Page 104 of Love Takes Home

“She’s here.”

“Is she hurt?”

I feel him move around me to look at my face, and he curses again. “She’ll be alright physically. That’s all you need to know for now. Call the gang. We’re going to need everybody.”

He hangs up the phone and makes one more phone call

“Claire, I need you to drop everything and drive up here.” I can’t hear her reply. “Now, please.” His voice sounds a little shaky. Is he crying? “We need you. Can you please come? Ginny…Ginny needs you.” He takes a shaking breath. “I’ll explain it all when you get here, but can you just please come?” Pause. “That’s fine. Call them all. Tell everybody to come. We need everybody. And have Daniel call Aiden. He’ll tell you where we are.”

He hangs up and wraps his arms around me. I watch him text someone out of the corner of my eyes, but I don’t know who it is. I can’t move my gaze from the dead body in front of me.

“I’m so sorry, Ginny. I’m so fucking sorry. I wish you had waited for me. Why didn’t you wait for me?”

“I had to see.”

“No, no, you didn’t. You could’ve waited.”

“I had to see, Joker. You know I had to see. I had to see it before he tried to cover it up. I couldn’t wait.”

“I know, dammit,” he quietly admonishes. But he’s talking more to himself. “Fuck. Just fucking fucker!” he yells.

I don’t move or react. He holds me tighter, trying to make me feel safe.

“It’ll all be okay,” he soothes.

“No. Sammy needs to arrest me.”

“Over my dead fucking body!”

I laugh. It’s a little maniacal. I’m aware. “There’s one of those already in here. We don’t need two.”

“Fuck, Ginny. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” I tell him. “Do you think it would be alright if I close my eyes for a minute?”

“Yeah, Beautiful. You do whatever you need to do, okay? I’ll be here. I’m not leaving you. Not ever.”

“I’ll be here,” is the last thing I hear as everything fades to black around me.

Chapter 30

Joker

I stare at Ginny.She’s not quite awake, but this is more than sleep. I’ve seen this in the desert before. Her mind is in preservation mode. And if the swelling in her cheek and lip are any indication, her brain could have been knocked around a bit. I hold her, not moving, and not touching anything, waiting for everyone to get here. I don't care if it take an hour, I'll sit with her, holding her close, keeping her safe.

I don’t have any answers, and she didn’t tell me anything, but I know he was going to attack her again. He wasn’t going to let her out of here. And if it comes down to it, I’m taking the fall for this one. For now, she’s safe, softly breathing in my arms, her body warm against my chest.

Davis is the first to arrive, stopping at the door, like he’s afraid to come in. “What the fuck?”

I just look at him, trying to think of the best words to use. “She’s going to be fine,” I assure him.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Self-preservation,” I tell him. “But her vitals are good, and we’re going to let her be comfortable for a little while.”

Mr. Mills steps up beside Davis, having heard the last few words. I nod at him as he takes in the scene.

“Who hit her?” he asks, not wasting any time.

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