Home Town Hero (Pink Springs 2)

“You hit me!” she accuses me, like she’s shocked I fought back. She’s absolutely insane. “I’m here to save him from you and your devil ways. You’ve hypnotized him with a spell or something.”

“It was actually just my vagina.” Great, Juno, provoke the nut job.

“You’re disgusting. I didn’t want to have to do this, but I thought I could get you to leave once you realized it’s best for me to be with Cooper.” She shakes her head at me like a disappointed parent. “You’ve given me no choice.”

My stomach drops when she pulls out a gun and points it at me. Holy fuck, this just got real.

“If you kill me, you’ll go to jail.” I speak calmly and slowly. “I can leave right now,” I try to suggest.

“No, I’m the one that’s right. I’m protecting Cooper and everyone else.” She’s waving the gun around as she speaks, and then her eyes lock with mine. “There is no other way,” she says coolly, raising the gun to aim at my chest.

We’re both startled when the front door bursts open, and Paula swings around to point her gun at Cooper. Without thinking, I do the only thing I can, and I body slam her with all my might. I hit her hard with my shoulder and see the gun go flying up into the air as we both fall to the floor. Quickly I sit up trying to see where it went and am relieved when Cooper has it.

When I look into his eyes, the expression on his face is even intimidating to me, and I know her crazy ass is in trouble now.

“Cooper, you came for me,” Paula says, and her whole face brightens. She hobbles to sit up and points her red fingernail at me. “She hit me twice.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Cooper bellows, but Paula can’t control herself.

“See! You never talked like that before you met this little—”

I gasp when Cooper fires a shot at her, and then I realize it’s a taser. Paula hits the ground again, and this time her body jerks around before she finally stills.

“Oh god. I thought you actually shot her,” I say as Cooper helps me to my feet then holds me tight against his chest. “Too bad,” I mumble, and he shakes his head.

“What am I going to do with you?” He brushes a lock of my hair out of my face, and I see he’s relieved to have me in his arms.

“I have a few ideas.” I smirk at him and then several more cops show up. Paula is now crying on the floor, and I almost feel sorry for her. “I think she needs a hospital or something. She’s not all there.”

“You know she tried to murder you, right?” Cooper tightens his hold on me.

“So are you right now. I can’t breathe,” I wheeze, and his arms relax a fraction.

“Get her handled. I’ll be back,” Cooper says to one of the other officers. He takes my hand and leads me down the hallway and into his room. The second the door closes, he’s on me as he lifts me off my feet and presses me against the door. His mouth comes down on mine, and the kiss is untamed and needy. It’s almost painful in the sweetest of ways, and I give him back the same.

“I could have fucking lost you. She’s lucky I didn’t actually shoot her. The only reason I didn't is because I can’t take care of your ass while I’m in prison.”

“Thank goodness. I know I might look a bit edgy, but I don’t think conjugal visits would be my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’d make it my thing for you, but all I'm saying is I’d rather not.”

A small smile pulls at his lips, and I’m happy to have distracted him even a little. “We’re getting married today,” he announces suddenly.

“Wait, what? We can’t, Lux is getting married.”

“I don’t care.”

“I care! I don’t want to overshadow her.”

“She’d be here in two hours flat if you called and said you were getting married. She would show up with a giant smile on her face, and you know it.” My shoulders drop because I know he’s right.

“Cooper—”

“I could have lost you today.” He cuts me off before I can try and protest again. “We never know what is coming in life. I regret the months I tried to stay away from you. I will not regret how long it took me to marry you.”

“How can I say no to that?” I throw my hands up.

“You can’t.” His smile grows wider, and I know I won’t be able to deny him what he wants. Because honestly, it’s what I want too.

“You know it might not have been so terrible that you waited to make me yours. People might have talked since I had just graduated high school. I was eighteen and all, but still.”