With the kid curled up next to him like a puppy, Hawk glanced at Audrey. “Anyone get hurt at your roadhouse party, blondie?”
“Raymond. But I talked to him. He has bruises and a headache—probably like yours—but nothing major.” Audrey shook her head. “The rest of the women, well, we’ve got bruises from banging around in the van. Everyone who was shooting got cuts and splinters, but nothing worse.”
Mako had carefully designed the sniper roosts. The narrow rifle openings and steep angle from the ground decreased the chance of catching a bullet. “Splinters?”
“When they couldn’t tell exactly where the shooters were, the PZs turned loose with machine guns.” Caz checked Hawk’s midsection and scowled. “I’ll need you to lie down for that one. Let me get your arms first.”
Moving one blood-drenched sleeve out of the way, the doc started cleaning the slices on Hawk’s wrist
“Machine guns are scary. Enough bullets got through that we got showered with wood splinters and pieces of shingles,” Audrey said lightly. She had wood chips in her long hair and scratches on her face and arms.
Gabe said she’d kept shooting in the roost by herself after he’d left to provide backup for Bull and Kit.
Hell of a woman.
“That’s when Knox’s rifle barrel got hit. Chevy said Knox bitched about his bruised fingers, grabbed another rifle, and went back to shooting.”
Hawk could only smile. They grew them tough in Alaska.
Still, everyone—except the PZs—had been fucking lucky.
“Aric, how are you doing, sweetie?” Scooting closer, Audrey leaned forward to kiss Aric’s cheek.
He didn’t release his hold on Hawk’s shirt but gave her one of his crooked smiles.
Finished cleaning Hawk’s arms, Caz glanced up. “I’ll glue and tape, but only if you try not to mess up my work.”
“Sure.”
Holding out a butterfly strip for Caz, Audrey frowned at Hawk’s wrists. “Did Nabera do all that? Or was it that Milo guy?”
Oh, hell.
Aric stiffened, and his big eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not.” Hawk gave the kid a comforting squeeze. “Gonna catch a few cuts if you use a knife in the dark.”
Catching on, Caz confirmed with a nod. “Sí.”
Audrey’s expression held dismay. She hadn’t realized what she was asking.
“You got me free; that’s what counts.” Hawk kissed the top of Aric’s head. “Might get new scars to remind me of the bravest kid I know. I’d like that.”
Aric stared up as if trying to see if Hawk was being honest. Then he relaxed and went limp against Hawk’s side.
It was way fucking past the kid’s bedtime.
But—Hawk tightened his arm about the boy—they were both happier being together.
Hours later, in Mako’s place, Kit was snuggled up against Hawk’s side. Aric lay, sound asleep, across their laps. She was exhausted, one shoulder throbbing from the impact of the bullet, the other one from shooting a rifle. Her fingers ached. Scratches burned.
Yet the oddest contentment filled her.
Her loved ones were alive and safe.
Tilting her head, she rubbed her cheek against Hawk’s arm. “I didn’t think those law enforcement people would ever leave.”
Outside, dark clouds had covered any hint of dawn, and rain pounded from the sky, washing away the remnants of the battle. It might have helped send the Feds and troopers on their way.
“I know, right?” Audrey agreed.
Sitting beside her, Gabe gave her curls a tug as he smiled. “We actually got off lightly, Goldilocks.”
“Lightly?” Frankie sniffed. “Sooo many questions. They even managed to wear Lillian out.”
First, JJ’s “troop” and the six friends who’d been inside the Hermitage houses had finally had been allowed to leave. None had appeared too upset. Some, if anything, the opposite.
Knox and Erica, Chevy and Tina, Dante and Lillian—they’d competed for the most outrageous whopper of a story. Their interviewer—an FBI agent—had looked at them as if they were crazy. The state troopers had just laughed.
“Having three state representatives almost kidnapped shortened our questioning,” Bull said. Beside him on the sectional, Frankie was curled up with her head on his thigh, and Gryff lay across his feet. “Since the PZs attacked the Hermitage to capture them, there wasn’t any doubt about who the good guys are.”
“Especially when the Chief of Police and his officer live here,” Frankie murmured in agreement.
Gabe grinned at Caz, who had JJ and Regan tucked against him. “Thanks for getting the unused weapons into the armory before the Feds saw them.”
Kit rolled her eyes. The armory was not only in the tunnel, but the door was locked and camouflaged. Talk about paranoid. Yet their sarge’s survivalist preparations had saved them all.
Smirking, Caz tugged on JJ’s hair. “It is best to avoid giving the law enforcement types anything extra to worry about. Sí, officer?”
“Ooooh, you’ll pay for that one.” JJ twisted far enough to pinch his ribs, then pinched Regan too.
“Hey! I didn’t do anything,” Regan’s protest was handicapped by giggles.
“Actually… You did.” Smile fading, JJ moved to sit beside the girl. “You snuck away from where you were safe and left the Hermitage. With Aric.”
Regan stiffened, then her gaze dropped, and she nodded.
JJ lifted the girl’s chin. “I am so very proud of your courage. And I was terrified at how badly my girl could have been hurt.”
As Regan’s eyes filled with tears, she burrowed into JJ’s side…and Caz gathered them both in.
Kit had to wipe away her own tears before cuddling closer to Hawk. Her heart felt overly tender, aching as much as her shoulders did.
“I’m not sure I’m ready for kids,” Gabe said under his breath as he rested his hand ever so gently on Audrey’s abdomen.
Sympathizing with his worries, Kit whispered, “They’re terrifying,” and heard Hawk’s almost silent, “Yeah.”
After kissing the top of Audrey’s head, Gabe raised his voice. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I need a shower.”
“You really do, although, at least you’re not covered in blood. Which you should be.” Sitting up, Audrey scowled. “I saw you in the bushes, shooting as if you had a brick wall for cover instead of a few measly leaves.”
“Ah…” Gabe eyed Audrey, obviously searching for a response, then shrugged. “I got nothin’.”
“My crazy hero.” Audrey shook her head and stood. “Let’s go. I’ll scrub your back.”
“Forget showers, I want a long, long bath.” Frankie sighed before glowering at the rope burns on her wrists.
Knowing the hot water would make the abrasions sting, Kit flinched. It was her fault that Frankie and everyone else had been injured. If she hadn’t met and married Obadiah, then—
No, she couldn’t think like that. She’d made the best decisions she could at the time. And many wonderful things had happened. Like Hawk. And Frankie finding Bull.