Page 57 of Shared By 3

“That doesn’t matter,” Hunter says as he barrels in. He turns my chin to look at my wounds. “You told me to wait twice. I could have killed him. I could have finished it before he touched you.”

“Or he would have shot us both,” I murmur. “I had to wait until he wasn’t scanning the room. Had to get him focused on me so we could do something.”

Hunter kisses me softly, then my forehead, my cheek, my bruised jaw–which makes me hiss- and my neck. “You scared me, dorogaya. Let me be me next time.”

“You did everything right, Krolik,” I say. “That’s why we’re both here.”

He shakes his head. “Yuri’s being held for assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. You’re going to have to testify. He may try to bring up information about the mafia.”

“He’d be stupid to do that,” Lief murmurs.

“Did you listen to the recording ... wait, that got taken before-” I panic.

“You still have a job, baby doll,” Chase says. “Hunter took care of that before he spoke to the police.”

I relax a little. “Hunter, you nearly got me fired. We can’t do any more hanky-panky in the office.”

He nods and kisses my forehead again, brushing my hair back from my face. “Never again if it leads to that.”

“You’re not supposed to do it at all,” Chase grumbles.

I squeeze Chase’s hand. “Areyouokay, baby boy?”

“Stop worrying about me,” Chase orders. “All three of us are worried about you and only you right now. After everything ...” he takes a sharp breath. “I’d rather you work online. Get out of the fucking office. Stop going out in public. Let me just put you into a-”

“We’re not doing a safe house again. It was fun the first time around, but I almost went crazy and holy fuck, my head hurts,” I whine, almost touching it.

Hunter catches my hand and shakes his head. “Nope. Don’t touch there.”

After more huffing and doctors checking in only to be glowered at by Lief, I’m released. Lief picks me up, refusing the wheelchair. Hunter takes care of the paperwork and Chase walks with us.

“We don’t want you out of the house again anytime soon, Valerie,” Chase says.

I wave my hand. “I have work tomorrow.”

“No,” Lief says. “Your boss gave you the rest of the week off. They have moved all your appointments. Right now, the counseling office is an active crime scene.”

I grumble about that all the way home. What I don’t expect is for my mother and Tristan to be there. Lief sets me on the couch. He kisses my palm and pulls my hand to his cheek. “No more danger.”

“Sure, as soon as you three stop getting involved in it,” I breathe. “I love you, Viking.”

“I’ll make you food.”

“Thank you,” I say.

Hunter sits beside me, rubbing the back of my neck and keeping my hair to the side with a terribly done braid. Chase kisses me, then deals with calls, sounding more demanding and intense than I’ve ever heard him.

My mother sits on my other side and looks at my head. “Oh, Valerie.”

“It’s nothing,” I say, still not pleased with her reappearance in my life.

Her eyes water. “Just like when you were twelve.”

I blink a few times, and Tristan shakes his head. “Mom, we shouldn’t..”

“Your dad was so mad at me and instead of running away, you got in the way and you ...” Mom shakes her head. “My poor little girl.”

My own eyes water. I can’t believe she remembers that night. That was when I started planning my escape. I started looking at safety shelters for us to go to. I started searching for everything. My mother kisses my head.

---