Page 66 of Montana Freedom

“And you knowevery bitof what I’ve been through. How dare you tell me to my face you think I’m weak for trying to protect myself and then put me in danger because you’re desperate. You might want to rethink ‘Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity.’”

Shock registered on his face, and Agent Jones caught him by the shoulder and forcibly turned him down the hallway before he could say anything else. “We’ll be in touch, Miss Derine. Thank you for your cooperation.”

As soon as they turned the corner, the borrowed strength left my body. I sagged against the wall, shaking and trying to catch my breath.

That was when I saw just how many people were behind me. All the Resting Warrior gang, minus Evelyn and Lucas, of course, and the police officer standing guard. And all of them were staring at me with varying degrees of shock and awe.

“Sorry,” I said quietly. “I’m not normally that forceful.”

Lena burst out laughing. “Girl, do not apologize for a single second of your performance. That was a piece of art.”

“They used your name?” Jude asked. “Without permission?”

“With a judge’s permission. Not that it makes it better. But this has to stop sometime. Next time, it might not just be me and Daniel—it could be any of you. Maybe Agent Phillips is right and I am a coward, when I’m one of the ones who can stop him. But…” I sighed. “Either way, it’s done.”

“We’ll help,” Noah said, pulling Kate in front of him and holding her close. “For obvious reasons, we want Simon gone too.”

“Thanks.” I touched the handle to Daniel’s door and turned back. “Please don’t tell him. He needs to hear I’m helping them from me.”

Jude inclined his head. “Of course.”

I left the door open and was rewarded by Daniel smiling, even though his eyes were closed. “I thought I heard you talking.”

“You heard right. Are you okay? Do I need to call the doctor?”

He winced but shifted himself up in bed. “Only if they’re going to send me home. I’ve been shot enough times to know this is all right, and I’d rather be on the ranch than here at the hospital.”

“See?” I teased. “And you gave me a hard time about not coming to the hospital when I collapsed.”

He reached out with his left hand to grab mine. “I’m not suffering from an infection that has me on the brink of death, Emma. It’s a glorified scratch.”

“Hardly.”

“You’d be surprised,” Noah said, leaning in at the door. “Getting shot somewhere like the shoulder can be kind of like a nasty scratch. It’s painful when you move it wrong, but otherwise doesn’t really get in the way. Especially a shot like that.”

Daniel grinned at me. “See?”

“People here to see you, if you’re up for it,” Noah said.

“Sure. But only if someone can ask Dr. Gold to get my discharge started.”

Outside, I saw Grace turn and leave, presumably to track down Dr. Gold.

Everyone came in and I went to make room, but Daniel didn’t let go of my hand, keeping me close. “Do Lucas and Evie know?”

“We called them,” Jude said, sitting in a chair across the room. “They wanted to come back, and I told them not to.”

“Good,” Daniel said. “They deserve their honeymoon, and I’m not going to mess it up for a scratch.”

“It’s not a scratch,” I grumbled under my breath.

Kate said something that had everyone laughing, and Daniel tugged me down so he could whisper in my ear. “Trust me, you want it to be a scratch. Because if I’m put on bed rest with no sex? We’ll both go mad.”

My face flushed red, but I didn’t say anything. He just looked at me, eyes full of heat, and if anyone else in the room noticed the way he was staring at me, they didn’t say anything.

“Seems like a lot of people are bothering my patient,” Dr. Gold said, walking in.

“You know us, Dr. Gold. We’re always bothering someone,” Noah said.

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