I raised my own gun, unloading it into that motherfucker’s body while shoving my beautiful wife down onto the ground and twisting us both so that I was covering her with my bulk.
Pain ripped through my side.
I didn’t know if it was a clean hit. But I prayed I’d caught his retaliating rounds, and that my sweet Meredith was safe.
As long as she was whole, I didn’t care what he did to me.
My team entered behind me. They had Franklin covered, but I didn’t ease off my wife, I didn’t drop the still smoking pistol onto the floor, until they gave the all clear.
Then I was all over her. Turning her over and checking her for harm.
“Meredith! Baby!”
I frantically ran my hands over her body, searching for blood, wounds, anything.
Her eyes slowly opened, the green irises so damn beautiful I couldn’t breathe for looking at them.
“Josef? Josef, are you hurt?” she asked, struggling to sit up, but I was in the way.
I clutched her to me, unashamed of the tears staining my face, as I held her tight.
“You’re okay. You’re okay, Baby. I got you,” I said over and over again, kissing her head and her cheeks, then her lips.
“Boss?” Darius’ voice interrupted our reunion, but I wasn't about to stop holding her for anything.
Hell, I was never letting her go again.
Never again.
“What?” I asked.
“He’s gone. The woman is secure. What do you want us to do?”
“Baby, is there anything you want in this house?” I asked, pulling back long enough to see her shake her head.
“Burn it to the fucking ground,” I growled, lifting Meredith in my arms as I stood.
She clung to me, tears streaming down her face. I turned my body, holding her tightly in my embrace, so she didn’t have to see the gory mess that was all that I left of Meredith’s stepfather.
That motherfucker.
I wanted to kill him all over again. Somehow, Franklin fucking Gray had faked his own death. I didn’t put it together until the plane ride.
But I had no idea he was this close. I shouldn’t have fucking bothered going home. I should have just hunted this prick down from the beginning. Should have demanded to see his body at the hospital—the hospital?
“Darius, find the doctor who worked on Meredith and that dead piece of shit. Bring him in,” I ordered before stomping out to my car with my precious bundle in my arms.
I could have fucking lost her. Fuck. My arms started to shake.
“Husband, I can walk,” she said, thinking I couldn’t hold her.
But that wasn’t why I was shaking. Fear had me trembling like a goddamn leaf.
“Like hell,” I growled. “I’m never putting you down again.”
She clung to me tighter, her lips brushing against my neck.
Mario walked behind us, on guard to make sure Franklin had no minions lurking about. It seemed the man was a psycho without an army. More fool him.