Page 11 of Dagger

I’d be damned if I allowed my bastard of a husband to take anything else from me.

My eyes met Kennedy’s, and I nodded. “Thank you.”

She grinned. “Thankyou. I’m going to enjoy every second of making that pig sweat.”

Cara began to cackle just as the door opened, and a huge guy I recognized as the man my daughter married stalked inside the room, making a beeline for me.

“The mayor’s here with a fuckin’ posse,” he rumbled. “Want you all down the Cell.” His eyes met mine. “Good to meet ya, Elise. Wish we had time to do this properly, but Henderson’s called the goddamned sheriff. At this precise minute, he’s at the gates, accusin’ Prez of kidnappin’ you and Stafford.” He jerked his thumb toward the door. “He’s got what looks like privatesecurity with him. Prez is threatenin’ to shoot him in the fuckin’ gonads, and Henderson’s threatenin’ to get his goons to storm the place to get you back.” He gently pulled Sophie to her feet and handed the diaper bag to Cara. “They can’t get into the Cell. Iris has already taken the kids down there. Move your asses and make it quick.” He stroked his hand over Belle’s head before grabbing a robe hanging from the back of a chair and handing it to me.

The room went still for a few seconds, then suddenly, everybody moved at once.

I threw the sheets back, ignoring the sudden churning of my stomach.

“She’s not goin’ back with him, big man,” Sophie declared, watching as Kennedy took my hand, helped me out of bed, and slipped the robe over my shoulders.

My breath caught in my throat at the steel in my daughter’s tone.

“Don’t sweat it,” he said softly, hooking an arm around my waist to help me walk out into the hallway. “Elise is ours now. Not givin’ her back.”

My eyes flew to his, and he gave me a confident wink.

Something happened to my insides. The block of ice freezing my organs began to melt. In one sentence, this big, burly, tough guy made me feel like I belonged for the first time in my life. And although it moved me, I didn’t quite know what to do with it.

Atlas ushered the women through the door, all the while keeping a firm and steady hold on me. We walked up a hallway, eventually hitting the bar. Nerves prickled through my stomach as I noticed a flurry of men rushing in and out of a corridor on the other side of the room, carrying an array of guns and rifles.

I glanced through the window we passed, and my heart began to hammer in my chest.

A long row of Speed Demons held the line inside the gates. They were facing off with a few men in law enforcement uniforms along with a dozen men dressed in black tac gear who were part of the private security firm Robert had started to use recently.

My steps faltered.

“Come on, Elise,” Atlas said gently. “Get to safety.”

My mind whirred.

I knew Robert would only leave on his own terms. He was confident enough to think he could control any situation because he usually had all his bases covered, except he’d just lost all his leverage with me.

Decision made, I rested a hand on Atlas’s arm. “I can help.”

His black-eyed stare hit mine. “How?”

My eyes darted between his, and I looked deep. “He’s got nothing on me anymore, but I’ve got a lot on him. I know what makes him tick, and I know what will make him retreat. I’m not saying he’ll give up, but I can buy you some time.”

He studied my face. “Prez won’t like it. Hell,Idon’t fuckin’ like it. My girls and I just got you back. Not gonna risk a hair on your head.”

I squeezed his fingers. “I know what I’m doing. Thirty years is a long time to learn what makes a man tick, even if he is a psychopath. I can stop this without anyone getting hurt, but you have to trust me. He’ll retreat the second he’s knocked off-kilter. I’m probably the only person in this world who can do that.”

A warm hand fell on my arm, and I turned to see Sophie beside me. “What do you need?” my beautiful daughter asked.

The trust shining in her eyes hit me deep, and at that moment, I felt the invisible thread of connection between us. She was mine. Everything I ever did was to protect this remarkable woman, and I wasn’t about to stop now, or ever.

My head swiveled back to Atlas. “I need you to get Colt.”

Atlas’s mouth twisted into a wry grin, and he began to bark orders.

Sophie turned my body until I faced her. “Atlas will stay with you. He’ll have your back and make sure you’re safe,” her gaze slid toward her husband, “right, big man?”

“Won’t leave her side, baby,” he promised.

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