Page 79 of Ravage

“You and me both.”

She curled up next to me with her head on my chest, and it wasn’t long before she’d drifted off to sleep. I, on the other hand, was wide awake. I couldn’t stop thinking about the break-in. I thought about her call and the fear in her voice when she told me someone was there.

When I saw that her front door was busted, I was hit with a mix of fear, anger, and worry. Those feelings dug in deeper when I got inside and found the place was trashed. Tables were overturned, art supplies were strewn across the floor, and sculptures were busted and smashed like they hadn’t meant anything.

But they did mean something.

They meant something to Em and the kids she worked with.

I was already fuming when I glanced over and spotted Poppy’s picture on the floor, torn in half. Sonofabitch. I would make them pay for that shit. I was about to start upstairs when movement in the back corner caught my eye.

Two men in all black were running for the back door. “Hey!”

They didn’t stop, so I drew my gun and fired. One of them dropped to the ground, clutching his hip, while the second made it to the door and disappeared into the night. I stormed over to the man I’d shot and shot him again in the other leg, making sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Then, I rushed upstairs.

My heart was pounding as I hit the steps two at a time. I didn’t care who the hell was waiting upstairs. All I cared about was finding her. The door was locked. I hoped that was a good sign as I pulled my keys from my pocket. Knox had given me a key to her place years ago, but I’d never had a reason to use it until now.

As soon as I had it open, I stepped inside and called out, “Em!”

Nothing.

My pulse pounded even harder as I started toward her room and said, “Emery! It’s me…”

I pried her door open, then went straight for the closet. She was sitting on the floor with her knees drawn to her chest, and for a second, she just stared at me. Then, in a blink, she was up and in my arms. I held her against my chest, whispering assurances as I scanned the room for any intruders.

We were alone.

She was okay. Everything was okay.

It took my mind a minute to process everything. The whole thing had fucked me up. I’d been scared before. Hell, I’d been shot at, beaten, and damn near killed more times than I could count. I won’t deny that some of it had rattled me, but it was nothing like the fear I’d felt when I thought she might’ve been hurt.

Then she wrapped her arms around me, and the relief that washed over me nearly knocked me off my feet. She knew the second I opened that closet door that it was over, that she didn’t have to be afraid anymore. She was safe with me, and that had done something to me.

Something I could never undo.

That’s when all the doubts, all the wondering if the pull I’d felt for her was just in my head. This was as real as it could get. Emery knew it, too.

And as I stood there, holding her in that bedroom, I knew one thing with absolute certainty. I would tear this whole fucking city apart before I let anyone hurt her.

I was still staring up at the ceiling when I heard my phone ring in the next room. Being careful not to wake Emery, I eased out of bed and pulled on my boxers. I slipped into the living room and grabbed my phone from the coffee table. “Yeah?”

“You awake?”

“I am now,” I grumbled. “What do you need, Coop?”

“You need to come downstairs.” His voice was strained as he announced, “We found something you’re gonna want to see.”

“I’m on my way.”

I ended the call, then threw on my clothes and boots. I doubted she’d wake up, but I left her a note on the coffee table, letting her know I’d be right back before heading downstairs. When I got to the studio, I was pleased to see that Coop and the others had done a good job piecing it all back together.

The pottery and most of the artwork were a loss, but the rest was in pretty decent shape. “You got it looking good.”

“We’re trying.”

“What do you got to show me?”

“It’s out back.” I followed him as he started for the back door. “It was dark when we got here, so we missed it. But Nash and Saint spotted it when they were taking some shit to the dumpster.”