Page 163 of Bossy Hero

When he wraps me in his arms this way, it’s easy to believe there’s nothing to fear.

After a few precious seconds of peace, he swoops his thumb over my cheek, lingering briefly on my scar before releasing me. “See you soon.”

A sexy wink, and he’s gone.

About an hour later, footsteps pad down the hallway outside Alan’s office. I glance toward the door and catch Kri breezing by.

When she sees me, she drops back and sticks her head in the room. “Hey, Madeline. I thought you’d be in the lair.”

I snap my vampire book closed and rise on shaky legs. Not sure why I bothered trying to read. Aside from how Alan’s teasing ruined the magic of the story, my focus is gone, and it likely won’t return until he does.

Plus, the damn book is making me miss him more. Especially when I see the wordsthrobbing manhood.

“Are you heading down there?”

“Yeah. Tomer said something’s happening, so I’m gonna watch.”

Feigning confidence, I stride to the hallway. “I suppose I should head down too. No doubt Alan’s found the chief by now.”

Kri falls in step with me as we mosey toward the lair.

Grateful for the distraction she provides, I ask, “How have you been feeling?”

She tilts her chin up an inch, and her shoulders roll back. “Stronger every day.”

Playfully, I squeeze her rather impressive arm muscles. “I can tell. Get a load of these biceps.”

“Well, it takes a lot of work to keep up with the meatheads around here.”

I lean close like I’m letting her in on a secret. “You know... Alan is very proud of you. He’s always telling me how inspiring it is to witness you fighting for your comeback. You’ve worked so hard and defied all odds. It’s impressive as hell.”

Her cheeks flame red, making her look like she’s unaccustomed to this type of compliment, which makes me want to praise her even more.

So I do. “And if you don’t mind me saying so, it’s not only your physical recovery that’s awe-inspiring. You and Shepherd are doing such a wonderful job with Val. It isn’t easy to foster a child, especially a teen who’s experienced so much tragedy. Plus, all the danger surrounding her makes the job all the more daunting. And you two just stepped up like she was always meant to be yours. It’s beautiful to see how you’ve become a family.”

Kri’s eyes fall to the carpet, and she starts to brush off my glowing assessment. “Well, it’s not?—”

“Ah-ah-ah. I’m gonna stop you right there. You should be proud of what you’re doing. And the future you’re building for the three of you. Don’t discount the strength of character required to accomplish all that, Kri.”

Despite being visibly unsettled by the praise, she pushes through it to offer an honest response. “Well, thank you for saying that. We stepped up for Val because nothing that happened to her was her fault. She’s such a little firecracker, and I damn sure wasn’t about to let her spark flicker out, which is what could have happened if she ended up in the system.”

The more she speaks about Val, the more I grin. It’s just beautiful to see her shine this way.

After a contented sigh, she adds, “At some point when we were guarding Val, Shep and I realized she simplyfitwith us. No other way to phrase it. Together, the three of us work.”

“You sure do.”

We pause at the entrance to the lair.

Wistfulness crisscrosses her face, and she peeks at me from the corner of her eye. “As much as she needed us, I think we needed her more.”

The Kristen Dayton I met a few years ago would never engage in such a heartfelt and vulnerable conversation. Like the rest of hiskids, she didn’t have a warm and loving childhood. Yet here she is—forming an unconventional family armed with determination and love.So much love. Exactly like Alan taught her when he brought her here, along with the rest of the Redleg family.

Proud doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about what he’s accomplished here.

Alan’s voice crackles through the speaker in the lair, making my head whip toward the sound. “Tell them to proceed with caution. No fingerprints, and they better be fucking careful. I want you to pull them at the first sign of trouble.”

My feet propel me into the room before my brain registers the movement.

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