Page 50 of My Dream

He swept me into his arms without a word and carried me back into the bedroom. Kicking the door shut behind him, he laid me gently on the bed and climbed in beside me, wrapping himself around me as though he could shield me from the world.

“I’m okay,” I murmured again and ran my fingers through his hair. He pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “I know you’re okay, babe, but I’m not. When I saw that asshole’s hands on you, I was ready to rip his fucking head off.”

“I could tell,” I said and tried to lighten the mood with a small laugh.

He didn’t smile. “I’m serious, Fallon.”

I cupped his cheek and forced him to meet my gaze. “I’ve never had anyone in my life who would do what you just did, Compass. It was scary, yes, but also... beautiful.”

He shook his head, his jaw tight. “Ain’t nothing beautiful about ripping someone’s head off.”

“It is when you do it for me,” I whispered and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

He sighed, his arms tightening around me. “I’m sorry, babe.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I assured him. “You protected me. And that means everything.”

Compass held me closer, and his lips brushed against my temple.

As long as I was with Compass, I knew I would always be safe.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Compass

Fallon dialed the number and set the phone on speaker between us. We sat close together on the bed as we waited for the call to connect. It rang five times before a male voice finally answered.

“Hello?” the voice called.

Fallon immediately perked up. “Russ!” she said. She sounded both relieved and excited.

We’d agreed I’d keep quiet unless Fallon needed me. It wasn’t likely anything dangerous could happen over a phone call, but after what had gone down with Clay earlier, I was still on edge. Yarder had taken care of the situation by making sure Don knew Clay was banned from Iron Fiends property for life. Don had tried to argue, but Yarder didn’t back down. Clay’s replacement would arrive in a week, which meant we were free from the ever-present cameras and nosy production crew for now.

“Fallon?” Russ sounded unsure as if the connection was bad. “I can barely hear you.”

“I’m here, Russ. I called right when you told me to.” Fallon leaned in toward the phone, her voice steady despite the faint crackle of static.

“Good, good. I just got the information I was looking for. You need to look out for—”

Gunshots rang out on the other end of the line, sharp and unmistakable.

“Fucking shit!” Russ screamed, followed by more gunfire.

“Russ!” Fallon shouted. Panic seeped into her voice.

I leaned forward and gripped the edge of the bed as muffled noises filled the line—thuds, groans, and what sounded like someone crashing into something heavy.

“Russ!” I barked, no longer caring if he knew I was here.

“O’Hara!” Russ screamed, his voice strained and desperate. “Look out for O’Hara!”

The line went dead.

And maybe Russ had, too.

Fallon’s face was pale as she stared at the phone. Her chest rose and fell with panicked breaths. Her wide, terrified eyes met mine. “We have to tell Yarder.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

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