Page 59 of Ready or Not

Once we make it to the compound, Garza gets patched up by Ramirez.

Merrick assures me through an also very heated phone call that he has wiped every security camera with access to the parking lot. He’s furious for being bothered when he was supposedly benched.

Apparently, he and Steele are heading to North Carolina tomorrow.

I genuinely hope they find something that gives them peace. They need it after the hell of a year they’ve had.

There’s not much more we can do, except wait for the police to show up on our doorstep, or for Ranger to get information out of the last remaining asshole. Neither scenario seems likely tonight.

Vale babies the hell out of Garza, which I find mildly annoying. Mostly because I’m supposed to be pampering her. He’s all patched up and freshly showered.

Vale sits at his side.

Ramirez looked her over, too, but other than a few scratches on her knees, she was unharmed. I did help her remove the blood from her face and neck when we were downstairs. However, a full shower had to wait until now.

“Ready, love?” I ask, stepping to her side and offering my hands.

“Oh yeah.” She nods, giving me a soft smile. Her gaze quickly moves back to Garza. “Will you be okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” I assure her, giving my old friend a look that says I’ll murder him in his sleep if he doesn’t agree.

“I’ll be just fine. You clean up with Mercy.” Garza winks at Vale, and I fight the unnatural urge to murder him.

Well, damn. I thought that had passed, but my impulses are quite on edge after the events of the evening.

Chapter Nineteen

Vale

I’m pretty sure I participated in a serious crime tonight. Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but I definitely witnessed some ugliness. It’s strange that I’m not more concerned about the risks and ramifications. Mostly, though, I’m just grateful two of Andrew’s team are no longer a threat to me or my daughter.

Mercy helps me out of my clothing and into the already running shower. I watch through the cutout near the back as he strips out of his suit.

My eyes widen when I spot the ring box he sets on the counter before striding over and climbing into the shower. The dark tattoos that line his chest and sides move as he prowls closer. His hands land on my hips as he backs me into the steamy water flow. I’ve never had a rainfall shower before coming here, and it’s incredible.

Mercy helps me lean my head back until the warm water runs through my hair. I totally understand what he meant about jobs requiring they come into contact with the not-fun kind of bodily fluids.

I’m pretty sure, if I looked down, I’d see the water running red with Cooper’s blood.

I’ve never felt people’s intentions as clearly as I did tonight.

It’s so bizarre.

I can’t tell if bonding Holt and Bishop amped up my ability to feel emotions or if maybe it’s a side effect of pregnancy. The pulsing of danger and even the vicinity those guys were in was similar to how I can tell if someone is upset or excited, but so much more intense.

Speaking of intense, Mercy is looking a little feral. His eyes are darker than normal, but his hands are gentle as he helps ensure all my hair is saturated.

“I’m sorry that you didn’t make it out of the incident without injuries.” His eyes fall shut. “I reacted quickly, and I’m sorry if I was too rough?—”

“Ohmigod, stop. Thank you for making sure I survived,” I say sincerely. “I might be an omega, but I’m not going to break.”

His eyes open, and he captures my mouth for a frantic kiss that has me stretching on my tiptoes to prolong the contact.

He pulls back, smiling playfully. “I’m fairly sure you saw my surprise, but when I spoke to Holt and Bishop earlier, I realized that I’ll need to hold on to it until they get back.”

“That’s fine,” I agree as he pecks a final kiss on my lips.

He moves to grab several pumps of the shampoo. The next ten or fifteen minutes are spent with him scrubbing every inch of my exhausted body. My muscles ache, and my entire being feels heavy, like keeping myself upright is a challenge.

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