Just Kidding (SWAT Generation 2.0 1)

Hayes marched Rachelle out before I could get the rest of the story.

Dax shook his dad’s hand, then looked at me standing there looking curious.

“What the hell?” I asked.

He walked up to me and put his strong arms around me, pulling me in close.

I laid my head down against his neck and breathed deeply, inhaling his scent over and over again.

When I closed my eyes, my headache started to pound less fiercely.

“Come sit down,” he ordered.

I felt the rumble of his words underneath my cheek.

I wanted to move but only if he came with me.

Which he did when he picked me up like a child and carried me back to bed.

But he crawled into it with me.

Which was about the time I saw that he was in sweatpants and not the gear he’d left in.

“Tell me what happened,” I ordered.

So he did. Starting with the words I’d said earlier about thinking Shondra was looking behind me.

“Rachelle had crawled in through a broken window,” he continued. “We’d thought that was how Shondra had gotten in, but apparently it was how both of them got in.”

I shook my head as my dad entered the room, looking pissed.

I didn’t say hi to him, eager to hear the rest of the story.

“Shondra somehow convinced Rachelle to help her. Not sure how or why, but they were working together yesterday,” he continued. “And then Rachelle had a stroke of conscience and called me after beating you over the head with a golf club I had in my spare bedroom.”

I winced. “So not a hammer?”

He shook his head, and I sighed, curling up into his arms.

“Rachelle’s husband wasn’t aware that Shondra was being looked for. But upon being made aware, he gladly handed her over. Then told us Rachelle’s whereabouts. We’re not sure what she was up here trying to do, but my guess it wouldn’t have been good.” He paused. “They’ll both be facing attempted murder charges now.”

“And a slew of other charges,” Dad said. “Anything we can pin on them at this point.”

I grinned then turned to my man.

“Did you get that cookie?”

He produced a cookie out of his sweatpants pocket.

“Why are you changed, anyway?” I asked curiously, uncaring that the cookie had been smashed to a million pieces after being in his pocket.

He’d splurged and gotten me a good one from my favorite deli.

Yum.

I took a bite as he answered.

“Shondra was in the shower when we found her,” he answered. “We took her out of there with soap suds still clinging to her skin.”

I snorted. “I hope she got shampoo in her eyes.”

Everyone in the room laughed.

“That’s my girl,” Dad said.Chapter 20My alone time is for your safety.

-T-shirt

Rowen

I got up and shuffled through the house on wary feet.

The last few days had been… rough.

There were no other words for what I’d experienced.

What Dax and I had experienced.

Thank God he was there as fast as he was.

If he hadn’t been…

I shivered as I made my way to the kitchen, my sights set on getting a cup of coffee, stat.

I was honestly going to hell.

I’d given Katy so much shit about drinking coffee when I’d first come home that I honestly should be apologizing.

It was literally the hardest thing ever to give up all caffeine.

I should know.

I’d tried.

No wonder she was so fierce when it came to keeping the few things she was allowed, even if it was only a certain amount a day.

Arriving at the coffeepot, I grinned wide at the cup that was waiting for me.

It read, ‘Hello, Beautiful.’

Smiling wide, I got my coffee started, then turned to the fridge.

The favorite part of my day sometimes was reading the little notes that Dax had left me.

I was sure it was the same for him.

But today? I was almost sick to my stomach.

The last note I’d read on that refrigerator had left a sour taste in my mouth.

I knew it hadn’t been from him, but it’d still been terrifying to read, and then to experience.

“Don’t be a weenie.” Dax’s warm, amused voice came from the kitchen doorway.

I snorted and turned, eyes closed.

“Open them,” he ordered.

I did and found my eyes settling there automatically.

‘Will you marry me?’

I felt my heart literally somersault inside my chest.

“Well?”

I turned to find Dax standing there, smiling.

I licked my lips and felt tears start leaking out of my eyes.

“I was scared to read that,” I admitted.

He walked forward and ran his hand down the length of my head, his fingers sifting through the short tendrils of hair that were covering my head while still avoiding the sore spot.

“I know,” he murmured. His eyes soft. “You’ll be okay.”

“I will,” I told him.

“I know it’s been such a short time,” he said. “I know that we’re young and you’re nervous and we’re just starting our careers and—”

“No,” I interrupted him. “I mean ‘I will,’” I said. “I will marry you.”