Page 70 of Love's Hot

“All good, man, we’re done. Taking them both home now. Leaving you to clean up the trash.” I glance down at the guy still on the floor carrying on about his nose. I attempt to get Lilly moving towards the door but she’s frozen on the spot with fear. Jessie glares at me. Both of us know we’re running out of time before this place will explode with police.

“Red, move, now!” I growl in my bedroom voice that she always responds to. Like she’s on autopilot, her feet start moving. I’m dragging her, and Jessie is pushing her from behind trying to make those heels move faster. We go straight past the front desk and burst onto the street. Leaving all our belongings because they were just burner phones anyway.

Jessie and I walk on either side of Lilly and start rushing down the sidewalk as we see SWAT and the raid squad storming towards the building. I want to be in there, making sure the main perpetrators are found.

“Jessie. Keep her safe. I need to go back in.” I start to push Lilly into her arms. She starts to fall backwards but then gains her footing.

“No,” she yells at me. “No, I can’t lose you. I need to tell you…” Tears welling in her eyes, she chokes on her words.

Jessie leans around and grabs my arm. “Choose her, Kane. Time to choose you, not the job.” She steps back from us both, starting to head towards the command post being set up at the end of the street. That woman walking away is one of the toughest and softest I know. Someone I would trust with my life, and that’s saying something.

The start of sobs brings me back to what is important in life. More important than anything else. It took being in the worst place on earth to recognize that I have the most beautiful ray of light standing right in front of me. No matter what this job throws at me, I should always choose her.

Pulling Lilly into my arms is the stability that I need. Her arms wrap around my back in an instant and she is hugging me and hanging on for dear life. Her fear is still racing in her body.

“What was happening in there, Kane?” Her tiny voice drifts up from where she is tucked against my chest.

“Disgraceful things I never want you to witness or be near. I had to stop it, Lil, I just had to. It was the only way.” I bury my head in her neck just to center myself, breathing her in.

I need to get her out of here. Steering her to the end of the street where Jessie and Sarge are talking, I approach him and ask to use his phone. With Lilly still tucked under my arm, I call the one person I trust to take care of her until I can.

We stand together, not talking just hugging. Lilly hasn’t said anything, but I know she understands I need to do my reports before I can go home. She needs to get out of here and shower away the filth and get warm. Clear her mind of the awful things she saw. I will thank the universe every day that I managed to keep her from seeing the torture room. It was bad enough what she saw, and those women are consenting, well, as far as we could tell.

The Jeep pulls up to the curb and Xavier jumps out, coming around to help me with Lilly. There are tears and she doesn’t want to leave me. Clinging on, not wanting to let me go.

“Lilly, I need you to be strong and go home with Xavier. You know he will keep you safe. I won’t be too long, but I have to do this. It’s too important to so many lives. You understand, don’t you?” Slowly, she’s nodding her head. The look in her eyes slays me, though. “I promise I will come to you as soon as I’m done. No more running. I’m done being without you.”

I take her head and kiss her forehead long and soft. We then help her into the Jeep and buckle her in. Her hands wrap around her waist to stop herself from shivering. Giving her one last kiss on the lips, light and with the promise of more, I close the door and turn to Xavier.

I give him a quick hug, I’m glad to see him.

“Thanks for coming so quickly, man. You’re the only one I trust to look after her. Take her to my place and get her to shower and get into bed. But stay with her until I get there, it could be a while. I don’t want her to be alone. Her night has been traumatic, and it’ll take a little while to settle within her. A stiff drink might help.” I feel like such a jerk sending her off with someone else when she’s so vulnerable.

“Already on it. Ally’s in your apartment as we speak, opening it up and taking some food up there. Getting it ready for me to arrive. We’ve got her, Kane. Go do what you need to do, so you can come home to her. That’s all she needs. Don’t know what happened here tonight but I’m glad to see you, buddy, all safe and sound. Talk soon.”

With that, he runs around to the driver’s door and jumps in, bringing the Jeep to life.

Lilly looks at me with those eyes, sadness and fear still showing all over face. I put my hand on the window and she places hers on the other side. I mouth to her so she will understand I mean it: “Coming for you, Red. You’re mine, I know that now.” It brings a little smile to her face but not enough for my liking.

I watch the car pull away, the lights disappearing around the corner, and I feel a little relief she’s away from the filth of this place. I feel Jessie place her arm around my waist and tuck herself under my arm. I think we both need to just unwind for a moment together. I pull her tight into a hug and it’s a relief for both of us to know this is finally over. We know there will be months of court cases and paperwork, but all the women in there will be rescued and given the help they need for both the physical and mental injuries.

The ambulances are lined up at the other end of the street close to the front of the building. They are one by one bringing the women who can walk out and into the ambulances. Others are being carried out on gurneys to be treated. I have no idea how many women were in that building but they seem to be still coming. I’m almost to the edge of the command center area to talk with Sarge when I see Sheree being placed on a bed and she’s crying and just saying thank you over and over again to anyone who will listen. My heart takes a leap at the sight of her safe. I want to go over, but the truth is, she doesn’t need to know me. I would just be another man she doesn’t know and doesn’t trust. I think about my Sarge’s words and that’s enough.

‘You can’t save them all.’

Maybe not, but tonight we did save them all and damn it feels good.

Best feeling ever.

It’s why I became a cop.

Now I need to learn how to be a policeman and a man that can live a life too.

The only person who can teach me that is curled up in my bed waiting for me.

My Lilly.

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