Page 171 of Down Knot Out
“Chloe!” Dominic reaches us in three strides, pulling Quinn and me into his arms. His body trembles around us, his scent sharp with adrenaline and fury.
Simon struggles beneath Sprinkles, trying totake advantage of the distraction. “Help me! This animal is attacking me!”
Blake steps forward, his posture rigid with controlled rage. He places a hand on Sprinkles’ head. “Stand down.”
Sprinkles releases Simon’s shoulder and backs away, though his focus never leaves the man on the ground. Simon scrambles backward, only to find himself surrounded by police officers, their weapons drawn.
“That’s him.” Nathaniel points. “That’s Simon Sullivan. He killed Louie Santaros, stalked our bondmate, set the fire, and kidnapped our Omega and pup.”
The officers move in, forcing Simon face down on the ground. As they cuff his hands behind his back, he continues to babble, words tumbling over each other in desperate streams.
“She betrayed me!” Spittle flies from his lips. “I was only trying to fix things. Gregory promised she’d be mine. Call Gregory Sinclair!”
As the officers haul him to his feet, their flashlight beams reveal his torn, soot-stained clothes, wild hair, and deranged expression. He looks nothing like the composed man who sat across from us in the conference room days ago.
“He had a knife,” I tell them, gesturing to where I last saw it.
An officer waves his flashlight over the ground until the metal glints among the pine needles.
Another officer retrieves it with gloved hands, placing it in an evidence bag. “We’ll need statements from all of you.”
Dominic’s arm tightens around my waist. “She needs medical attention first.”
As if his words break a spell, the pain comes rushing back. My scraped palms, the cut on my neck, the bruises forming on my face. I sway on my feet, and Dominic steadies me.
“Medics are on scene.” The officer’s expression softens. “Let’s get you both checked out.”
Quinn refuses to let go of me as we walk back through the trees. The forest opens up to reveal the chaotic scene by the Homestead.
A helicopter thunders overhead, releasing another load of lake water onto the roof. On the ground, firefighters drag hoses from portable pumps stationed at the shoreline, directing high-pressure streams into the smoldering remains. The worst of the blaze has been beaten back, but smoke still curls from the charred rafters.
Paramedics rush up the trail from the water, med kits slung over their shoulders.
“Over here!” One of the officers waves to draw their attention.
They sprint toward us, ducking beneath smoke still curling through the air. One of them has an oxygen tank already unstrapped.
At the dock, a boat motor rumbles, ready to carry us to the mainland the moment we’re stable enough to move.
“Smoke inhalation and lacerations,” Dominic explains as they guide me to sit on a fallen log.
A female paramedic coaxes Quinn to sit beside me while she checks her over. “Any trouble breathing, sweetheart?”
Quinn shakes her head, hand tight in mine. “Is Aunt Chloe okay?”
“I’m fine,” I assure her, though the oxygen mask the paramedic places over my face muffles my words.
Cool oxygen floods my lungs, easing the burn. Another medic cleans the cut on my neck and patches the cut on my arm, pronouncing them both shallow enough to avoid stitches. The scrapes on my palms sting as they’re disinfected and bandaged.
Through it all, my pack surrounds me. Dominic paces beside the EMTs, unwilling to move out of sight. Nathaniel speaks with the police, his gesturescontrolled but sharp with suppressed emotion. Blake stands a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, glaring as Simon is marched down to the police boat.
And then there’s Holden, kneeling beside Sprinkles a short distance away. The dog receives his own oxygen treatment, a special mask fitted over his muzzle. Holden’s fingers thread through the thick black fur, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs of relief.
When the paramedics finish with me, I push off the oxygen mask. “I need to?—”
“I know.” Dominic helps me to my feet.
Quinn’s hand stays in mine as we cross the grass to where Holden and Sprinkles wait. Blake and Nathaniel join us, the pack converging as if pulled by gravity.
