The bullet hit Adrian's shoulder. Not fatal. Not even close to what Isla had aimed for, but enough. He stumbled back, shock replacing madness in his eyes for one precious second.
Ryder moved. Despite his injuries, despite the blood, he moved with lethal precision—disarming Adrian, incapacitating him, securing the threat in seconds. By the time Isla reached them, Adrian was zip-tied and unconscious, and Ryder was calling for backup.
'You're hurt.' Isla's hands shook as she tried to assess his wounds. Blood soaked his shirt, too much blood. 'Oh God, Ryder—'
'Flesh wounds. Looks worse than it is.' But his voice was strained, his face pale. 'You saved my life. He had me dead to rights. You saved me.'
'You said you loved me.' The words tumbled out. 'Before you went downstairs. You said—'
'I meant it.' His bloody hand found her face. 'Every word. I'm completely, catastrophically in love with you, Isla Thornton. And nearly dying just proved it.'
She kissed him, tasting copper and salt and desperation. Sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer. The cavalry was coming. But all that mattered was this man, bleeding and brave, who'd taken bullets for her and still found the strength to fight.
Federal agents swarmed the house within minutes. Paramedics loaded Ryder into an ambulance despite his protests. Isla refused to leave his side, climbing in without permission, holding his hand while they worked on his wounds.
'I'm fine,' he insisted for the third time as they hooked him to an IV. 'Seriously, I've had worse in combat.'
'Shut up and let them help you.' She squeezed his hand. 'You don't get to play martyr after making me fall in love with you.'
His eyes widened. 'Say that again.'
'I love you.' It felt right, saying it aloud. Claiming it. 'I love you, and you're stuck with me now, bodyguard or not.'
The paramedic cleared his throat. 'This is sweet and all, but he needs surgery. The shoulder wound is deeper than he's admitting.'
At the hospital, Isla paced the surgical waiting room while her father arrived with his entourage. Malcolm Thornton looked older, grayer, diminished by his son-in-law's betrayal and his daughter's near-death.
'Adrian's in federal custody,' he said without preamble. 'Maximum security this time. He'll never see daylight again. And we've identified his accomplice in my security team. Arrested an hour ago.'
'Who was it?' Isla needed to know who else had betrayed them.
'Marcus. Your head of security for five years.' Malcolm's jaw tightened. 'Adrian paid him half a million to look the other way, to help with the surveillance, to leak information. He's confessed to everything.'
Marcus. The man who'd escorted her to events, screened her dates, supposedly kept her safe. Another betrayal, another violation. Would she ever trust again?
'The threat's over,' Malcolm continued. 'You can come home. Resume your life. Return to normal.'
Normal. The word felt foreign. Nothing would ever be normal again. She'd been stalked, violated, hunted by her own cousin. She'd killed someone—or tried to. She'd fallen in love with her bodyguard and nearly watched him die.
'Kane's contract is fulfilled,' her father said. 'I'll arrange a generous severance, letters of recommendation, whatever he needs for his next assignment.'
'His next assignment is staying with me.' Isla's voice was steel.
Malcolm blinked. 'Isla, he's a bodyguard. You don't need protection anymore.'
'I'm not asking for protection. I'm telling you I'm in a relationship with him. And that's not ending just because the threat is neutralized.'
'You can't be serious. The man is an employee—'
'The man saved my life multiple times. Risked everything to protect me. And I love him.' She met her father's shocked gaze. 'So whatever severance you planned, triple it. Because he's staying. As my partner, not my bodyguard. And if you have a problem with that, I'll resign from Thornton Holdings and build my own empire.'
Silence. Malcolm Thornton wasn't used to being challenged by anyone, least of all his daughter. But something in her expression must have convinced him this wasn't a battle he'd win.
'Fine. We'll discuss the details later.' He stood. 'But Isla—are you sure about this? Relationships born from trauma rarely last. You've been through hell. When things calm down, you might feel differently.'
'I won't.' She was absolutely certain. 'Whatever happens next, I want Ryder in my life. Permanently.'
The surgeon appeared before Malcolm could respond. 'Miss Thornton? Mr. Kane is out of surgery. He's asking for you.'
Isla was moving before the words finished, leaving her father and his objections behind. Ryder was in recovery, groggy from anesthesia but alive and whole. His smile when he saw her was dopey and genuine.
'Hey beautiful,' he slurred. 'Did I mention I love you? Because I do. A lot. Like... so much.'
'The drugs are making you chatty.' She kissed his forehead, relief flooding through her.
'The drugs are making me honest.' His good hand found hers. 'I loved you before the drugs. Gonna love you after. Gonna love you forever if you'll let me.'
'I'll let you.' She settled into the chair beside his bed, hand clasped in his. 'I just told my father you're staying with me. That we're together. That it's not negotiable.'
'You told Malcolm Thornton no?' Even drugged, he looked impressed. 'That's hot.'
'Sleep, soldier. We'll figure out the rest when you're coherent.'
'Already figured out. You and me. Forever.' His eyes drifted closed. 'Simple math.'
Isla watched him sleep, this complicated, damaged, beautiful man who'd crashed into her life and changed everything. The threat was over. Adrian was in custody. The surveillance, the stalking, the terror—all finished.
But their story? That was just beginning.