Page 49 of Taking Root

“And endanger other civilians in the process?” Eve glanced toward Adrian, and Danny’s throat tightened. She had nothing to say. Already, she teetered on a dangerous ledge.

“You have your criminal,” Danny shot back as Adrian staggered out onto the sidewalk. Her heart lurched in her chest at the sight of him, at his quiet due to the steady drip of blood evacuating his body. “And I’m around as witness. You got what you wanted, so leave me the hell alone.”

Eve rested a hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention. “We were worried.” Her handler’s hushed tone sent a newfound wave of guilt washing over her. “We’ll make sure he gets attention immediately.”

“Thank you,” Danny murmured. If she hadn’t trusted Eve, or if Eve hadn’t trusted her, this never would’ve worked. Protocol would’ve dictated to follow the last sighting of her father, not take the detour to Eastside due to a text. But she’d worked with Eve for so many years they’d established something real. Her handler knew she would go rogue for one reason alone, and when the text came through, Eve had somehow convinced everyone to follow the lead.

Danny’s eyes heated, and her vision blurred as she kept her arm wrapped around Adrian to steady him. The tinny scent of blood made her want to vomit, but she’d hold steady. Nearby, the Feds shoved her father into the backseat of the police car, hauling him in at long last. Her chest squeezed tight. She should be rejoicing right now, pumping her fist into the air and screaming until her lungs went hoarse, but this victory would be hollow if Adrian didn’t pull through.

Within minutes, the screech of the sirens drew her attention to the road.

The EMTs rushed out of the ambulance, spotting them at once. As they raced over to Adrian, she surged with them.

“I’m coming,” she stated, not brooking any argument. The EMT nodded as they propped the doors open, helping Adrian inside. Already, the other EMT brought out their wound care kits, and they helped him over step by careful step. Danny climbed aboard behind him, staying as close as she could without getting in their way.

The ambulance took off at once, the sirens screaming. The EMT set to work on disinfecting the wound site.

“He didn’t pierce any organs from what I can tell,” Adrian said to the EMT. “It just needs to be disinfected and stitched. The pallor and shakiness is a result of the blood loss.” His tone shifted to a professional one she expected he used at the hospital. Her heart near exploded with warmth at the sight of him directing his own stitch job.

The EMT’s mouth quirked in a smile. “Where do you work?”

“Hampton General.” Adrian offered a soft grin. He settled back in the cot as the EMT set to task.

Danny slid her hand to his on the opposite side, crouching by him. “You’re not allowed to check out on me, okay?” She couldn’t keep the tremor out of her voice.

Adrian reached up, skimming his thumb across her lower lip. Even now, while he got stitched up from a knife wound, he radiated the calm steadiness she’d fallen for, like one of those oak trees that grew more and more majestic with time. “I’m not going anywhere. Trust me.”

“Neither am I,” she murmured, the reality crashing in on her. Her eyes stung, and her breaths came in shaky. For the first time she meant it. The bubble of hope expanded in her chest until it could burst. She basked in the radiant joy filtering through her veins, the same sort that consumed her every time she looked at the man who had captured her heart. She squeezed his hand tight. “I get to stay.”

***

Once Adrian was discharged, they went home for the night and collapsed.

The next morning, they were woken up by the Dukas family. Ten of them, in fact, when they included the cousins the others had called. They put on coffee and tea, and Danny had worried about ordering food for a heartbeat until Adrian’s mother pulled out the parade of trays she’d brought, enough to feed a Hun army. And then Danny had regaled the family with her wild ride of a story until her jaw ached.

Her hand didn’t leave Adrian’s the entire time. His eyes glowed every time she laughed with his family, and their antics had her grinning until her cheeks hurt.

“I love you, Danny Reynolds,” he whispered into her ear, and her heart threatened to burst from sheer joy.

“I love you too, babe,” she murmured, squeezing his hand so tight she might as well take it off. This still felt like a hazy dream in the wake of what happened yesterday, between the horror of facing her father and Adrian getting stabbed.

Adrian’s mother watched them, mischief in her eyes and a smile on her lips. “Well, I for one am glad you’re sticking around,” she said. “My son’s always watching out for everyone else—he needs someone to watch out for him too.”

“His ego’s already the size of the moon, Mom,” Lex drawled, nabbing a piece of spanakopita and sneaking a couple pieces to Obi-Wan. “You make it bigger.”

“I think you’re confusing Adrian with yourself,” Matty jumped in, almost sloshing coffee on the countertop.

“Guys, stop fighting,” Nellie interjected. “Your brother just got stabbed.”

“I have to admit,” Danny whispered in his ear. “I’m a huge fan of scars.”

Adrian’s grin widened until he showed teeth, reserving that seductive glint in his eyes for her alone. “Like you needed another reason to be into me,” he teased.

She aimed a light punch to his arm, causing him to laugh out loud. Lex snorted and offered a thumbs-up a moment later. Caught in the whirlwind of the Dukas family, she could understand why Adrian dove into the center of this. Amidst the chaos was a warmth she’d never experienced, the sort that washed over her like sunlight. Of laughter, loud exclamations, emphatic gestures, and shared meals. Her heart squeezed tight in her chest.

Family.

The doorbell rang, causing her to jump on the spot. It’d be a long, long while before her hypervigilance turned into something more normal. Before she got used to the fact her father was locked away.

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