Page 45 of Desperation

“Oh.” Of course, that made sense. Charlie was here, so Mark would be too.

“Devon asked me to stay here and wait for you.” Jameson, who’d been miraculously quiet during our trek through the tunnel, started to whimper, and I suspected it was from hearing Devon’s name.

“It’s okay,” I soothed and rocked him, holding him close to my chest.

“Let’s get you both in the truck and warm you up. I’ll drive up to the cabin just to make sure the boys have everything under control.” She gave me a lopsided grin that didn’t reach her eyes. She’d given up this kind of work when she and Mark started raising a family, and she had just been plunged back into danger.

“I’m so sorry you got dragged into this.”

“What?” she asked incredulously, recoiling slightly.

“You put yourself in danger to help us. I know that’s not who you are anymore.”

She smirked then, letting out an amused chuckle. “Honey, that isexactlywho I am; it just isn’t what Idoanymore,” she explained. “I’m just disappointed I didn’t get in on any of therealaction.” Her admission surprised me, but I felt relieved all the same.

With Jameson settled in his car seat, Charlie turned Devon’s truck around and headed toward our road. When we pulled up to the cabin a few minutes later, I was stunned at the scene playing out on the front lawn. There were lights flashing, police cruisers, an ambulance and an SUV with ATF written across the doors. A man wearing a jacket with a matching insignia stepped up to our vehicle, and Charlie rolled her window down.

“Ma’am, this is an active crime scene,” I nearly cried out when he said that. What crime? What happened to Devon? Was he hurt?

Without thinking, I jumped out of the truck and ran for the cabin.

“Devon!” I screamed. He had to be okay. He’d saved me. He’d saved my baby from his horrible father. He had to be alive.

“Devon!” I yelled for him again, and someone grabbed me from behind. I fought against whoever it was, kicking and thrashing, tears running down my face.

“Hannah.” He emerged onto the porch, alive and in one piece. I listed to the side, my knees giving out as relief consumed me.

“It’s fine. Let her go.” Mark’s voice called from an open ambulance bay. The officer released me, and I ran to him. He jumped off the porch and met me halfway. His arms opened wide, and I slammed into his chest.

“You’re okay,” I cried, burying my face in his shirt and inhaling the familiar, comforting scent.

“Shh, it’s alright. I’m fine. We’re safe now.” He held me as big hiccupping sobs tore out of my throat. I thought I’d lost him.

“Is this the victim?” an officer asked, and I lifted my head.

“Yes,” Devon answered and squeezed me tighter.

“Do you have any injuries that need attention?”

“N-no, I don’t think so. Drake manhandled me and pushed me around, but nothing worse than I’ve had before.”

“We’re going to need your statement about what happened here.”

“Okay.” At that moment, Drake was wheeled out on a stretcher, his shirt cut away and a red stain already blossoming through a thick layer of gauze wrapped around his arm.

“Oh, God,” I cried, covering my mouth. He’d been shot. My gaze darted to Devon, eyes wide with shock. Feeling my stare, he turned to me.

“Don’t look at me. I’m not the one who shot him.” Devon shielded me from him as EMTs wheeled the stretcher past us. “Look away. You don’t need to see this.” He was right. As much as I hated Drake in that moment, I didn’t want him to die. I just wanted him to go to prison for a very long time.

“Oh, he will,” Devon replied, and I realized I’d said that out loud. “The Wilder men have gotten themselves into some hot water with their extracurricular activities.”

I glanced around, the diverse law enforcement presence starting to sink in. “Why is the ATF here?”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Devon

“Hank’s been turning a blind eye to a local MC that runs drugs and guns through the area, the Tidewater Rogues. He takes a cut from their profits in exchange for letting them conduct their business without interference. We also think he’s been alerting them to patrols and checkpoints. Drake’s been helping them with transporting their goods.”

---