Page 114 of Wilde In His Arms

“Because you’re amazing, sprite.”Nick buried his face in her soft hair and hugged her hard.

Stacy’s smile bloomed soft and sweet on her face.“Thank you for saving me.And keeping me.”

Aria squeezed them both tighter.“You’re ours, sweet girl.Forever.We will never let you go.We will never walk away.We will always be yours.”

“I know.”

Nick didn’t know what to do with all the emotions inside him.

She trusted them.

They would never betray that trust.They’d give her a good life.They’d be her everything, the way she was theirs.

Which meant he had a promise to keep.

Nick got a call last night from his boss, asking one more time, “Don’t you want to lead one of the raids?”

Nick didn’t have to think for even a moment.“No, sir.I need to be with my wife and daughter when it all goes public.They need me.”

The morning news broke the story across the country with FBI arrests happening in multiple states.Tech moguls, millionaires, corporate executives, government officials, influencers, and even a couple of celebrities were taken into custody, linked either to one of the four children who hadn’t forgotten a name or to Javier Lopez’s operation.The coordinated arrests were a warning to other traffickers and those who preyed on children.The FBI was coming for them.The case was the largest of its kind in holding pedophiles accountable for destroying the lives of children.

And the arrests would keep coming as they went through the digital files and linked the people they’d arrested to others who liked to share child pornography.

Nick felt especially good about himself and his job today.He felt immense pride in the four children standing in front of him in the middle of a field on Wilde Wind Ranch where Nicole, Emma, and Toby’s families were staying for a few days, so all the kids could spend some time together.

So he could tell them that the men who’d hurt them were all under arrest.And give them a special surprise.

He spotted their special guest in the distance and signaled all the parents it was time as he asked the kids to join him in the field.“I hope you’re all having a good time on the ranch.”They’d arrived yesterday and spent this morning on a trail ride with Jax and Aria.

They were expecting a dinner by the campfire and s’mores later.

But first… “I made you guys a promise, that the FBI would hunt down every single person on your lists.They hurt you.And you wanted to hurt them back.And that’s the reason I wanted you all together today.This morning the FBI started arresting all the people connected to Javier Lopez’s operation.Every.Single.One.Of.Them.”

The kids all started looking at each other, then turned back to him, smiling.

“All of them?”Nicole asked.

“Yes.Because you had the brilliant idea to make sure you each remember the names.”He met her gaze, letting her know how much he meant those words.“It took some time to gather the evidence and identify the men you only had first names on, but we did it, because we wanted you four to know that you hadn’t survived that hell for nothing.We didn’t want a single person to get away with what they did to you.And from those arrests, there will be others.”

“How many today?”Emma asked.

“A staggering three hundred and fifty-seven across the country.”

“Will they stay in jail forever?”Toby asked.He’d had the hardest time transitioning at home.He’d been taken so young.Used and abused, until he simply didn’t know anything but that horrible world.

Nick gave him the truth.“Not forever, Toby.Not for all of them.But now people know who they are.People know they’re monsters.They will never escape that.”

“So what now?”Stacy asked.

“It’s over.Javier’s operation has been toppled.He’s in prison for the rest of his life.And because of you four, sixty-two minors have been rescued, most returned to their families.”Nick looked at each one of them.“You did that.You saved them.You stopped a very bad man from taking and hurting anyone else.

“So when things seem hard, when you feel really down, I want you to think about the sixty-two young people, who are just like you, that you saved.I want you to remember that you helped each other, and then you helped people you didn’t even know.That’s who you are.That’s the amazing thing you did.That’s part of the story of the life you survived.When all you can think about is the bad, I want you to remember the good you did, the courage you showed, because you guys are the real heroes, not the agents who carried out the arrests.You made it happen.”

The wind kicked up along with the roar of the helicopter coming in for a landing behind him.

“Is that Hawk?”Toby grinned from ear to ear.

“Yes, it is.Remember how I promised you all a helicopter ride?Well, here we go.”Nick took Toby and Stacy by the hand.

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