Page 13 of Driven By Impulse

And after Rose’s funeral, Tori had found Hanna tucked into the corner of the treehouse, hadn’t said a goddamned word, and had held Hanna close until she’d stopped shaking.

These days, the treehouse was no longer the half-rotted planks of wood in the yard, but wherever they were, the safe bubble they created by being together, no matter what else was going on in their lives, and as county emergency professionals, they often both had a lot going on in their lives.

This week, there was a hell of a lot more than normal.

“Ash is back,” Hanna said it so fast it came out in a single breath.

“Oh.” Tori’s single word response held a depth of emotions she was clearly trying to hide. “Why?”

“I called him,” Hanna admitted. “I called The Princes to help me find Grace. And then I woke up on the couch and Ash was in the living room and…”

Her voice broke again, and Tori just shook her head against Hanna’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Han. He came to help. It doesn’t have to be anything more than that.”

Hanna didn’t respond, remembering again and again what it felt like to square off against Ash in the house where it had all started. They butted heads, two bulls in an arena always bearing down on one another, but his presence and the presence of his captain had made a terrible night feel a little shorter, like maybe the sun would rise and she would find Grace and maybe it would all be okay.

Yeah. Right.

“Or…” Tori clearly chose her words carefully. “Or maybe it could be more than that. If you want it to be.”

Hanna buried her head in her hands and let out a pitiful moan. “No. Of course not. He left. He always leaves, Tor. And not for nothing, The Princes are based out of Colorado and…they do good work there.”

“And here,” Tori pointed out. “Remember last year?”

Like she could forget how Ash and Niccolo had burst into her life, chasing down a mafia hitman and saving Niccolo’s brother and the woman he loved in the process. That had been a whirlwind, a surprise, so unexpected that she could survive on the adrenaline of it all. But she had been the one to call Ash this time around, and it turned out her defenses weren’t nearly as strong as she had hoped they would be.

“Of course,” Hanna replied. “But I cannot think of a single idea worse than letting myself fall for Ash Rhodes again, Tori. He broke me when he left last time.”

Tori sat up, and her next words were sharp and vehement. “He did not break you, Hanna. Sure, he bruised your heart a little, but you went on to kick ass at the academy and then got elected in a landslide—twice. You have made a career for yourself helping those who need it, and keeping this county safe. You should be so incredibly proud of the life you created.”

It was Hanna’s turn to lay her head on Tori’s shoulder. “You’re right, of course. He just…throws me.”

“I’d be more concerned if he didn’t,” Tori replied. “Especially since he’s always got that hot, broody captain standing behind him like a sexy shadow.”

Hanna laughed despite herself. “Can shadows be sexy?”

Tori grinned. “When they wear leather jackets and give you dark, sad-boy eyes, I say yes.”

“Sad-boy eyes?” Hanna couldn’t quite keep the smile from her face.

“Oh, for sure,” Tori teased. “Tell me you don’t want to just…cheer him up?”

Hanna tugged one of Tori’s braids. “You always know how to cheer me up, Tor. Thank you.”

“Always,” Tori said. “Now that I know you won’t shoot the messenger, though, I should probably tell you that Ash is waiting outside the hospital.”

Chapter Six

“Ash, what the fuck?”

Hanna was standing in front of his bike before Ash even realized she was outside, which was a remarkable feat, given that he’d been watching the hospital entrance for the better part of an hour.

“You’re going to have to be more specific.”

She bared her teeth. “I mean what the fuck are you doing following me? That was never part of this.”

Ash pushed off the Triumph and came to stand. Even in her regulation boots and standing on the curb, he towered over her. She was strong, he had no doubt of that, but the real power Hanna had to offer was in her fierce determination and refusal to back down. She would go toe-to-toe with him, no matter how the odds were stacked against her.

“Someone in your office leaked important information about a witness you were protecting. You’ve loudly criticized two of the most powerful men in this town, and just yesterday your deputy got stabbed, so please, forgive me for wanting to provide a little backup.”