Accidental Knight: A Marriage Mistake Romance(107)

“Oh, thank God you’re here,” she says. “Arrest them. Take them away. They’re criminals!”

Wallace pulls out a knife, trying not to roll his eyes. “We know, ma’am.”

I pull out my knife while Wallace cuts the zip ties off Molly. I get the rag tied around Gary’s mouth off and then move to the zip ties on his hands and legs.

“The guy in jail wasn’t his son. He was a decoy,” Gary says. “And Avery had him knocked off. That’s why he gagged me; he didn’t want me telling Molly about the tainted eye drops he gave the lawyer.”

“He didn’t want the oil company. He wanted the ranch all along!” Molly sputters. “For the oil under it, the minerals. He wanted to steal everything.”

They both go on like that, talking a mile a minute, while Rodney promises to get proper statements down at the station.

“Guess he didn’t know North Earhart owns all the mineral rights on the ranch,” I say, moving to Bella.

Tears spill down her cheeks, but damn if she’s ever looked more beautiful.

I cut her hands loose first, then move to her feet. Our eyes meet for the first time, and those waterworks go wild, turning hers into lush green rainforests.

Even though she’s stroking Edison, she’s looking at me.

I want to do a dozen things at once.

Grab her. Hold her. Hug her. Kiss her. Love her.

I do love her. Love her like crazy after all this.

Love her like I told myself I wouldn’t, with a fire and a fury and mad pounding need that’s downright dangerous. I just hope, after all the shit that’s gone down, she can find it in herself to love me.

“I’m sorry. So sorry,” she whispers. “Avery’s son killed your girlfriend.”

I shake my head. “I know, darlin’. And Winnie wasn’t my girlfriend, just a good woman I grew up with and loved like a sister. Think the only woman I’ve had all these years who really deserves that title is you.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers again.

Smiling, I fold my blade and shove it in my pocket, then pull her off the chair, into my arms.

“Enough apologies, darlin’. It doesn’t matter anymore.” My eyes fucking burn, almost as hot as my lips when I kiss her forehead. “What matters most? What matters now? I’m looking at her. You, Bella, and nothing else. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me – a hundred gazillion times better than catching up with the Dragon.”

I take her hand, thankful she didn’t toss the ring away in her anger earlier. “And I’m telling you, darlin’, you’re the best and I aim to keep it that way. Right here, right now, mark my damn words.”

Her arms go around my neck and she lifts her face, melting into me. It’s the sweetest invitation I’ve ever seen in my life.

We spend the next minute with her mouth under mine, just kissing like the bitter end till my lungs scream for air.

And even when I’m fucking breathless, I kiss her some more.

“Hate to cut in, but my men need to secure the crime scene, and I need to ask Bella-Bell some questions.”

I shoot Wallace a glare.

He grins and slaps my shoulder. “Aw, c’mon. There’ll be time for that later, son. And I won’t hold it against you.”

I look up and wonder what happened. Molly and Gary, plus Edison, are gone.

Keeping an arm around Bella, I walk her around the truck and out the door.

As soon as we step outside, though, Wallace, Gary, and Molly start jabbering away at the same time.

Wallace stops them with a wave of his hand.

“One at a time,” he says. “Gary, you go first. Start with this morning, at the hotel.”

Molly doesn’t seem to mind.

Neither does Bella as Edison nudges her shoulder. She smiles at me, then steps back and loops an arm around the horse’s neck.

He deserves her attention too. Her love. His eyes are huge and glassy and weirdly...satisfied?

I think I’ve made peace with this horse being the only thing male I’ll ever share her with.

Taking a step back so I can keep a hand on her back, we listen to Gary’s version of Avery and his son capturing them at gunpoint, tying their hands, and then stealing the rental car.

But Bella cuts in toward the end with a scream.

“Drake! Oh my God. Edison’s going down; he’s going down!”





19





Hold Your Horses (Bella)





My arms are shaking.

So are my legs, and, well, just about everything as I use all my strength to keep Edison’s head up.

I can’t let him go down. He’ll never get up again. I know it deep in my soul.

Drake barks orders for someone to get water, saying we have to get Edison cooled down.

Dad shouts too, into his phone, and then there’s just this chaos, the sheriff and his deputies running every which way.

Mom stands on the other side of Edison’s head, touching him. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen her get her hands dirty. Ever.

“You simply can’t die now,” she whispers, her voice cracking a little. “You...you saved her, you magnificent beast. You saved us all. And so did your beastly friend. Oh, I’ve been so selfish. But if I could ask for just one more thing...stay with us Edison. I was just starting to like you!”