In Between Times (Complete Novel, Mastered May 12th, 2022)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

— hero

DEAR LORD – BROCKHAMPTION ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

ROBERT PENNEY:

As soon as I heard that alarm, I ran. I had to get to my woman. I had to protect her from these assholes.

A heist was the least most expected thing to happen tonight. No one in their right minds would try and rob The Underdog's Underground. I knew, immediately — that I had to man up, and save Callie for once.

She's what I need, but I'd be damned before I let a group of greedy scumbags come near her, harm her — scare her. This is about what she needs. Callie doesn't deserve to be scared, or worried. She doesn't deserve any of it.

It might not be my place to wrap my arms around her after all this time of separating myself from her. After an agonizing year of trying to rid her from not only my thoughts, but also my heart — I must do what I must do.

Shielding her from all this chaos is what I was born to do, and at this very moment, my mind has split into a determined frenzy. I just must get to her and hide her away. Be her damn hero for once.

I know which table is hers, and I find her through the crowd fast.

Her eyes meet mine, and I could hear her gulp from a mile away. She's scared.

Fuck! The gap in my chest throbs, pushing me to move faster.

She covers her ears with her hands as she crumples to the floor, her knees tucked under her chin as she sits there: on the floor where she sure as hell does not belong.

Is she wearing shoes? I squint. She's not wearing shoes.

People are running away, bumping my shoulders as I move past them.

I pull my shirt off me, leaving just a wife beater covering my back. I toss her the shirt when I'm close enough, then I'm kneeling so I can look her in the eyes up close. "Put it on." She looks cold.

Her eyes glisten, and she sniffles. "Why?"

"Don't ask why, baby, please..." I'm begging here. "Just put it on."

I called her baby, it's out of habit. I can't help it. She nods lightly, makeup suddenly smudging under her blue eyes. She starts tugging it over her head, and I'm lifting her up, helping her put it on — anything to speed up the process. Anything to get her out of here faster. Her hands reach for me, and a relieved sigh breaks through my chest as I pick her up. One of her hands clutch the nap of my neck as the other one fists the center of my tank top. Her head nestles against me.

I hold my woman tightly against my chest as I run towards the elevator — I'm willing to push people out of the way, I don't care. Callie needs a way out now.

When I yell, "Move!" everyone in our way moves. Callie flinches, and I do something stupid: I kiss her forehead before getting on the elevator.

She looks up at me. "Go to final destination. People won't be in the hotel."

I nod, as I press the button. She's right. These assholes aren't going to waste their time going up.

"What are we going to do when we get there, though?" she asks.

I shrug my shoulders, as I feel the elevator go up. "Whatever it takes," I say, turning to make eye contact with her. Her breathing hitches.

The monitor displays cloud four when her soft hand reaches the side of my jaw. She tilts my face towards her. "You don't have to carry me, Robbie. You should put me down now," her voice is low, her eyes sad.