Page 23 of Ripper's Property
“You better move, Raid, or I’ll shoot her,” Cherry warns and the gun digs in deeper.
He shakes his head. “You really think you’re going to get past me and my men? You really think we’re going to let you walk out of here with our girl? Did you get knocked in the head as a kid? You put a bullet in her, I’ll put one straight in your head.”
“If I’m going to die, then I’ll be taking her with me.” Oh my God. The gun makes a clicking sound and I let out a yelp, terrified. My life flashes before my eyes. “What’s it going to be, Raid?”
“Any last words, princess?” Raid asks, giving me a look. I feel like he’s trying to gesture something, but I don’t know what. “Rory, sweetheart, lower your head and say a prayer with me before you leave. It’s going to be all right.”
I finally pick up on what he wants me to do, and I fold my body in half. A gunshot rings out and I’m taken to the ground. Cherry’s limp body lying on top of me. I let out the scream thathad been lodged in my chest, the terror rocking through me on a sob.
“Baby, you’re okay.”
The body gets shoved off me and Rip’s kneeled by my side, pulling me into his arms and holding me tight. I don’t even know where he came from. Maybe I was the one who was shot.
“It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. God, I’m so sorry. I should never have left you.”
I’m safe. I’m safe. But my dad… “They have him,” I shout. “She said that they have my dad.”
“No, princess.” Ripper shakes his head. “They don’t. That was just a ploy to get you to leave with her. Your father’s fine. Spoke to him this morning and he was miles away. Cruising with the guys.”
“I just spoke to him before Rip informed me that Montoya was heading this way,” Raid adds. “King is safe.”
“And Montoya?” I want to know whether I’m safe from that monster.
“Hawk and Dagger have him. The rest of his men are dead.”
It feels like a blur. Everything happened so fast. Nothing’s really registering. Maybe I’m in shock.
“I’m so fucking sorry, baby.” He hugs me tighter. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life. If I lost you…” His voice cracks. “I wouldn’t have been able to go on.”
“You really do love me.” It’s just now hitting me exactly what I mean to him.
He pulls back, cupping my cheeks in his strong palms, and I can see the tears in his eyes. The pain gripped around the edges. “Damn straight I love you. I love you more than anything in this world, princess. You fucking own me.”
My heart pounds inside my chest. There’s not a doubt in my mind of the truth in his words.
“I love you too, Ripper. Thank you for saving me.”
I don’t even know where he came from, but he appeared out of thin air. Raid must’ve known, trying to get me out of the way so Ripper would have a clear shot.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get you inside and cleaned up.”
I look down at myself and it’s the first time I realize I’m covered in her blood. The wicked witch in my fairy tale is dead now. She tried to poison me with her lies, tried to kill the princess of the castle, but my valiant knight saved me.
16
Ripper
Istrip her out of the blood-soaked clothes and the guilt and shame twists tighter and tighter in my gut. Seeing the gun pointed at her nearly did me in. It took ten years off my life. Fuck. I can’t imagine if I’d been even a few minutes later. Raid was with her, but I saw it in his eyes. The fear. It rocked me so hard. Watching her tremble. The tears streaming down her cheeks. Never again. I’ll never leave her ever again.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” I grip her cheeks, feeling my eyes burn as I look at her pretty face. She’s my sweet angel. “Don’t know what I would’ve done if anything had happened to you.”
“You need to stop apologizing, Rip. None of this is your fault. And you saved me.” She reaches up, cupping her small hands around my jaw. Her touch so gentle and soft. “You were there. And you protected me.”
By the skin of my teeth and the grace of God.
“I just should’ve waited.” I should’ve waited until King was back. Leaving her with half of our men wasn’t enough. Not when they were busy dealing with Montoya’s men trying to sneak onto the property by foot. Stupid shits thought that by spreading out, they’d get by us. The only one who got by was Cherry.
“Please stop, Rip. Please don’t blame yourself. You’ve sacrificed so much for me. Gave up sixteen years of your life to be my bodyguard. And today, you took out the man who’s been hunting me down. You saved my life, and I’m so grateful. So, please don’t punish yourself for what those monsters did. You’re my hero.”
