Page 51 of My Cowboy Salvation
A different sounding click sounds next to my head, and I turn to see the barrel of a gun. That’s pointed at me.
“Put it down, Beaufort,” Logan says, and I see two more men following him into the cabin, all holding guns aimed in Simon’s direction. “You’ll never get a shot off without earning at least three bullets in that fucking ugly head of yours.”
But Simon isn’t looking at them. He’s looking at me. Anger and madness flash in his dark eyes. “I told you. You can never leave me, Dylan. You never will.”
And I know what’s coming even as a second later my ears seem to explode with the sound of a gunshot, and I stare up into Simon’s face. The look of shock there will stay with me for a long time, as well as the blood that gushes from his forehead—or what’s left of it. Then there are two more shots fired as Simon steps back involuntarily from their force before crumpling to the floor.
Then Logan’s hands are untying my restraints, and he pulls me into his arms as one of the other men drape a blanket around my shoulders. “It’s over, Dylan. It’s over,” Logan says. “He’s gone. You’re safe.”
I cling to him, afraid if I don’t, he’ll disappear. This time the tears that fall are of pure relief as I sink against this brave, selfless man, letting the heat of his body lull me into a sense of safety and warmth for however long he’ll offer it.
Chapter 26
Logan
I’m exhausted mentallyand physically. I would do myself a favor if I just rested my eyes and gave into the desperate need for sleep that my body craves. But then I wouldn’t be able to see Dylan’s face, relaxed now in sleep thanks to the sedatives the hospital gave her shortly after she was admitted.
My chest aches when I think about that terrifying moment at the cabin when Beaufort held that gun on her. Remembering that dark gleam in his eyes, the desperation that told me he had no intention of letting Dylan ever leave him. Not alive.
Leaving me no choice but to take the shot before he could. Thank God my shot stayed true and, combined with the shots my comrades got off, there was no chance Simon Beaufort was taking anyone else with him in death.
Not that I wouldn’t have liked a few extra minutes with him to show him exactly what a miserable piece of work he was, giving him a tiny taste of what Dylan endured under his hands. But he’s gone, and he can’t hurt Dylan or anyone else ever again.
Running my hand across my face, I try to rub out my fatigue. I refuse to leave her alone, even if she’s lost in a deep sleep. I wasn’t there for her before. Wasn’t there when he got to her, talked her into leaving the safety of my house, and I almost lost her…
A loud sound jerks me upright, and I look around in confusion.
Damn. I must have fallen asleep. There’s light peeking through the room’s blinds, telling me I dozed longer than just a few minutes. It’s already after seven in the morning.
The noise returns, and I realize it’s my phone buzzing against the surface of the windowsill where I left it. Grabbing it, I see a familiar number. I glance at Dylan, who’s still sleeping soundly, her shoulders slowly rising with her breath. Not wanting to risk disturbing her, I step into the hall, just outside her door. “Hey, Parker.”
Last night, once the dust settled, and I had a moment, I called my son to check in and let him know Dylan was safe and being taken to the hospital. He was safe too, thanks to the quick response of law enforcement that quickly cornered Beaufort’s hired gun in the parking lot without incident. Because of the chaos still going on around us, however, I wasn’t able to talk for long. He must be calling for an update.
“Dad. Hey, I’m here at the hospital and want to come see you two, but they won’t let me come back without authorization.”
“Let me come down,” I say, glancing in at Dylan who’s still sound asleep.
Once I clear him at the front desk, Parker accompanies me back to Dylan’s room. We stop in the hallway where he can see her still resting.
“So she’s good? She’s okay?”
I study the still figure on the bed. “I think so. She’s strong.”
“It’s a circus out there. Reporters buzzing around, wanting a story.”
I nod. “No surprise. They’ve already tried to slip in to see her. Once she’s awake, I’m going to try my best to encourage her to come home to Castle Falls. With me.”
“I see.”
“Look, Parker.” I pause, sighing deeply. “I’m sorry I hurt you, and I’m sorry that you found out about us like you did. I can tell you that from the moment I started feeling things for Dylan, I tried to deny them. Told myself I was a fool, she was your friend, and that’s all there was to it. But try as I might, I just couldn’t stop the feelings from growing and, well, you know the rest. I never wanted to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you. But I also realize I can’t deny my feelings for her anymore. I love her, son. Love her with every fiber of my being, love her so much I would have taken a million bullets for her. I know this makes things difficult for you, and I don’t blame you for hating me. But I’m hoping maybe in time you can forgive me, maybe even be open to having a relationship with me again.”
“Dad,” Parker says and pauses, and as the seconds stretch on I prepare myself for more angry words, telling myself it’s not that bad since he’s still here, standing in front of me when he could be walking away. His lips finally twist into some semblance of a smile as he continues. “I love you, and I love Dylan. I won’t lie. When I learned about you two, I was fucking livid. Also hurt and disappointed. Betrayed. And I hated you for all of that, hated you both. At least for a few days. But even before I got that call from you telling me Dylan was missing, my anger was already losing steam. Because as much as I hated you both, I also still loved you. And the thought of how I might lose you was a wakeup call. It won’t be easy to adjust to the thought of you two together, but I’m going to work on it.”
Physical interaction with my son has been pretty minimal. An occasional handshake, a pat on the back, or a hand on the shoulder. But I’m so relieved and overcome with gratitude to know I haven’t fucked up everything with him, I step forward and wrap my arms around him. He stiffens at first, but after a moment, his arms go around me. A few seconds pass, then we both step back and peer into the room again, finding Dylan still in the same spot, sleeping.
“If you don’t mind, I want to stick around for a bit. Make sure she’s okay.”
“Of course,” I say, motioning into the room. “Take a seat.”
