I waited for the gunshot but when it came, it didn’t sound right. I opened my eyes, but couldn’t take anything in because a heavy weight fell on top of me and I hit my head on the floor as I went down. I heard a crash and then shouting before several gunshots ricocheted through the air.
“Seth!”
I cried in relief at the sound of Ronan’s voice and when my vision finally cleared, Ronan was moving towards me. The weight was lifted off of me and it took me a moment to realize it was Stan’s dead body. A small, almost perfect circle stood out on the side of his head and there was just the tiniest trickle of blood streaming out of it.
“Seth, talk to me,” Ronan whispered as he worked the gag free of my mouth. The plastic holding my hands together was cut free a second later and I realized it was Cole who’d done it.
“I’m okay,” I managed to say as Ronan’s fingers skimmed my face. The terror was etched in his features and I automatically put my hands up to encircle his neck. His pulse was pounding beneath my fingers. “I’m safe,” I said. “You saved me, Ronan.”
I could see Ronan was on the verge of falling apart, so I drew him down for a kiss and then wrapped my arms around him. He let out a sharp breath and then buried his face against my neck as his arms encircled me. His hold bordered on painful, but I didn’t care. I kept whispering against his ear that I was okay. I noticed Mace enter the small building which I’d finally realized was a rundown cabin. In Mace’s hand was a long, black rifle and I glanced over my shoulder and saw the bullet hole I suspected would be in the window. Mace had shot Stan, but I had no idea if Ronan or Cole had killed the other man who lay motionless on the floor not far from Stan, his chest riddled with bullet wounds.
“How did you find me?” I managed to ask once Ronan finally loosened his hold on me.
“Stan’s second wife’s family owns this cabin,” Ronan said as he leaned back and began checking the injury on the side of my head where the man had struck me with something. “That’s his stepson,” Ronan said as he motioned to the dead man.
“He killed my father,” I whispered.
Ronan stilled and pulled back from me just a little bit. “He’s gone, Seth. And we’re going to find the others. They’ll pay for what they did.”
I managed a nod. “I knew you’d find me,” I finally said when I tore my gaze from the dead man and focused on Ronan.
Ronan smiled and said, “Always” and then pulled me into his arms.
Epilogue
Ronan
Twelve days later
“Wake up, Seth.”
“No,” Seth grumbled as he burrowed deeper into my chest. “Too early,” he mumbled. “It’s Sunday,” he added.
I glanced at Bullet who was sitting patiently on the floor next to Seth’s side of the bed. “Okay boy, you’re up.”
“No!” Seth said a second before the dog jumped on top of him and began licking his face. Seth squirmed to get away from the wet tongue, but Bullet simply laid down on top of him and kept at it until Seth began laughing hysterically.
“Okay, okay, uncle!” Seth cried.
I chuckled. “Bullet,” I said and when the dog looked at me, I patted the spot on the bed on my other side and the dog happily jumped over me and curled up against my back. I ignored the dog drool Seth was trying to wipe away with the bed sheet and leaned down to kiss him. “Morning,” I murmured.
“Morning,” Seth whispered and then he wrapped his arm around my neck and held me there as he thoroughly kissed me. My intent had been to get Seth up so we could go boating like we’d planned, but I quickly lost interest in the prospect as Seth made love to my mouth. The kiss turned heated quickly and I was about to tell Bullet to take a hike when the dog figured it out for himself and jumped off the bed.
Seth rolled me to my back and began kissing his way down my body. He did what he often did which was give each of my individual scars his complete attention. It was something that had made me uncomfortable at first because I still struggled with the memories they brought forth. But like the day we’d gone to see his old house on Mercer Island, I’d realized Seth was giving me new memories to replace the old ones.
After Stan’s attack on Seth, we’d spent a few days in New York to deal with the authorities and to give Seth time to heal from the concussion he’d suffered. Daisy had easily found the two men who’d helped in the home invasion. One had been a serial rapist who’d been convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend shortly after Seth’s parents were killed. The man had taken a plea and only served a few years in prison before he was paroled. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d been the one to rape and murder Seth’s mother. Mav had gladly accepted the job and the man was dead before Seth and I even left New York. The second man was a different story. He’d been the younger brother of the rapist and had stayed out of trouble after serving two years in prison for drug possession. I’d given Seth a choice on that one and he’d said to let the young man be since he’d been the only one of the three men to actually try to stop the assaults once they’d started. But I’d told Daisy to monitor him.