And then they were through the parking lot, inside their truck, and pulling out—fast. “Holy shit, do you think he recognized us?” Phoenix asked.
“Dominic or Davis?” Caine said, slapping his baseball hat against his leg.
“Neither,” Slider said. “I don’t think either one did. Davis was too far away. And no way Dominic would’ve let us walk out of there like that if he recognized either one of you.”
“No, because there’s no way he wouldn’t have heard the word on the street that the Ravens were involved in talking out his club,” Phoenix said, speeding out the long gravel driveway to the road beyond. “Jesus. Jesus. That was some unexpected shit right there.”
Guilt sloshed in Slider’s gut. “I fucking saw that guy at the hospital. The day Ben broke his arm. But I’d never seen him before and didn’t know who he was.”
“No reason you would’ve known,” Caine said. “But you’re right, he wouldn’t have let us go, so let’s all fucking breathe.”
“Yeah, and anyway, Martin texted while we were in there. He managed to round up some backup. They’re raiding the fight after all. Speaking of which . . .” Slider tugged his phone from his pocket and pecked out a text.
We left. Got over 100 people in there, including Davis and the fucking leader of the former Iron Cross gang. And some kids. We got pix. Be careful.
Less than a minute later, Martin replied: Roger that. We’re going in.
Within another three minutes, a line of police vehicles whizzed past them, lights flashing but sirens off.
“Woohoo!” Phoenix yelled. “Go get ’em, boys!”
Slider grinned, some of the tension bleeding out of his shoulders. “I’m too fucking old for this shit.”
That earned him some laughter, and Slider didn’t mind. Because they’d gotten the evidence on Davis, helped set up a raid on the dogfighting ring, and even managed to learn that an old enemy remained—though he was about to be taken down once and for all.
That was about as much as they could’ve hoped for. And now all Slider wanted to do was go home to his woman and his boys and live their lives free from the pull of the past, their eyes set firmly on the future.
Even though the others had done their best to distract her, Cora was strung tight waiting for some word from Slider.
Dare had invited Maverick and Alexa to come over, so Cora and Haven had made a big, hearty dinner of chicken pot pie. They’d sat for a long time around the table, everyone talking and laughing, and the men even shared some funny stories about a much younger Slider that made Cora and the boys laugh. Like the one where a female park ranger caught Slider skinny-dipping at night up at the South Mountain lake, the rest of them having run into the woods in time. Unable to find his clothes in the dark, he’d simply walked bare-assed through the woods to the parking lot while the ranger followed him out, her flashlight guiding the way and throwing a spotlight on his behind.
Cora almost couldn’t imagine such a ridiculously carefree version of Slider, but it all just made her realize how deeply she loved him, and how much he already felt like family. She couldn’t lose that. Not when she hadn’t thought she’d ever find it in the first place.
At some point, Ben slid into her lap to listen to everyone talk, but when he started yawning, she suggested he grab some sleep in Dare’s bed until his dad got back.
“Okay, Cora,” he said, yawning again.
She took him by the hand. “You good, Sam?”
The older boy nodded. They hadn’t told him what was going on, but he was old enough and had been around Dare and Maverick long enough to sense that something wasn’t right. “I don’t want to sleep yet.”
She read the concern on his face loud and clear, so she just nodded and led Ben upstairs. She turned on the lamp on the nightstand and tucked him in, then sat on the edge of the bed. “Okay, Mr. Bean, close those peepers and get a little sleep. Your dad will be back before you know it and then we’ll go home.”
“I love you, Cora,” he said.
The words made her throat go tight and her chest feel too small for her heart. “Oh, Ben, I love you, too.”
He threw his good arm around her neck, and then he turned onto his side. “Wake me up when Dad comes.”
She nodded and smoothed the cover over his shoulder, then closed the door on her way out.
“Did he get settled down okay?” Haven asked, when she returned downstairs.
“Yeah,” Cora said, hugging herself. “And he told me he loved me.”
Haven’s expression went so soft as she pulled Cora into a hug. “Of course he loves you, sweetie.”
“I want Slider to come home,” she whispered, trying so hard to keep her worry in check. She didn’t want Sam to see it, not when his worry was already so clear on his little face.