Page 44 of Protective Assignment
Cade glanced over his shoulder to see how close the officers were and watched as Lawson went to intercept them.
Cade breathed a sigh of relief.All he wanted to do now was get her back to their cabin, see for himself that she was okay, get her warmed up, and then sleep for a week.Everything else could wait.After the range of emotions he’dexperienced in the last several hours, he was beyond exhausted, and he could only imagine how River was feeling since she’d been through so much more.
“Cade, before you go, these officers need a statement from you and River,” Lawson said with a frown, clearly not happy that they were being detained.“I asked them to wait until later so you could both rest, but they said it had to be done now.Sorry, man.”He shook his head and stepped to the side as two officers took his place.
“Hello.I’m Officer Baker and this is my partner, Officer Dobbs.We need a few questions answered before you go,” one of them said in a polite but firm voice.
“Later, man.Go as soon as you can.”Lawson clapped Cade on the shoulder, then walked back in the direction of Xavier and the others.Cade motioned for the officers to follow him into the tent.
River looked so small sitting in one of the chairs where Lawrence had left her.Someone had given her a couple of blankets and she was so wrapped up you could hardly see her beneath them.She saw him approach and stood to meet him, a wariness in her gaze as she noticed the officers behind him.
“We’re going home?”River asked in a quiet voice, as she leaned up against him.Her shivering seemed to have abated some, and her skin didn’t feel as cold, but she clutched on to him like she was hanging on for dear life.
“Yeah, soon,” Cade murmured to her, pressing a kiss on the top of her head.“We have to give our statements, then we can go.”
“Am I in trouble?”she whispered into Cade’s chest, her eyes slightly wide.
“You’re going to be fine,” he assured her and pulled her firmly to his side.“I promise.We’ll be out of here soon.”
One of the officers stepped closer and River startled.“Sorry, ma’am.We need to ask a few questions, like Mr.Thatcher said, then you’ll be free to go.”Officer Dobbs offered her a friendly smile and pulled out a notepad.“Shall we sit?”He directed them back to the chairs.
Cade listened as River told the officers everything that had happened.He was so proud of her.Her voice held strength and confidence as she recalled every detail with Ryker, even going back to her father’s death and her running and ending up at the lodge.
The few questions had turned into an interview that took an hour and a half, and River was fading.Her words were sounding like mere whispers when Cade finally put a stop to it all.“Guys, I need to get her home.If you have more questions, you can reach us at the lodge in a couple of days.She won’t be available until then.”Giving the officers no time to respond, Cade whisked her up in his arms and carried her out to the truck.
Carter appeared as he was tucking River into the seat and offered to drive them back to the cabin.Given how tired he was, he wasn’t going to turn down the offer.Any chance he had to just be with River without having to worry about anything else, he would take.
He climbed in and River cuddled into him.He draped an arm around her, pulling her in closer to share some of his body heat with her.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he murmured to her.
She looked up at him, biting her lip.“Do you really think everything’s okay?”
“You did what you had to do, River.No one will fault you for that.And if it hadn’t been you, it would have been someone else.You just saved the authorities the trouble of having to take him in.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” Cade promised her, and she rested her head on his chest, seemingly satisfied by his answer.He ran his fingers through her hair, and watched as she drifted off to sleep against him.
Soon enough, he found himself following her.He felt his body relax for the first time since he found out she was taken.He wasn’t sure what was going to happen next with the investigation or the Shepards still on the loose, but at least she was back with him and safe.
She was the only thing that mattered to him, and he was amazed by her at every turn—her bravery, her strength, her willingness to fight for herself.Even faced with one of the most formidable criminals in the country, she hadn’t let him get the best of her.No, she had stood up for herself and fought back.
And now she was calling the lodge home.It was home for Cade, had been for a while, and he was so glad she was starting to see it the same way he did.He hoped it would be a while before she decided to start on her way again.
Slowly, sleep crept up on him, and he let himself drift off with the woman he loved in his arms.
Chapter Twenty-Six
River woke with a start, sat up in bed and looked around in a panic.
It took her a moment to realize where she was.For a split second, she was sure she was dreaming.But then, she felt Cade’s hand slide over her waist and pull her in close to his side, and she let out a sigh of relief.No, this was real, she was really here—she was safely back at the lodge with Cade.She had nothing to worry about anymore.
She sank back against the pillow and glanced at the clock on the bedside table.It was nearly two in the morning.She could hardly remember getting back to the cabin at all.She must have fallen asleep in the truck.There was a distant memory of feeling his arms scoop her up as he carried her out into the cold again, but that was it.She’d been so exhausted she could probably have slept for a full day and still been a little out of it.The only thing she remembered about getting home was Hannah being so relieved to see her—crying and hugging her over and over.
River should be sleeping now, but she couldn’t.She found herself looking at Cade, staring at him as he slept.She couldn’t believe she was really back with him.When Ryker had managed to grab her, she had been so certainthere was no way she could get away from him.She had already escaped once, and it seemed impossible she’d be able to do it a second time.She was afraid Cade would be lost to her for good.
And then, she remembered.Ryker was dead.She expected to feel guilty when she thought about what happened, but she didn’t.Instead, when she pictured his body lying in the snow, she felt…free.Not like before, when she had first escaped, and she had been certain they were on her trail.She knew he would never come after her again.She was free, and so was the rest of her family.
