In the split second before the boot dropped, I rolled away out of its path. Powered by an adrenaline burst, I shot up to my feet and launched a lightning-fast kick that caught him hard behind the right knee, sweeping his legs out from under him. Jade fell to the ground like an axed tree.

I didn’t stop. I flung my entire weight on him, and threw furious punches, tapping into all the anger I had built up inside me. I wasn’t stopping until Jade was no longer moving.

Dimly, I could hear Allie screaming over the roar of blood rushing in my ears. I was on fire. I wanted to kill the motherfucker. The others were shouting something, then slowly, those voices began to bleed into my thoughts, giving me something to pull me out of this mind-numbing rage.

What were they saying?

“Stop! Police!”

I stopped in mid-swing as reality began to come back into focus.

Suddenly, hands were on me, pulling, lifting me off Jade’s crumpled body. My mouth twisted in an agonized grimace and fresh spikes of pain shot down my ribs and arms as two police officers pulled me to my feet. I crossed an arm over my chest, as if speared in the side like Jesus himself, holding it tight, hoping the pressure would help as my eyes closed in pain.

What the fuck? Did AJ call the police?

Allie!

Where was Allie?

I looked up to make sure Allie was safe and saw an officer a couple yards away, in a wide stance with a gun trained on us.

No, it was a female officer.

No!

It was...Phoebe? And Allie stood next to her wringing her hands.

What the fuck!?

At least she looked like Phoebe, but this time her long, flowing blond hair was tied back neatly, and she wore some kind of tactical police uniform.

And she was pointing a gun at me.

Expertly.

Like she’d been trained for it.

Had I been hit in the head too hard? Or in my delirium, did I just think it was Phoebe?

Still a little dazed from the beating, I looked around to try to make sense of what was happening. A patrol car and another dark-colored sedan were parked on the asphalt, head to head with AJ’s car, doors wide open. Two officers were cuffing and processing Jade, who was conscious now. Apparently, I hadn’t killed the fucker. And his biker buddy was already cuffed.

“Cam, are you okay?” The Phoebe-like officer said, holstering her gun as she approached. Allie was right beside her, and she suddenly broke into a run. Then, Allie was all I could see as she rushed forward to hug me.

“Oh, Cam, are you hurt? I’m sorry. I never should’ve trusted Jade. Did he hurt you?” She wanted to throw her arms around my neck but stopped short, seeing me holding my side.

“Yeah, yeah, baby. I’m fine. Are you alright?” I cupped her face with the hand that wasn’t holding my side. “I’m just so glad you’re okay.”

Tears were springing from her eyes now and I pulled her close the best I could and kissed her lips. When I pulled back, I held my side with one hand again. Like a wounded soldier, Allie draped one of my arms over her shoulder and wrapped an arm around me. We turned to the female officer who was now standing close enough for me to get a better look.

“Phoebe? Is that you?”

“Sheree,” she corrected me. “Phoebe was my undercover name.”

“What?” I turned to Allie in disbelief. “Did you know about this?

“No,” she answered, wide eyed. “I’m just as surprised as you.” She laughed, and I was glad the terror of Jade was over.

But the pain and my throbbing face reminded me of something. I had a fucking plane to catch!

Fuck!

This couldn’t be happening. I had to meet Saul in Florida and I wasn’t on the plane. I wasn’t even at the airport. Hell, the damn plane had probably taken off without me already.

Fucking Jade!

AJ came up to join us as Phoebe, er, I mean, Sherree? I still couldn’t wrap my mind around that one and started to explain.

Before she could get a word out, AJ interrupted. “Phoebe?” Even AJ was thrown off by her new appearance. “Wow. Look at you. Did you become a cop since I saw you last?”

“Idiot,” I said. “No one becomes a cop that fast. It’s only been since spring break.”

She smiled at AJ and they exchanged a lustful look, probably sparking memories of that hotel room where I saw way more than I wanted to see.

Snapping back to her professional demeanor, she continued, “I’ve been working undercover Drug Enforcement for the FBI, trailing the Black Vandals. They’ve been running drugs from Mexico into Arizona, Tucson, Drexel Heights and a few other locations, then distributing farther into Arizona, California and well, pretty much wherever there’s a chapter of the Black Vandals.”

“But Jade’s not in Tucson,” Allie said, puzzled.

“No, he’s in the Flagstaff chapter. These MC’s have chapters everywhere. We’ve been working this case for a long time, and I’ve been following Allie to find Jade. I knew eventually, she’d lead me to him. That’s how these guys operate. Can’t let go of what they think is theirs.”

“I’m so glad you followed him,” Allie said. “You saved us all from Jade. Will he go to jail?”

“Oh, yes. He’ll be out of your hair for a long time. Not only is he wanted for drugs, but he broke his restraining order against you.”

I gawked at Allie. “Allie, you never told me you had a restraining order on Jade.”

She shrugged and said, “I got it after he took me back to Flagstaff when I was going to fly to Ohio.” She waved a hand in the air. “Anyway, that’s not important now. I don’t think we need to worry about him ever again. And I can’t believe you’re really FBI, Phoebe. Sorry, I can’t get used to calling you Sheree. Wow, FBI. I still think of you as a hippie girl.” They both laughed.

“Me too,” AJ said. He’d been listening with a puzzled look on his face. Then he blurted out, “Wait a minute, what about the weed? All the ––”

“Shut up, AJ.” I nodded my head in the direction of the other officers, although they probably couldn't hear since they were at the patrol car with Jade and his buddy in the back. “I’m sure you'll have time to talk about that later.” And I was sure. Positive. From the way those two kept eyeing each other, you'd think they were in love.

Aw shit.

There it was. That sparkle in their eyes. I recognized it. I knew what it was. Those two were heading down the same path as Allie and me.

My phone chimed. I pulled it from my pocket, surprised to see it wasn’t smashed in the scuffle.

Saul’s voice boomed out of it. “You haven’t boarded the plane yet? Where the hell are you?”

Saul was meeting me in Florida for the start of minicamp. He was probably already in his hotel room there. “I’m calling to tell you, take a cab or Uber it from the airport to the hotel...wait. Why are you answering your phone? You should be on the plane. On the plane!”

“Nice to hear from you too, Saul. Don’t I even get a hello?” It was a rhetorical question. I didn’t wait for a response. “I sort of had an accident.”

“What? What!? An accident? What happened?”

“My face sort of ran into the fist of this big, ugly dude.”

“You’re shittin’ me, right? Because you gotta be shittin’ me.”

“No, Saul. I was on my way to go to the airport and this crazy fuck decided to pound me.”

“What...why? Are you hurt?”

“Well, it was over a girl, you know. But not just any girl.”

“Fuuuck!” It came out on a long breath. “Have you gone to the hospital? You need to get those injuries looked at fast, before they get worse, you hear me? Get worse. Then get on the next flight here. Jesus fuck, Cam. He attacked you? Now you'll have to stay and press charges, they’ll want to take a statement. Oh, Jesus. No, this can’t happen.”

“Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Just get to the hospital and then get on the next flight. I know a guy who knows a guy, a big New England Minutemen fan there in the police department in Austin. Don’t worry, don’t worry. Just get here.”

Saul hung up without a goodbye. I raised my brows and shoved my phone back in my pocket as Allie turned to look at me.

“I take it that was Saul. I could hear him.”

“Yup.” I said, grimacing. “He’s not very happy. But I need to go. First to the hospital and then to Florida.”

“Okay, baby. I’ll take you to the hospital. Come on, lean your weight on me. Put your arm over my shoulder again.”

I did as she said and then she paused, looking into my eyes. “Cam, I love you.” Then she dipped her head and went back to helping me hobble to the car.

“I’ll drive you to the hospital in AJ’s car. I think he wants to stay and talk to...Sherree, anyway. I already got the keys. Oh wait, let me tell her we’re going.”

She started to walk away as I grabbed her arm and pulled her into a kiss. When we broke, I held her close, not letting her go. Emerging from her embrace, I lowered my voice and said, “I love you too. You mean everything in the world to me. When I thought I might lose you...I thought I was...well, it drove me crazy even to think of it.”

“I know. You’re the world to me, too.”

I held her chin and made her look at me. “I mean it. I nearly killed that fucker back there.”

She nodded, hair falling around her face, and whispered, “I know, I know.”

I let go of her arm, not really wanting to let her go, and she walked back to where Sheree and AJ were talking.

The surging pain, now familiar from my earlier altercation with Jade, pierced my brain. Sharp and bright, reminding me that Saul was right: I needed to get going. But I turned to look at Allie as she talked with Sherree. I could hear them speaking, but the words faded out. All I could see was Allie, my beautiful, wonderful, amazing...what was that word that wanted to pop into my head just now?

Wife?

No.

She wasn’t my wife...not yet. It sounded good, though.

My wife.

The thought intrigued me. So much for no girls, no chicks, no relationships. My inner self was poking at me again, nudging me with another goal, a new idea. Make Allie my wife.

I’d need to get through training camp first, both of them, but come fall, who knew what direction things would go. I could see another trip to Vegas in my near future, a quick trip this time.

To hit the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel.

But for now, I’d keep that my little surprise.