Page 60 of The Way We Are

Regina smiles, relaying her thanks for the information before nudging her head to a male officer taking Brax’s statement.

After instructing him to send forensic officers to the entrance of Bronte’s Peak, she returns her eyes to mine. “What else?”

Ignoring Axel’s repeated warnings to keep my mouth shut, I point to the section of rock Brax and I scaled down to reach Savannah. “We were standing there when he started driving toward us. If Savannah hadn’t yanked on the steering wheel when she did, he would have hit us. He was aiming for us.” My last two sentences are crammed with sentiment. She saved us. Savannah savedme.She can’t prove her loyalty any more than that.

“Good. Anything else?” Regina asks, her tone lowering, understanding my mood is teetering between helpful and manic.

“Ryan... think about this,” Axel cautions for the second time. “She’ll never forgive you if your ruin things for her father.”

After shooting Axel a warning glare, Brax pushes off his feet and heads my way. “Yeah. He forced his fingers down his throat over there.” He points to a large rock on our right. “If you test his vomit, I’m sure you’ll discover he was over the limit. I saw him guzzle down at least a dozen beers the last two hours.”

He slaps my shoulder, wordlessly advising he has my back before joining me in shooting daggers at Axel. I can’t believe that even when his girlfriend was fighting for her life, he was thinking about himself. If that doesn't make him a conceited asshole, I don't know what would.

“If they don’t arrest him tonight, I might skip town with you tomorrow.” When I peer at Brax in shock, he adds on, “That may be the only way I’ll avoid a murder conviction.”

I nearly laugh, until I realize he's serious. He is as ropeable as me. Axel put everyone's lives at risk tonight, all because he couldn't handle a bit of competition. It shows what Savannah said months ago is true. He's a childish idiot when he feels intimidated.

After receiving confirmation on a pile of frothy goop at the base of the rock Brax pointed to, Regina returns her focus to Brax and me. “Good,” she praises, her dazzling eyes flicking between us. “This isexactlywhat we need. You’ve both done very well.”

After giving Jim the pleasurable task of arresting Axel, she locks her eyes with mine. “You ready to see your girl?”

Hearing the possessiveness in her tone as readily as me, Brax squeezes my shoulder. Unable to speak through the lump in my throat, I nod my head. I want to say more, but I’m shocked.It’s that easy? Faster than she can snap her fingers, she’ll take me to see Savannah?I was anticipating jumping through another five hundred hoops before that would happen.

“Don’t look so stunned, Ryan,” Regina suggests through a chuckle. “I gave you my word you’d see your girl. I’m a woman who keeps my word.”

“She’s not his girl,” Axel denies to anyone listening. “She’s mine. Always has been. Always will be.”

He repeats his pledge another three times before his whiny voice is drowned out by Jim placing him in the back of a police cruiser. Although worried about his pledge that Savannah will never forgive me, I get great satisfaction knowing I aided in his arrest.

When Regina nudges her head to an unmarked car three spots up from where we are standing, I turn my eyes to Brax. “I’ll be there in a few,” he instructs before curling his arms around my torso to give me a man hug.

He holds on a little longer than usual, his nerves as rattled as mine. After slapping my back three times, he pushes me in the direction Regina just walked.

"Thanks," I say to Chris when he hands me my water-damaged cell phone and wallet on my way by. "We'll bring you your truck and some clothes in a few."

Nodding my thanks, I clamber into the car door he’s holding open for me.

“Chris,” I mumble when the fog in my mind clears enough to remember Savannah’s life wasn’t the only one in my hands tonight. “My mom—”

“I’ve already called Damon. We’ve got you covered,” Chris interrupts with an uneasy smirk.

“I also scheduled your father for a double shift,” Regina advises, pulling her cell away from her ear. “Your mom is safe, Ryan; now it’s time to worry about you for a little bit.”

Stealing my opportunity to express my thanks, she slides into the driver’s seat.

For the first ten miles of our trip, I occupy my time scanning the inside of Regina’s car. Although it's unmarked, the numerous police records filling every nook and cranny lead me to believe this is either an unmarked police vehicle, or Regina has a hard time letting go of her work once she arrives home.

“Police officers never clock out,” Regina advises, reading my silent gasp with shocking accuracy. “Jim’s dedication tonight is an example of how staying ahead of the pack works well.”

A faint smile cracks onto my lips before I nod my head. If Jim hadn’t seconded a fisherman’s boat to rescue us, I’m confident the circumstances of tonight would have ended differently. I’ve never trained in CPR, which is frightening to admit considering Savannah chose me to be her swim instructor. I plan to correct that oversight as soon as possible.

“Don’t give Jim all the praise, Ryan. You deserve some too. He taught you the technique, but you executed it to perfection.”

I glare at Regina, wordlessly requesting she get out of my head. She laughs, proving she can read my mind.

“Have you ever considered it?” she asks as she takes a right on Turner Avenue.

“Considered what?”

---