A giant hand gripped my mouth.

"It's me. Relax," a deep voice whispered in my ear.

Rogan. Rogan? How could he be here if he was on the video?

Before I could react, the ropes around my hands and legs loosened, and Rogan lifted me under my arms till I was out of the chair. He carried me to the back of the room and placed my feet inside an open hatch in the floor.

My father spoke to the video image of Rogan on the computer. "No. Meet me at the old saw mill on Fuller Road."

"I'll be there," Rogan's video image replied. This was too weird.

"Make sure you come alone," my father said to video Rogan.

I slipped on the first rung into the tunnel and gasped. The noise caused my father to look back. He caught us just before we made it down the hatch.

"Stop right there or I'll shoot her." My father pulled a handgun from inside his jacket and pointed it at me. Zook raised a gun too and aimed it at us.

Rogan angled his body in front of me and aimed his rifle at my father. "Have to get through me first."

"Rogan Saxton?" My father looked back and forth between Rogan in real life and Rogan on the screen. "How are you here and there at the same time?"

"Turns out I am chosen. God gave me magic powers to appear in two places at once. Now drop the gun."

"You lower yours first."

"I'm calling the shots here, Jeb. Drop it."

Zook dropped his shotgun and raised his hands in surrender.

"You'd risk your life for a wicked sinner like her?" My father swiveled the barrel of his gun, and Rogan countered.

"Give up, Jeb. It's too late. We got your confession. You're going to prison for the rest of your days, and I pray to God you get fucked up the ass every Sunday by a really big tattoo artist named Jesus."

"You set me up, you little whore?" My father stepped to the right to glare at me, but Rogan shielded me.

"Hey, Jeb. You afraid of dogs?"

"What?"

Rogan pointed two fingers at my father.

A growling Takoda appeared from a dark corner and jumped to bite my father's gun arm. He yelled and fired his gun wildly. The loud pops deafened me and muted my father's screams as Takoda gnawed and thrashed at his arm. Rogan pushed me down into the hatch, but I poked my head up to watch. Rogan fired one shot. My father dropped his gun and grabbed his thigh, falling to his knees with a shocked grunt. Takoda tugged him until he was laying on his side on the floor.

"Out." Takoda snuck in one last thrash before she let go and backed away, barking excitedly at him as he groaned on the ground, blood seeping into his pants.

Rogan turned his gun on Zook who had stood frozen during the whole encounter. "You wanna try your luck with the fates too? Or you gonna cooperate with the FBI?"

"FBI?"

Rogan didn't answer Zook's question. In a whorl, he grabbed me and jumped down through the hatch. He landed on two feet and took off running as he hoisted me up over his shoulder. Behind us I heard men shouting. "FBI! Don't move!"

Rogan's shoulder pummeled my stomach and my legs dangled uselessly as he ran with me through the tunnel. Cool air hit my face as we emerged outside the walls of the compound. Rogan lowered me into the back seat of a black car.

Dallas sat at the steering wheel, and Cyan smiled at me from her seat next to me in the back.

"You're safe." Cyan wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

"I'm what?"

"You're safe. They got their evidence, and Rogan got you out."

Rogan held binoculars to his face and scanned around the car. "I'm going back in for the kids."

"What? No!"

"I'll be back in five." He spoke to Dallas in the front seat. "If you're spotted, leave without me. I'll meet up with you later."

"Ten-four," Dallas replied in a casual tone.

"No!"

But he was already gone. I looked out to watch Rogan and Takoda jog back in, but in true Boggs fashion, they were invisible in the night.

My already thrashing heart threatened to explode. I didn't want him to go back in. Who knows what other Redeemers were up there fighting with the FBI guys? It could be a bloodbath.

I huddled in Cyan's arms and chewed on my nails for what seemed like forever.

Dallas stepped out of the car and pointed a gun down the road.

I gasped as Rogan appeared next to the car. He carried Milo and my other four siblings ran behind him with Takoda following in the rear. He opened the door and handed me a frightened Milo.

He whimpered in my arms. "It's okay, Milo. Shh…"

Through the back window, I watched Rogan and Takoda guide the other four kids into a black car behind us. Dallas jumped back into the driver's seat and revved the engine.

One of the big F350s the Brotherhood used for security patrols approached from down the road. A loud pop pinged off the car.

Oh no! They're shooting at us!

Dallas didn't flinch at the two bullets that thunked against the back windshield. The glass splintered but didn't break. The bullets just bounced off.

"Holy shit," Cyan said.

"Exactly," I replied.

Rogan ran back to our car and crouched behind the open passenger-side door. He took aim at the approaching truck. "Get down!" I ducked down in the seat. "Falcon, pass on our left."

The black car from behind us streaked past in a cloud of dirt.

"Rogan!" Terror rocked me at the sight of my man facing gunfire with only a door to protect him.

"Stay down!"

Rogan shot a series of loud pops.

He plopped in his seat. "Got 'em. We're clear."

Takoda barked at the windshield like she was telling Dallas to go!

I peeked out through the back window and saw headlights fading in the distance.

"Stay down," Rogan said to me again.

I hunkered down lower and covered Milo with my body.

"Did you kill them?" I asked.

"Nah, shot their tires." He looked over his shoulder at me. "You want me to kill 'em?"

"No!"

He sat back and laughed.

***

"So you rigged the video feed?" I asked Rogan at the post-action meeting at the hotel. Jasmine stayed with Milo and my other siblings after settling them into beds after their frightening evening. Savannah and Rogan sat on either side of me. Cyan, Dallas, Diesel, and Falcon sat opposite us at a table in a conference room that had been converted to a base camp for the FBI.

"We pre-recorded responses anticipating what Jeb would say," Falcon replied.

"Did you know about this?" I asked Lachlan.

"No." Lachlan's voice was grumbly. "Brilliant idea. Wish I'd thought of it."

Rogan grinned.

"Will my dad survive?"

"It looks like it," Lachlan answered. "Gunshot wound to his leg will slow him down on his way to court, but he'll stand trial."

"And the confession I got was good enough?"

"It's excellent. Well done."

"I'll testify to what I know," Savannah added. "My sister Jasmine will testify too."

"Zook Guthrie already started singing," Lachlan said.

"That kid nearly shit his pants staring down my rifle," Rogan said.

Lachlan and Rogan chuckled. "We'll be in contact, Tessa." Lachlan gathered his papers and phone.

He nodded at me as he left the room.

"You were very brave." Cyan stood and hugged me.

"Thank you so much for being there tonight." I returned her embrace.

"She wouldn't have it any other way," Dallas answered as he curled his arm over Cyan's shoulder.

"I had to take my girl's back." Cyan winked at me.

"Of course," Dallas said with a smirk.

"Hey, if you tell me Rogan and Tessa need help rescuing some kids, don't expect me not to hightail it to Idaho." She smacked his pec and he laughed. "Anyway," Cyan continued, "if any of those kids end up lost in the shuffle, you let me know. Our hearts and home are open to them."

"Most of the kids today will lose a father, but they'll still have their mothers. The mothers will need help relocating and adjusting to life outside."

"Tell me what they need, and they'll have it," Dallas said.

"Thank you, Dallas."

Dallas and Cyan waved as they walked out.

Savannah was the only one left in the room with me and Rogan. "I can't believe we're going to get them. Do you think the courts will grant me custody?" she asked.

"Things are looking in your favor right now," Rogan replied.

"I'm so happy."

"Tessa talk to you about the property next to ours?”

"Yes. We're in escrow," Savannah said with a smile on her lips.

"You are? Oh my gosh! We'll be neighbors. I could watch the kids whenever you'd like." I hugged Savannah.

"I'd love that." Savannah hugged me back.

"We could be a family again."

"Yes. But this time free to love and have fun and enjoy life."

"Yes. It'll be fantastic."

***

"I can't wait to get this awful dress of— Oof!" Rogan grabbed me and pushed me up against our hotel room door, slamming his lips on mine and pinning me to the door with his hips. One of his hands dug into my waist, the other messed with the buttons at the back of my dress.

I froze, shocked by the sudden onslaught, but the adrenaline still pumping in my veins ignited between us. I squeezed his biceps and urgently ran my hands over his neck and arms. I pressed my palms to his chest to feel his heartbeat.

Alive, safe, breathing, kissing me. My Rogan.

"Fuck," he mumbled against my lips. "Never again. Never letting you go again."

He tore the buttons off the dress and yanked the top down my front. My head hit the door as he latched onto my nipple through my bra. I freed my hands from the dress sleeves and held his head to my breast. "I'm okay. I knew you wouldn't let him hurt me."

He stood to his full height and pierced me with his golden gaze. "Nothing will ever hurt you."

He wrenched my dress down over my hips and dropped to his knees to lick me through my panties. He raised one leg over his shoulder and growled as he bit down, attacking the fabric separating us.

Rogan was on his knees for the second time this evening, the first his fake proposal, this time, worshiping me and desperate for me.

"Take off your clothes. I need your skin on mine." I tugged the collar of his shirt.

He stood with a grunt and took off his pants while I worked on his buttons.

"You sort out the birth control?" He stepped out of his briefs and freed his erection that was pointing straight at me.

I pushed his shirt over his shoulders, and he tossed it to the floor. His abs flexed as I ran my fingers down the curled waves on his stomach. I followed the trail of hair on the defined V of his waist to the base of his cock and grabbed hold. "Yes."

"Goddamn." He lined his cock up at my entrance. "Nothing separates us."

We both groaned as he entered me. He hitched my knee on his waist, and the rigid muscles of his abdomen slammed into my clit as he rocked into me. "I'm in you. On you. All the time."

"Yes."

He pumped into me, slow at first, but soon the inferno raged between us and exploded. My clenching around him drew a moan from deep in his throat. He buried his face in my neck and followed me over the edge.

As our breathing calmed, he moved slowly inside me, treasuring each slippery slide in and out. I rubbed my hands up and down the curves of his back.

"He'll never strike you again. No one ever will." He caressed my cheek where my father's fist had landed. "You'll never shake in fear again." He removed the band at the end of my braid and worked my hair loose.

"You were in the room when he hit me."

He closed his eyes. "I was. Took all my strength to aim for his leg instead of his forehead."

"I'm glad you didn't kill him. I wouldn't want that weighing on your conscience."

"No weight at all." He removed the clip holding my hair at the top of my head and grinned as he watched it fall free of its bondage.

"If you shot my father, no matter how evil he was, you wouldn't feel guilty?"

His fingers gripped my hair and draped it forward over my shoulder. "I'd worry you'd hold it against me, but no, no guilt."

"Huh."

"Anyway, doesn't matter. I didn't kill him, and I'm gonna enjoy watching him grow old in a jumpsuit and four concrete walls." He slid out of me and wetness coated my legs. "You okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"My seed on your skin."

"No, it's different. I'm over it. I love you."

A smug grin grew on his lips. He grabbed his pants from the floor and hoisted me up with my legs around him, tossed me on the bed, and landed on top of me. From the pocket of his pants, he withdrew the blue box I'd seen in the video.

"I love you too." He placed the box on my naked chest. As he opened it, a stunning princess-cut diamond rested against the velvet blue cushion. The huge center stone and the dozens of tiny square diamonds surrounding it emitted brilliant light beams like the disco balls hanging over the dance floor at Siege. He traced his hand down my left arm and brought our clasped hands up between our faces. "Does it sparkle enough for you?" He worked it onto my left ring finger.

"Oh my gosh, yes. It's absolutely breathtaking." He'd chosen a glamorous ring, the kind a movie star should wear. Not me. "But… you don't have to do this. I know you were putting on an act to trick my dad."

He pressed his lips to my palm. "No act. I'm marrying you. I'll be your first husband. And your last."

"But Eden…"

His eyes sliced to mine. "You'll be my only wife." His voice hummed with conviction.

Shock and disbelief warred with excitement and joy inside me. Could this really be happening? "Are you sure? I come with five children now, ya know. Even if Savannah adopts them, they'll be a huge part of my life."

"Plenty of room for five kids at our ranch house. More if you want them."

"More?"

"You want more?" He tightened his fingers around my left hand and leaned in to touch a kiss to my lips.

"I don't know." I hadn't thought about having kids of my own. I'd been so concerned for my siblings and the other children on the compound.

"You want horses?"

Horses? "Yes, Traveler…"

"We'll get Traveler and Morning Glory together on our ranch."

"I'm kind of a mess. I don't know what I believe about God anymore. The trial is going to be stressful for me."

"I'll be there with you. I have baggage to sift through too. We'll find our way together. Say you'll be my wife."

"I'll be your wife."

He kissed a tear from my cheek. "My only wife."

"Yes. Your only wife."

When he pressed his lips to mine, he sealed the promise between us. Rogan and I would be together forever. It seemed too good to be true. A wicked apostate from the compound had turned her life around and found her dream man. How did I get so lucky? When we broke apart, he settled me beside him and I rested my head on his chest. "I want to help the women and children left behind from the Brotherhood. They deserve a chance to find joy like this too."

"Alright."

"It'll be difficult for them. The boys will need tutoring. Some of them can't even read. They'll all need counseling. Maybe Natalie can help with that."

"You can use the ranch as a base. Dallas said he'd support you too. With the men of Siege behind you, no way you can fail."

"Thank you."