Chapter 48

48

Gene didn’t stop fighting. Not until hard hands were there to pull him off the bastard. He looked over his shoulder—into eyes damned near identical to Chantal’s.

It took him a moment. “Charlie. About damned time you got out here.”

“Didn’t even know there was a problem. Looks like you had it handled,” Charlie said. “What in the hell is going on here?”

“He’s the man who sent those assholes after your sister. Said he had a beef with you.” Gene looked around. “Where is she? Is she hurt? Where’s Chantal?”

“She’s inside. She’s safe, with Ronnie. George stayed with them.”

Gene forced himself to take a breath. She was inside. She was safe. His brother would make sure of it. He turned, toward her brother. And swayed a little. So much for being tough and strong.

He felt like utter hell. “He said it was because of his sister. Sister for a sister.”

“A sister for a sister.” Charlie looked at the man as that big guy Rodriguez was pulling Detective Wright to his feet, with help from Ronnie’s brother Murdoch. Murdoch even had cuffs in his pocket he was slapping on the man now. “We’ll figure it out from here.”

“Tell me exactly what he said, fast,” Charlie ordered as other cops came around. Ones Gene didn’t necessarily recognize. He filled Charlie in quickly. Then he’d had enough.

His damned arm and head were hurting, and he had his woman to find. “Ask me all your damned questions later. I’m taking your sister home. She’s seen enough shit to last for a lifetime from this guy.”

“I agree with you on that, but you aren’t going anywhere. Except to the hospital.” Charlie pulled Gene’s uninjured arm over his shoulder. “Come on. Ambulance is pulling in now. I suspect Rory called ahead. We’ll get you taken care of, and then you can answer my real question.”

“What is that?”

“Just what are your intentions toward my sister, Mr. Hiller?”

“Entirely honorable. Now that that asshole won’t be getting in the way any longer.”

“Seriously?”

“Till death do us part.”

“Take care of her,” Charlie said, as Chantal and her niece came running out of the diner, Murdoch Lake’s wife trailing behind them.

Then Chantal was in front of him. Gene stepped away from her brother. He didn’t want her to worry.

“It’s just a little scratch,” Gene told her, wrapping his good arm around her and pulling her closer. He buried his face in long red hair, and just breathed her in. So damned grateful that he still could. He would never forget this moment right now.

“Marry me, Chantal Fields. And make me the happiest man on the planet.” He’d intended to wait a few weeks. Give her time to settle into the idea of being with him forever. But forever could be so damned fleeting.

That was a lesson Gene had learned fifteen long years ago and had somehow forgotten. “I have wasted six damned long years. I don’t want to waste even a moment more. I want you. For eternity. I love you. And I always will.”

The last words were whispered into her ear. So that her brother and his own, who had followed everyone else outside, couldn’t even hear.

He just wanted it to be her.

Forever.