Page 73 of Outlaws' Dirty Secret

Someone’s gonna have to do some serious cleanup duty, but right now, she’s the only one who matters.

39

WILLOW

As soon asI see Skyhigh, Dragon and Blackout in a row, walking towards me covered in dust, grime and more than a little blood, I tear myself out of Paige and Jessica’s arms and run. They look like action heroes walking out of an explosion with the sun at their back, leather jackets slung over their shoulders, so confidently that I could swear that they're in slow motion.

They're alive. I’m alive!

WE’RE ALIVE!

My legs pump so fast that I'm more in a controlled fall than I am running. Or not so controlled. My toe catches on the ground and I’m about to go flat on my face, when Dragon swoops me up into his arms and squeezes me against him so hard I struggle to breathe. When I pound my fist on his chest, he eases, and then I'm just there, held close, drawing in the scent of sweat, leather and him, glorying myself in the familiarity of it.

I get to enjoy it for all of a few seconds, before he passes me right into Blackout's waiting arms. Blackout pulls me hard into a kiss that makes me dizzy and my knees wobbly, but desperate formore, his heat against me, so safe and so nice. When he finally pulls back, he winces, and I notice his shoulder is bleeding. “You're hurt!”

“Just a scrape, baby girl. I'm fine. Everything's fine.” He grins. “Here, off to the hero of the day.”

And then I'm wrapped up in Skyhigh's firm embrace, holding me close, one hand pressing my head into the crook of his neck protectively.

“You saved all of us,” I murmur, right up against his skin. “Blackout's right, you're our hero.”

“All I care about is that you're safe. That you're here with us. All three of us.” His hold on me is like steel, caging me in like he wants to keep me safe from everything that might ever hurt me ever again. Eventually, his arms are bound to get tired, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the closeness, the feeling of safety, the steady thrum of his powerful heart beating against mine.

Savage comes in through the gates, looking weirdly uncertain. “Skyhigh, I think Hellfire's gonna want?—”

“Don't care. I'll talk to him later. Nothing that can't wait now. Tanner's gone, permanently. We're taking Willow home.”

Savage nods, understanding. “Alright. I'll tell him.”

“You're not going to carry me all the way home, are you?”

“Fucking watch me,” His voice is a little strangled.

I’m not sure what’s up with their insistence on carrying me everywhere, but right now, I’m not going to argue.

I wrap my arms around his neck and hold tight. Something makes me feel like he needs comforting as much as I do rightnow. Something about his tone, about the way he's clinging to me, both protective and needy. Something hit him hard, and just like he was here for me, I'm here for him. Just like Blackout and Dragon.

My front door is still unlocked, but my keys are on the table by the door. Tanner took me before I'd put them in my purse. Blackout makes a point of throwing the bolt behind us once we're all inside. Not that I could possibly feel unsafe in here with all of them with me.

The path goes right up the stairs to my bedroom, and Skyhigh doesn't let me down until he can put me on the bed. I’m not sure any of us are up for more than comfort right now. We just need somewhere all four of us can be close.

“Can we get you anything? I probably remember how to work the coffee machine.” Blackout looks like doesn’t quite know what to do with himself.

I shake my head. “I'm pretty sure caffeine right now would make my heart explode. Just… stay here. All of you.”

And that's when the real sobs hit me. One second I'm fine, and the next my chest cinches tight, my face hurts from the pressure of all the tears that want out, and my hand on Blackout's thigh goes from touching to a death grip.

“Oh my God, I was so scared,” I get out between heaves, ugly sobbing. “I thought I was going to die. I thought you were going to die. So many people could’ve been hurt and it would’ve been all my fault.”

“It was Tanner’s fault, sweetheart. He put you in an impossible situation.” Dragon pulls me on top of him, and then Blackout and Skyhigh are there on either side, kissing my head and myneck, their hands competing at rubbing my back or stroking my hair to comfort me, surrounding me on all sides, until my world is just me and the warm, safe bodies of my men around me.

It takes a long time before my crying slows, going from hard sobs to soft sniffles. I've got my fingers buried in Dragon and Blackout's shirts, clinging to them for support. My back is pressed against Skyhigh, his heat lovingly against me. Slowly I start to really process that I'm alive, and that there's no one trying to kill me anymore.

“I can't believe I almost lost you guys.”

“We're hard to kill,” murmurs Skyhigh with a soft chuckle. “You need to have faith in us.”

“You really think we'd let that fucker win? What the fuck do you take us for?” Dragon smiles and rubs a thumb down my jaw.

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