Page 59 of Grayson

I nudge him with my elbow, Scarlett looks down at her hands hanging onto her glass like it’s her lifeline and Vivian looks like a bobblehead. Looking back and forth between the two men, she waits for the next move.

Gray’s the first one to speak and I know I’m not the only one holding my breath. “So are you sticking around this time?”

“I never should have left in the first place.” Justin doesn’t try to make excuses. He doesn’t try to deny that he hurt Scarlett when he left. Though he did an honorable thing, it broke her in the process. They are healing and Grayson needs to let that happen. Otherwise in the end, all he’ll do is lose her.

“She deserves a guy that puts her first.” Justin nods, not denying Grayson’s words. “Don’t make me have to tie you to the bumper of the rig so that I can drag you through Nashville.” I smile but try to hide it. It’s the same thing Scarlett always used to tell Grayson about what she was going to do to Gia. She hates her with a passion. “Because if you hurt her again I know my uncle and my father, plus more than half the guys in this bar with me right now would be there to help me hide the body when I’m done.”

“Noted.” Justin nods, his mouth tipped up on one side. “But it will never reach that point. I’m right where I belong.” He links his fingers with Scarlett and she finally looks up. “I’m not going anywhere.” He says this more to her and just like that the tension leaves the air as Gray moves in closer and kisses the side of my head.

Hours later he’s carrying me through my apartment toward my bedroom. Lowering me to the bed he helps get me settled before climbing in bed behind me.

“Get some sleep boozehound,” he offers with a chuckle. The room is spinning. Scar, Viv, and I may have gotten a little carried away with the shots. But it ended up being a pretty decent night. I have no regrets, but I might be singing a different tune in the morning.

He offers me a kiss to my jaw, just as I start to doze off.

“Love you, baby,” he softly whispers and if I wasn’t so drunk I’d react.

I know he loves me but to hear him say it aloud, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

39

Grayson Hawk

“And another win?” I spin around holding my hands up in the air. Immediately Hayes and Fed start singing “We are the Champions,” waving their hands in the air as we taunt Atta, Myles, and Brax.

We have played three rounds of darts and every single time we’ve beaten the pants off them.

“We got next round.” Coop and Hollywood enter that common room with Oscar trotting close behind. “We’ll take Fed as a third.”

Just as they pull the dart from the board and turn around the bell rings.

“Rollover, two vehicles involved in a head on collision.” Dispatch rattles off the address and we all jump into our gear and climb into the rigs.

“Witness states a vehicle crossed the center lane, into oncoming traffic. The first car weaved to miss them but the second one didn’t notice in time. They collided flipping on as its side off the road into the ditch,” Hayes updates on the details of the report being shared on the wire as we all allow ourselves to mentally prepare for what we are about to see.

It’s dark, a light drizzle making the roads gleam in the flashing lights from the trucks. Rounding the corner, headlights shine through the trees from the car flipped up on its side.

Climbing out of our rig, we start gathering our gear and split our group, half going one way, the other half taking the vehicle flipped up. The sounds of screams echo in the darkness. Sounds that rip through me to my core.

When driving to a scene where everything is so unpredictable, we never know what we may find. Most calls come over with limited information, people are frantic when giving the details that it’s always so easy to skip over the most important details.

I walk around the back of the small SUV, accessing the damages. Looking into the best options for us to get to those trapped inside. Ensuring there is nothing leaking, no sparks or possible dangers that may risk the lives of our guys.

I begin to walk further, seeing that the roof of the vehicle is fairly crushed. I am halted when Hayes rounds from the front and holds his hand out in front of him.

“Hawk, I’ve got this.” He continues walking toward me, a look of concern on his face. “Come on, brother.” He applies pressure to my chest trying to back me up.

“What’s going on?” Looking over his shoulder I hear the sounds of glass falling as the guys remove what’s remaining of the windshield so they can gain better access to the victims inside.

“Who’s in there?” There is only one reason why Hayes would be trying to hold me back. I try to sidestep him and he moves quick.

“Don’t.” He uses his body to stop me, our chests colliding. “You can’t see this.”

“Who the fuck is in there?” My heart is racing, my mind getting away from me.

I watch as Hollywood moves in behind Hayes. I stand still feeling like everything is moving in slow motion. More screams, the guys hollering commands back and forth at one another. Fed climbing over the side of the vehicle, laying across the side, reaching inside the missing window of the passenger door.

“Who is it?” I say again this time my voice hoarse with so much emotion.

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