Chapter Twenty-Five
April 2017
Amanda’s smile felt frozen in place as she dealt with an evening of strangeness, shock, and fear. As Hayden held her against him, she took Roark’s hand.
“Keep Ash beside you.” Her voice was barely audible.
“Amanda…”
“Do it, Roark.” He nodded. With a megawatt smile, she told her uncle, “I’m sorry we won’t have the chance to see the show. I was so looking forward to this one.”
Morgan blinked against tears. “I hate that this is your life.”
“Stay as close to me as you can. They’re less likely to damage me. I can’t let anything h-happen to you.”
“My sweet darling.” He kissed her temple.
They made their way through the building at a casual pace. Amanda could feel but not see a sort of crowd around them. She didn’t know if they were Hayden’s men or Winters’ but each step felt heavy, intense.
The lobby on the first floor was mostly empty since the performance was about to start.
They moved rapidly for the car parked fifteen feet from the door. She caught a slight reflection across the street.
“No…” She turned, putting herself in front of Hayden, her forehead pressed to his.
Then Ash was on her back, holding himself there with his shins at her waist. She felt the impact of two rapidly fired bullets as they hit him, a pause, then a third shot.
Inside her mind, she was screaming.
Everything happened quickly and then they were in the back of an SUV limo. Roark was on the floor, checking an unconscious Ash’s pulse and pulling away his suit.
Amanda knelt beside them, quietly hysterical. There was blood but she couldn’t tell where it came from. Roark ripped his shirt open and Ash wore a thin Kevlar vest underneath.
“Please, please,” she whispered.
Removing it, Roark rolled the smaller man gently and lifted the clothes. Two huge impact marks in the center of his shoulder blades were red, swollen. He gently returned Ash to his back and smoothed his fingers through his lover’s dark hair.
Then he turned and took Amanda’s shoulders. “He’s okay. The impact knocked him out and he’ll be sore but he’s okay.”
“The b-blood…?”
“The last bullet winged his upper arm because both of you were being turned, carried. I’ll take care of it when we’re inside. Amanda. Ssh, it’s okay.”
Hayden lifted her into his lap, holding her so hard it hurt. She didn’t care. He didn’t speak as one hand pressed her face to his chest.
They drove into the underground parking garage of her building and Hayden carried her into the freight elevator. Roark held Ash snugly against him.
In her apartment, the rooms were cleared by two teams as Roark took the man he loved into their bedroom.
Amanda was dazed, her mind in chaos.
Hayden carried Amanda into her room and carefully removed her gown, heels, and stockings. He dropped a soft t-shirt over her head and pulled capri leggings over her lower body.
He gently took down her hair and ran his fingers through it.
Holding her face in his hands, he brushed his lips over hers and then picked her up. She wrapped her body around him, hugging him as hard as she could.
Elijah, Harper, and Tawny stood in the middle of her living room. There were two dozen men and women she didn’t recognize around the room.