Chapter 22
I was half asleep, sprawled across Travis’s chest as we lay watching a movie later that evening. Buster was nestled in the crook of my legs. Able and Pip were snoozing on what had become a shared dog bed in the corner.
When Travis’s phone rang on the coffee table, he made no move to answer it, and I nestled further into his warm body.
When it ceased ringing only to start up again immediately, he shifted me gently so that he could answer. “Yeah?”
His body immediately tensed underneath mine. “When?” I moved off him, sitting up to look down at him worriedly. “Yeah, we’re here. You got Armstrong and Hale en route?” He listened a beat. “Good. Might come to nothing, but I’ll get prepped. Roger that.” He hung up and immediately put a gentle hand on my face. “Roy showed up at May’s place tonight. He probably needs cash. Sid didn’t want to leave May unattended, so he didn’t give chase when Roy took off. On the off chance he’d head here, Dec and Theo are en route, and I’m going to go get myself armed.”
My eyes popped wide with worry. “Should we leave?”
He eyed me steadily. “Fuck no. Let him come. I’d be fucking thrilled if he was stupid enough. It would let me end this shit once and for all.”
The sheer ferocity in his expression had me nodding. I trusted Travis without question and knew he’d keep me safe. I also knew he could handle himself.
“Okay, what do you want me to do?” I asked, determined to sound stronger than I felt.
His gaze softened with pride. “That’s my girl. If he comes, I want you upstairs in our bathroom. Shut the door, and don’t come out until I come to get you.”
“The bathroom again?” I groaned dramatically.
He cracked a smile before delivering a firm kiss to my lips. “I’ve got this, babe, no worries.” His easy confidence was infectious, and I relaxed a bit. “Give me a second.” He stood, scooping up Pip and calling to Able. I assumed he’d lock them in the office when he went in to get his weapons.
I sat on the couch, the movie a blur in the background as I tried desperately to keep my fear in check. Travis was essentially a trained weapon. I knew he’d never let anything harm me.
It was a good thing, too, because a moment later Able let out a low growl and the lights went out.
“Em, stay right where you are.” Travis’s authoritative order sounded from the hallway.
“Well, I can’t see anything, so that won’t be hard,” I called back, trying to keep the tremble from my voice. Able continued to growl, something I’d never heard him do, as I sat frozen in place.
I saw Travis’s silhouette move toward me and could just barely make out the goggles and bulletproof vest he wore, a gun in his hand. “Night vision,” he explained, tapping at the goggles.
My eyes popped wide. “What are you ready for World War 3?”
“Can never be too prepared.” He clipped.
“At least we’re not both blind,” I blathered nervously as he pulled a bulletproof vest over my head, tightening it with fast and steady movements that spoke of years of experience.
He’d started to lead me toward the stairs when a gunshot blasted through the room, the sound of glass shattering nearly as loud as the gunshot itself. I let out a shriek as Travis pushed me behind him, his gun aimed toward the sound.
“Don’t fucking move!” Roy’s frantic call sounded from somewhere near the patio door. My vision was still adjusting to the darkness, but I could now make out shapes and impressions.
“All right, Anderson, why don’t you calm down so we can talk about this?” Travis’s voice was steady as he replied.
“There is no fucking calm, not anymore!” came Roy’s hysterical shout. “All I needed was that fucking client list. It was going to be so simple,” he complained. “I’d be able to get them to do business with me again. Then she had to be there,” he snarled. “You were already my mother’s favorite. You’re not even blood.” He howled in angst. “Of course, it had to be you that fucked this up for me.”
I bit my tongue against offering him the reality check that clearly his investment banking days were long over. No client in their right mind would trust him with their money, list or not.
“Can’t have loose ends,” he ranted to himself.
“This doesn’t have to escalate, Anderson,” Travis cut in his voice deep and authoritative. “You can walk out of here alive. I know that’s what your mother wants.”
A scoffing sound filled the air. “You mean I can leave here in cuffs and rot in jail. Five years ago, I had a mansion in Malibu. I drove a Bentley. Did you know that? I had women all over me. Then it was gone. I want that back. I need it.”
“All right,” Travis agreed easily. “Let’s talk about how to get you there.”
With cool calculation, Travis was switching gears; there was no reasoning with a madman—only pacifying.
Somehow, he’d centered all his failures on me—on the fact I’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I need her gone,” Roy snarled. “It’s the only way.”
“That isn’t happening,” Travis growled. “Your options are to lower your weapon, or I put you in the ground.”
Clearly Roy’s threat had ended any effort on Travis’s part to appease him.
“You shoot me, you risk me getting a shot off at you,” Roy warned.
Travis chuckled darkly. “You’d be dead before you could ever get a shot off at me, promise you that. I’m only giving you this opportunity because I’d rather not have to face May and tell her I killed her son. Otherwise, this would have been over the second you said a word.”
I believed that wholeheartedly.
“If my threat isn’t enough, then maybe the fact that you have two men behind you with their guns trained on your back will do it,” Travis added casually.
I could just make out Roy spinning in surprise, offering the opportunity Travis needed. He fired a shot that took Roy to the ground.
“Drop your weapon!” Declan shouted as two hulking figures drew close to Roy’s crumpled form.
“Now!” Theo barked.
There was a moment of chaos where the three forms blurred before Declan’s voice rang out, confident and only slightly out of breath. “Secure.”
I wilted against Travis’s back in relief. He turned toward me, pulling me into his arms, as close as our bulky vests would allow. “Okay, baby?”
I nodded frantically, unable to convey my relief that this was finally over.
“Good,” he replied, before taking my hand and guiding me down the few steps we’d made it up and back into the main room. “Now let’s get some fucking lights on, yeah?”
****
Travis didn’t leave my side once our home became overrun by uniformed police officers. He’d gotten the lights back on and had removed our vests. It was a relief to have the heavy piece of equipment off.
I knew Able had to be miserable, locked in the office, and Pip must have already pissed all over the floor, more than once, but it was safer for them with all the chaos.
Roy had been carted off in cuffs by paramedics, the gunshot wound to his leg not life-threatening, as Travis had surely intended.
Detective Harris had been one of the first responders, and though I’d never imagined it possible, he was a friendly face amidst so much turmoil.
Dec and Theo answered questions, their weapons holstered and massive arms crossed over their chests in matching poses that would intimidate even the most seasoned officer.
Harris didn’t have many questions for us; the explanation was fairly simple, and he was all too familiar with Roy’s past.
“Tired, baby?” Travis murmured with concern as I started to droop against his chest. He wrapped an arm around me. It was well past midnight and had been an eventful night, to say the least.
I nodded.
“This will all be over soon,” he assured me.
“What will we do about the door?” I asked, eyeing the patio door where the glass had been shattered.
“One of the guys will help me throw some cardboard on it for tonight. Unless you don’t feel safe? We can go to a hotel for the night if you’d rather,” he offered.
I was shaking my head before he was even done. “No, I want to sleep in our bed. Roy was the only reason not to feel safe, right?” At Travis’s nod, I continued, “Then I don’t want to go anywhere. It’ll be so nice to have my freedom back.” I sighed.
“I’m sure,” he agreed. “Though, I’ll still follow you around whenever I can,” he added, dropping a kiss to my temple. “I’d follow you anywhere.”
I looked up at him, offering a tired smile. “Ditto, honey. And now, it can be because you want to—not because you have to.”
“Either way, the view’s the same.” He grinned lasciviously.
“What is it with you and my ass?” I laughed, slapping him on the arm, amazed at how much lighter I felt despite the evening’s events.
He shrugged. “Most gorgeous ass I’ve ever seen. What do you expect?”
I blushed. I’d never thought I’d have a man like Travis in my life. I’d thought I’d only find romance in books, and though I still loved devouring my novels, I had the real thing in my arms every day.
It appeared that dreams really did come true.