the hospital first thing.”