Page 151 of Hot for Hostage

“Hey.” I looked up, resting my chin against his chest. “Two rescues in one day. That’s gotta be some kind of record, doesn’t it?”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “Let’s not make it a habit.”

“Deal,” I agreed happily.

“Vince is almost here.” Davian’s hands found my hips and squeezed them. “Peterson won’t be far behind, but I’d rather not wait around for him. You ready to head back to my place?”

I hesitated, looking over at my friends by the Dog-Mobile.

“Would you mind if we went to the shelter instead?” I asked, scratching Bear behind his ears and earning a friendly lick. “I think it’ll be good for everyone, and Bear’s been missing his friends.”

Davian’s eyebrow rose at the last part of what I’d said. “Sure. We can go wherever you want.”

With a smile, I rested my cheek against his chest and buried my fingers in Bear’s fur. I was looking forward to resting at the shelter. Maybe Bear and I could take a little nap after the long day we’d had.

Maybe Davian could join us.

I glanced over at Jake’s slumped body with a shudder, but it was the soil on the ground near him that broke my heart.

“Oh god. Walter!” I moaned, pulling away from Davian and rushing over to my poor plant. If his pot had been cracked before, it was shattered now.

It was too late for him. The pot was unsalvageable, and his soil fanned out across the dirt road like some sort of sick blood splatter.

I sniffled and knelt beside him, caressing one of his wilted brown leaves. Bear sniffed at the soil, nudging it around with his snout.

“We’ll never forget you, friend,” I whispered.

He was gone much too soon, but for a worthy cause.

Bear pawed at the soil, and a flash of green nestled in the middle caught my eye. I sucked in a breath as my heart skipped a beat. “It can’t be.”

Davian’s footsteps approached behind us. “What is it?”

I carefully dug the little green sproutling out of the soil and held it up to him, beaming. “A survivor! Walter left a sproutling behind—a child!”

Davian blinked at the seed. “But that thing looked like it’d been dead for years.”

“His name is Walter,” I reminded him. When he only stared at me blankly, I huffed. “He sacrificed himself for us today, so the least we can do is remember his name.”

I went to put the little sproutling in one of Davian’s jacket pockets, but they were too loose. I couldn’t risk Walter Jr. falling out. When I opened my mouth to ask Davian to put it in his slacks pocket, he raised a brow like he knew exactly what was coming and thought I was insane to even ask.

Out of other options, I carefully tucked the little guy into my bra for safe keeping—earning a snort from Davian before he slung an arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his front. Bear took that as his cue to sit on my foot and lean his full weight against my hip.

I soaked up both their embraces and patted the cup of my bra with a pleased smile. “There. Safe and sound.”

Just like me.

partners

. . .

Davian

We had a funeral for a plant.

… Aplant.

I couldn’t believe it.

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