Page 124 of Maverick

I swallow hard, the reality of what just happened finally sinking in. "I'm... I'm a little scared," I admit, my voice cracking.

"You didn't seem like you were," Ransom says, surprise coloring his tone.

I shrug, trying to keep my composure. "I didn't want to match emotions. Mav was in his feelings, and I had to stay calm." It's the same technique I use with the dogs at the rescue. You can't yell at a panicked dog; you get nowhere. You just have to settle into your calm, and wait.

Across the room, Maverick's talking to Dean. When he finishes, he glances back at me, our eyes meeting for a brief moment. But before I can decipher his expression, a cop approaches him, and he turns away.

Trixie excuses herself and follows Maverick and the cop, leaving me alone with Ransom.

Ransom takes my hand, his touch gentle, and leads me into the dressing room and away from the chaos. He finds a sweater and drapes it over my shoulders. I sink into a chair, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"I don't understand what happened out there," I murmur, shaking my head. The events of the night replay in my mind, a blur of fear and adrenaline. I can still feel the cold metal of the gun pressed against my skin, hear the shouts and screams. My hands start to tremble again, and I wrap my arms around myself, trying to hold it together.

Ransom takes my hand, holding it as I breathe deeply. "Is this the first time you've been through anything like that?"

"The first time anyone's ever pulled a real gun on me? Yeah, it is." My heartbeat settles as all the times I've had a fake gun pulled on me flash through my mind. "My grandpa was paranoid. Well, not paranoid. He always said paranoid people think bad things might happen, whereas he knows the bad things happen, so you might as well get prepared."

"He sounds like a smart guy."

"Yeah, he was. He was a cop for a long time. He retired when I was a teenager. And the whole time he was alive, he was preparing me. For situations like this, it turns out."

"And you never needed to use it?"

"Well not to this extent. I've had to deal with some handsy men here and there, but nothing like this."

He smiles, and a little more of my fear trickles away. "I'm sure those handsy men regretted ever touching you. You did good, Cadence. Really good."

"I did, didn't I?" Yeah, I'm a little rusty, but I bet not nearly as rusty as I would have been if I hadn't had a chance to spar with Becca. "It feels good…or it did, until Maverick fucking fired me." My voice raises at the end, because seriously, what the fuck?

Ransom winces, letting go of my hand and pulling another chair over. "Yeah, about that. Please don't hold anything that happened today against him. Today has just been…a lot. He looked completely gutted when he got that call."

"I'm glad you were with him."

"A bunch of us were. Jonas, Declan, Micah and Kade are in the parking lot, coordinating with the cops. The guy you took out has a concussion, but he's awake."

"Good. I didn't want…" I trail off, unable to finish the thought. The idea that I could have seriously hurt someone, even in self-defense, makes my stomach churn.

"Taking a life is a big responsibility. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially you," Ransom says, sounding like he knows exactly how big that responsibility is.

I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump forming in my throat. "What do I do about Mav? He fired me. He promised he would never do that. That he would never put my job at risk. But he just did."

If I were in a better mood, I could maybe acknowledge that this is a unique situation. I mean, I was worried about being fired if our relationship didn't work out, but something like this never even crossed my mind. Not in a million years did I think I'd be sitting here, dealing with the aftermath of nearly hurting someone and then losing my job in one fell swoop. It was like the universe decided to play a cruel joke, turning my fears into reality in the most unexpected way possible.

"For right now, just let him take you home. Let him take care of you. And in a few days, I'm sure he'll settle down. Just give him a bit of time Cadence. Just a bit."

"Just a bit? I guess I can do that," I whisper.

Maverick's gripon my hand is tight, as we exit the elevator. He hasn't let go since we left the club, not even during the car ride home with Ransom. We just sat in the backseat, connected yet not, the whole way home. Questions bubble up inside me, but the heavy silence between us keeps them trapped in my throat.

I turn back, waving at Ransom. He gives me a small nod, and a little wave back. His advice from earlier echoes through my mind.Just give it time.It feels a little weird to technically be the victim in this situation, yet I have to give him time?

I want to get into it again with him, and get to the bottom of what happened tonight, but there's an emotional undercurrent to this that feels bigger than tonight's events.

Mav holds the door open for me, and the first thing I see is Nan on the couch, flanked by Janey and Cara. Her friend Connie sits in the armchair, and a relieved smile creases her cheeks when she sees me. The moment Nan's eyes meet mine, she's on her feet, tears welling up. I tug my hand from Maverick's and rush into Nan's embrace.

"I'm okay. I promise," I whisper, feeling her tremble against me.

Memories flood back - nights spent waiting up for Grandpa, the heart-stopping calls to come to the hospital. We always knew the risks that came with his job as a police officer. But not once did I imagine being the one she was waiting for, and I hate that she's had to worry.