Page 180 of The Stalker

Derek grumbled, “Very comforting.”

Tatiana gasped as the agents began moving toward the building. “Oh god, they’re going in. I’m going to be sick.”

The agents quickly breached the cabin, and their shouts of “FBI!” were easily heard. Fear gripped Tatiana in a terrifying chokehold, and she didn’t think she could breathe. There was shouting and crashes of noise before a gunshot rang out, and Tatiana fought the urge to run into the house herself. She had her hand on the door handle when Derek cocked his gun at her side.

“Don’t do it, Tatiana. I don’t want to shoot.”

She dropped her hand and turned to look at the barrel of his gun, feeling completely numb, and with the sound of the gunshot from inside the cabin ringing in her ears. “You wouldn’t. The paperwork would be a nightmare, and you’d have to clean the car.”

“Okay, maybe not, but you really need to stay in the car. Whatever happened inside, there are about a thousand FBI agents who are there to help your client. Though, I’m beginning to wonder if he’s not more than that.” Derek raised an eyebrow at her.

There were more shouts from inside the cabin, and another loud crash of noise before everything went silent.

Tatiana sighed and said, “You’re right. Fuck, it’s hard to sit here and do nothing.”

“You’re telling me.”

She turned her attention back to the cabin and stared at it. There was movement inside, but nothing discernible. The sound of the gunshot was echoing in her head. Had Hayden been shot? Was he safe? Was he even alive? The idea that she might currently be living in a world where Hayden Vega didn’t exist petrified her. It was too much, and her body shook with fear and tears that wouldn’t fall. She was too terrified to even cry at the notion.

Finally, agents started making their way out of the cabin. Three agents left before two came out marching a handcuffed Daniel, one shoving him to move him forward. Another two agents walked out behind them and, finally, she saw the man she needed to see. She was out of the car in a heartbeat, and this time Derek didn’t try to stop her.

“Hayden!” she yelled as she ran toward him.

He looked up at her, and his mouth dropped open before he ran toward her and they met in the middle of the clearing. He threw his arms around her and he flinched as she wrapped hers around his waist. She wondered if he had been harmed, but sobbed into his chest as relief flooded into her body. He was alive.

“I thought you had died,” she said.

“No, preciosa. Never. I’m here.”

“I heard a gun, though. Was somebody shot?” Tatiana couldn’t resist asking the question.

“Yes,” Hayden said in a strange voice. “She was—”

Hayden seemed unable to continue, and Tatiana sighed quietly. She knew that seeing someone get killed was difficult, even if it wasn’t someone you cared about.

“I’m sorry, Hayden.”

He squeezed her tightly and said, “We’re together now. That’s what matters.”

She drank in the feeling of being in his arms again, and everything else faded away. She had no concept of any of the people around them. The world was reduced to herself and Hayden Vega as they stood together.

“I love you so much,” she whispered into his chest, clutching onto him for dear life.

“I love you, too.” He squeezed her tightly, and all of her senses were filled with him.

He was here, and he was safe. She hadn’t realized how much of her had been certain that today was going to end badly until now. She’d been keeping those thoughts and fears at bay, but she recognized that she had been certain he was going to die.

She didn’t know how long they stood there together in one another’s arms before there was a cough from next to them, and she opened her eyes to see Derek’s boss standing there. “Mr. Vega. Miss Swanson. We need to head back to San Antonio. We’ll need to go straight to our field office where we’ll be getting your statement.”

“Okay,” he agreed, and kissed the top of Tatiana’s head before letting her go.

He put his arm around her, and they walked to the SUV together behind Derek’s boss. Tatiana could barely believe that he was safely here with her. Adrenaline was still running through her body and she felt on edge, as though someone might still attack him at any moment.

They reached the SUV and Hayden got into the backseat first, with Tatiana sliding in next to him, and she smiled at Derek when he got in after her. As soon as she was buckled in, Hayden put his arm around her and put his arm around her. He winced as she settled herself against him for the trip home.

“Are you okay? Do you need me to move?”

He gave her shoulder a squeeze and shook her head. “No, preciosa. I’m a bit sore, but I need you here with me. Are you okay? Daniel said he drugged you.”

---