“You need some help on the ranch?” Olin asked. “I took off a full month already, so I’ve got time.”
The men spoke back and forth about nothing, but the tension inside Kat kept growing. They acted as if nothing had happened, as if they hadn’t all been in danger hours before, as if they could leave the hospital and everything would go back to how it had been.
Kat stayed quiet as long as she could before it just bubbled up, and she cracked from the pressure of what had happened, of what was in her head. “This is over.”
The men all went silent, the tension in the room thick.
It made her keep going, let her spill out all the thoughts locked inside her. “You almostdied,Bradley! All because of me, you could have died.” The more she spoke, the more came out. “And Olin, you could end up losing your job. You were already taken off a case because of me, and what happens if they figure out you went to Sanctuary? What if your boss realizes I go there and they blame you?”
Kat moved her gaze to Dean, who had his arms crossed as if waiting for his turn. “Andyou…You’ve worked so hard to move on, but you ended up going back to exactly what you hated before to save me.”
No one answered right away, and the more the silence pressed in on Kat, the more she wanted to escape. She wanted to slide from the bed and leave them be, to stop ruining their lives.
Still, Kat whispered the rest of what was on her mind. “This isn’t me thinking I’m not good enough anymore. I fought Jerry because I wanted to live, because you helped me realize I was worth it, but this is different. I can’t ask you all to risk so much just for me. It isn’t fair. I…” She paused, but knew she couldn’t keep this inside. Even if it didn’t matter, even if she left them and never saw them again, she needed to have told them. “I love you too much to let you pay the price like that.”
After a long, tense minute, Dean spoke up. “You done?”
Kat nodded and went to leave, ready to let them get back to their real lives, to leave them be.
Except, Bradley tightened his arm around her, keeping her in the bed and against his side. “Not so fast, Brat.”
“But Dean said…”
“I asked if you were done because I wanted to give you the chance to say all the stupid shit you want before we make ourselves clear.” Dean leaned in and caught her chin, forcing her gaze to his. “I knew exactly what I was doing when I pulled that trigger. I wasn’t in shock, wasn’t confused. Jerry might not have had a gun, but he was still a threat. What I did when I was younger, I did it because I thought survival was all that mattered. Later, I questioned myself, wondered if it was worth it to do that, but when I was standing there?Youare worth doing that for. You’re worth whatever I have to do to keep you safe, to keep you by my side.”
“I remember you when you said that you woke up from nightmares…”
Dean offered a smile, one that Kat cherished, one that reminded her of the man she’d fallen for. “And I might just have some more, so don’t you think you should be there when I wake up?”
Kat sighed, wanting to argue, to tell him he was wrong, but unable to.
And Olin seemed to take the break in the conversation to speak up. “You need to stop worrying about things that aren’t your problem. Fact is that I already got a talking to about Sanctuary during my debrief, and you know what? I spoke to my lawyer a few days ago because I realized just how much you matter to me. Turns out my personal life like that isn’t up for discussion with my job. The second I mentioned my lawyer, my boss shut up fast.”
“But why didn’t you do that before?”
“Because I didn’t know anyone worth doing that for. Sanctuary versus my job was an easy choice, but as it turns out, you’re a lot more important. You’re worth the fight and you’re worth the risk.”
“But what if—”
“No more what-ifs. You need to listen to me, to trust that I know what’s most important to me, and now? That’syou.”
Kat swallowed hard, unable to wipe away what she was thinking.
Bradley tightened his grip around her, but didn’t speak until she looked at him. Once she did, he offered her a drugged, lopsided grin. “I got shot. I don’t think you should be trying to leave me after I got shot.”
Kat froze, his words unexpected and not at all like him. She’d thought he’d give her some sort of pep talk, some declaration of love. The longer she stared at him, the more absurd it sounded.
Another moment later, Kat burst into laughter. She leaned in and brushed her lips against Bradley’s. “You are surprisingly adorable when you’re high.”
“Just returning the favor. You were pretty cute when you called me high.” He blinked slowly, then returned the kiss, which made her heart race even if it was messy and uncoordinated.
Kat turned so she could move her gaze between the men. “Are you sure? I mean, you’ve seen my baggage, you know I’m not that easy to live with. Are you really sure this is what you want?”
“No doubts for me,” Olin said.
“Again, Itook a bullet for you,so if that doesn’t answer it, you can fuck off,” Bradley tacked on.
Dean grinned, though it warmed Kat as much as it made her nervous. “I’m sure. You’re the only girl who could keep my attention, and I know I’ll never get bored with a brat like you around.”
Kat gave up. She let go of her doubt, of her fears, of the worries in her head that had held her back for so long. It felt like a weight she’d shrugged off finally.
Even surrounded by three Doms, Kat had never actually felt free before, as if they’d released her, and she knew she’d spend the rest of her life annoying the three of them.