Zeke leaned into the car, popped open the glovebox, and grabbed out some napkins. He pressed them against Blaine’s head.
“Cheers. I’ve got it.” Blaine pushed Zeke’s hand away and held his own against the wound, still not opening his eyes. He looked drained.
“Thanks, Commander,” Zeke said. “You saved Mia.”
“Just doing my job. You sweep her into your arms and kiss her. See if I care.”
Mia would’ve laughed if she wasn’t still so off kilter. Charlie. She could hardly register that Charlie had almost killed Blaine, her, and Zeke. It had been Charlie all this time.
“I can do that.” Zeke hurried to open the back door.
Mia tried to get to him, but the stupid handcuff was still attached to the headrest. He climbed in with her, cuddling her close. “I can’t leave you alone for a minute.”
She laughed and burrowed into his lovely muscle. “I wish you didn’t have to.” She kissed him.
Blaine groaned from the front seat. “I have to listen to it as well?”
Zeke only smiled against her lips and kissed her again.
The ambulance roared up behind Zeke’s car and within minutes they had Blaine loaded up and were taking him away. Sheriff Reed, Esther’s husband, came and hauled Charlie off, though she imagined with Charlie’s crimes MI6 or someone equally prestigious would be coming for him. She prayed they could find the women he’d captured and sold, prayed for Thomas’s family, and prayed Alden would be all right.
Once Blaine was out of the car, Zeke removed the headrest, lifted the handcuff off, and she was free. He helped her out and called, “Deputy Wells, can you give us a hand?”
“Sure thing.” A smiling young man hurried over, produced handcuff keys, and then she was truly free of the restraints.
She turned to Zeke, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him fiercely on the mouth. “Thank you for coming. How’d you know?”
He rested his forehead against hers. “They ran a blood scan on Alden and found out he was pumped full of Versed. It creates confusion and memory loss in extreme quantities. They gave him an antidote and pumped him full of fluid from IVs. As his ramblings became more coherent, he started saying, ‘Mia, danger, Charlie, Jeremy,’ over and over again. The only connection they could find was this Charlie, but he’d come up clean on all of our checks. The only red flag was he’d been at his home base in London or on leave when each girl went missing. Anyway, they checked into any Jeremys associated with him, found a cousin who is apparently his cohort when he needs help.”
He blew out a breath. “When your dad tried to call Lewis and heard a gunshot and your scream before the call dropped, probably from bad coverage in the canyon or Lewis dropping the phone on the end button, he called Joseph, who called me, and …”
She took in the entire story. “They’ve apprehended the cousin?”
“Yes.”
Members of the Delta family had approached and now stood around them.
“C’mere, sweet girl. I need a hug.” Apparently Holly had waited as long as she could.
“Coming.” Mia gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile before turning back to Zeke. “Thank you for coming. For saving me. You’re my hero.”
“Sadly, I think Commander Lewis really saved you, and you did a pretty good job fighting yourself.” He kissed her red and swollen knuckles.
“You’re my hero,” she insisted. She kissed him and nothing else mattered for a few moments.
“For a guy who hates touch, he’s doing pretty well for himself,” Thor said too loudly.
There were some laughs.
Zeke pulled back from the kiss much too soon and said to Thor, “I only like Mia’s touch, so don’t get any ideas, cowboy.”
Thor laughed and lifted his hands. “Don’t worry. I get plenty of touching from my gorgeous wife.”
Holly hurried their direction. She hugged them each in turn and then released them so Zeke could put his arm around Mia. “Oh, darling girl. I’m so grateful you’re okay. Your mum would’ve had my hide!”
“My mum and her threats about hides.” Mia laughed.
“You’ll miss your plane,” Holly said to Zeke.