Page 99 of Protect

“Yes, I will have to very soon,” I tell Hollie.

“You can’t take my Piggy, because he’s mine, but you can take that Piggy to your fire,” she says before leaning in and whispering, “He will help you fly to the safe spot.”

Vi’s hand squeezes my thigh, and a feeling I can only describe as love settles in my chest.

“Thank you, Hols, this is, uh…the best present I’ve ever gotten,” I manage through the lump in my throat. “I’ll bring him over and he can play with your piggy as soon as I get home, how’s that?” I ask her.

“Okay,” she says happily.

I flank my mouth with my hand and lean into the camera. “I bet he will help me fly,” I whisper.

She just smiles and nods and then Violette turns the phone back on her face to say goodnight.

But me? I just sit here and stare down at this stuffed pig in my hands. Because I’ve faced death countless times… I’ve watched people get hurt, I’ve said goodbye to friends, and I’ve been afraid—really afraid—but the funny thing is, all it took was a little stuffed pig to bring me to my goddamn knees.

As Violette hangs up and finishes getting ready for us to go out, I realize that this is what it feels like to have something to come home to. A family.

“How have we let this happen?” Cal asks, leaning his hands on the edge of the pool table as he shakes his head.

I look at Scottie and grin. She winks and raises her beer in salute. We just kicked their asses for the second time at snooker, and since they’re technically on call we’re drinking and they’re not—which makes it even funnier. I wouldn’t normally, but after Hollie and Rowan’s little bonding moment I needed a drink. Hollie is getting attached to him and already worries about him fighting fires, even at her young age, which just serves to fuel my anxiety around the subject.

“Best three of five? Or are you boys ready to admit defeat?” Scottie asks Cal. He chuckles at her.

“As always, Vi, you’re playing dirty,” Rowan says with a furrowed brow. He doesn’t like to lose any more than I do, especially in front of half his crew, but so far, he’s been a good sport about Scottie and I pulling out all the stops. Bendingover in front of our men when they’re ready to take their shot, or when Cal just went to sink an easy shot that could’ve won them the game and Scottie leaned down on the pool table on her elbows, offering him a good view down her v neck T-shirt. Needless to say, he missed.

“I don’t have a clue what you mean. I grew up in this pub, I’m just good at pool. I’m sorry but you guys never stood a chance.” I look at them both with a look of mock pity.

“Why doesn’t it work if we bend over in front of them?” Cal mutters to Rowan.

“I think they’re ready to admit defeat,” I affirm.

Scottie tips her head back and laughs. “Whaddya say, boys? Should I wrack ’em up? We’ll play fair this time. Scouts’ honor.” She holds her first two fingers up.

“Nah, I’m not getting sucked into that trap, I’ve had enough humiliation for one night. Let’s get some food. You two were over an hour late for some reason, so you missed nachos.” Cal chuckles, wrapping his pinky finger around Scottie’s as he calls Rowan and I out.

Scottie follows close beside him and makes her way past us to the tables we’ve pushed together where eight other hotshots from their crew sit. But when she passes by me, she holds a hand up to her mouth and whispers, “Chicken shit.”

I begin to laugh with her just as I feel two strong arms wrap around me from behind. Rowan leans down and kisses my neck. “I know we haven’t officially told everyone how crazy you are about me yet,” he says. “But you were already tempting me in these fucking painted on jeans, add in kicking my ass like a sexy little pool assassin, and I’m about to pull you into the stock closet.” I reach my hand up and push his face off my shoulder in a giggle.

“Oh, baby. All I’m hearing is that you just admitted you lost.”

Rowan tips his head down and kisses me. “Call me that again,” he says into my lips.

“Okay, baby,” I murmur with a grin, spinning out of his arms and taking his hand.

When we reach the table it’s full of animated chatter. Opp, Dixon, and Roycie have some local girls sitting with them, and Xander is in deep discussion with the local sheriff at the table behind ours.

“I don’t think I can clean another piece of equipment or run another drill for one more second,” Opp says. “It’s fucking June, we should be in the field.”

“I feel like I’ve been out of the game for months after missing the last few rolls,” Rowan says, leaning back in his chair.

“Don’t worry, we’ll hold your hand on the next one, King,” Caleb says with a smirk, not even looking up from his phone, Rowan tosses a fry at him. Caleb doesn’t miss a beat. He picks it up from where it landed on the table and stuffs it into his mouth

“Thanks for the free food, bitch.” He chuckles. The table laughs but I gulp back the feeling of dread that I’ve been telling myself for weeks I wouldn’t let out. I pick at the label of my beer as they talk about the crew that came in from Missouri to help on the last fire in Wyoming.

Rowan must sense my worry with my silence because he leans in a little closer and settles his broad palm on my thigh under the table.

“This is where we’re headed,” Dixon says, raising his half-eaten wing to the TV hanging on the wall behind me. I turn to look and notice the local news is playing footage of a fire close to home near Knox Mountain just at the edge of town, it just started in the early hours of this morning.

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