Page 79 of Mountain Hero

Like always, my aim holds true.

I hit him in the hand, and he drops the gun instantly.

He lets out a howl of pain.

I whistle, though it’s probably not necessary. Not with Dennis clutching his bloody hand and screeching, “My hand! My hand! What the fuck did you do?”

I dart forward and pick up his gun, and then I do one of the things I’ve been wanting to since I got here. I punch him square in the face.

Dennis drops just as everyone else comes swarming in.

Knox takes stock immediately and races toward Dennis, with Alec right behind him. They restrain Dennis; not that it’s difficult now that my cousin is whining and yelling about how I shot his hand off.

Ronan and Gage come barreling through the front door and Gage lifts Winter up, chair and all, and bolts back outside.

Ronan pauses, looks at me, and says dryly, “If you’d been planning on doing it all yourself from the beginning, why’d you invite us along?” Then he lifts his chin and smiles. “I’ll go look at Winter. Always glad to have your six.”

Shit.

My adrenaline is racing. Now that Winter’s out of danger, my calm is swept away in a rush of desperation.

I need to touch her. Hold her. Find out where she’s hurt and what Dennis did to her.

I need to be with Winter.

I turn to Alec and ask, “Are you good?”

“With this whiny baby?” Alec snorts dismissively. “We’re fine. Go see Winter.”

Knox reaches out and I hand him Dennis’s discarded gun. Mine, I tuck back in my waistband, adjusting my shirt so it’s hidden. I don’t want Winter to have to look at it, but I’m also not willing to go without until Dennis is in custody.

Not that I don’t trust Alec and Knox, but still. I’m not taking any chances.

Then I run out the door, my heart hammering in anticipation. Please let Winter be okay. Let there not be some injury I didn’t see.

By the time I get outside, she’s sitting on a grassy spot of lawn, with Ronan kneeling beside her. He’s cleaning the blood from her face, saying, “I’m sorry. I know it stings. It’ll be over in a second.”

But as soon as she sees me, she leaps up and races in my direction. She slams into my chest and my arms come around her, and I almost fall to my knees in relief.

She’s okay. She’s okay. I have her back.

But I have to be sure.

Winter’s face is buried in my shirt, but I carefully lean her back to inspect her. The bruise on her cheek makes me angry all over again, but I tamp it down and ask gently, “Where are you hurt, hun? Maybe you should let Ronan keep checking you.”

Her eyes are pink, but there’s no sign of tears. “I’m okay. I have some bruises from when I fell after being tased. That’s how I hurt my cheek; I hit the edge of the farm stand. And my wrists are kind of raw from the rope. But that’s all.”

Tased? Hurt from crashing into a farm stand? Wrists rubbed raw from being restrained?

None of those are okay.

But I have Winter back. And I’m never letting her go again.

Emotion swells up so quickly, my eyes burn with it. And I blurt out, “I love you. I’ve been meaning to say it, but I wanted the moment to be perfect. That was stupid. I shouldn’t have waited. I love you. I love you so much.”

Winter stares at me, and a second later, tears spring to her eyes. “I love you, too. I kept thinking I wished I hadn’t waited. But I knew. I knew you loved me. Even if you didn’t say it. And I love you so much, too.”

Oh.

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