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Air gushed fros

Carefully, he opened her coat and found blood staining her sweater along her collarbone He heard a crunch of snow behind hio on the attack--only to see Evan eyeing hiht I’ood care of her"

"Mommy? Mome, he scooped her in his ar to be fine, kiddo Come on with me and we’ll take her to the doctor"

Evan stared up at him atery eyes "What about my daddy?" His chin quivered "He shot my mommy"

Jacob had tried his best to shield the boy No child should have to see that "Your father is resting inside" Of course the kid had no reason to trust hiht words "Reo with me? You need to do this for her"

He would carry them both if he had to, but he hoped it wouldn’t co a frightened glance back at the camper "Okay It’s Mommy’s turn to have rabbed the keys froed back into the woods with Dee cradled to his chest He could get her to a hospital faster than any ambulance would find the wrong, but never had he expected to be in the h the snow, his pace slowed because of the child huffing alongside him Dee’s child He would keep Evan safe for her

And Emily God, he couldn’t wrap his brain around the notion that Chase had been so unbalanced, following Dee around,threats This could have been his sister and her child out here

Hell, it could be his sister now

Jacob neared the truck just as the police pulled up along with a Land Rover he recognized as belonging to Spike Help had arrived The police would take care of Lambert, and Jacob would make damn sure to tip off Spike about Chase so Emily and Madison would have protection ASAP

Thank God with a blaring siren, one of the cops could get Dee to the hospital faster and he intended to be by her side the whole ride there, never letting her or her son out of his sight

As he held her unconscious body in his arrappled through layers of consciousness No cottony ah dirt to reach the surface of the life she desperately wanted to reclaim

Could anyone sleep this deeply and ever awaken? Howand--ouch The pain socked her out of left field

Only she couldn’t stay asleep to hide fro, co reasons

Jacob and Evan

She battled, and pushed and fought her way back until a pinpoint of light beckoned Prying her eyes open, she winced at the brightness and squeezed her lids shut again Slowly, she eased the in through her half-open blinds

Where was she? Panic slashed at her as she groped for answers The antiseptic scent filled her nose She looked around at what appeared to be a hospital rooaze rested on a chair tucked in the corner of the roo boy in his arms

Dee’s world ca Blane hadn’t won She recognized Jacob and Evan, two precious faces she would never forget

Blane’s attack, his threats, all ca force Dee studied every inch of Jacob, and he seeh her

Jacob’s eyes were closed His head was tipped back against the reclining chair Evan slept curled in his lap, chocolate ice crea the sides of her son’s mouth Jacob had obviously discovered the way to Evan’s heart quickly

Just as he’d done with hers

She absorbed the ie of them both and let the love fill her Her still-slumberous mind wandered dreamy paths and she envisioned the alike, Jacob so dark and angular, Evan so fair with a rounded face Chances were Evan would never be as tall as Jacob

No one would ever ical son But with Jacob’s influence, Evan would resemble Jacob in all the ways that counted

She’d found soexterior He’d shown her honor, constancy and a fierce protective love she hoped to claim

Jacob shuffled, woke and stared back at her for seconds that seemed to stretch into forever before he spoke "You okay?"

She nodded

"I’ll call the nurse"

"No, please Give me a moment before the hospital frenzy takes over" Evan stirred, and she lowered her voice She wasn’t ready to share Jacob and Evan with the world, not yet "What happened?"

He stood slowly, his big hands carrying her son with gentle strength "You were shot in the shoulder, but the bullet passed through without hitting anything vital"

She’d meant what happened with Blane, to Jacob to ard, but now she realized those shadows under his eyes were for her

"I’h she actually felt more than a little weak and breathless But alive They were all alive So she asked again, "What happened?"

"Blane is in custody"

She searched his eyes for details of how that , and saw only a fierce protectiveness in Jacob’s expression She knew He’d been there for her, for her son and for their future because here he stood vital and alive