Page 78 of Seduced in Ink

“Oh my God,” she whispered.

“Come on, get them out of here.” Aaron kissed her hard and then handed her over to her father, who helped her stand. Aaron moved ahead, her mother held close to his chest, carrying her up as if she weighed nothing.

“I’ve got this asshole,” Ralph growled, putting Guy in a fireman’s carry as the mud, trees, branches, rocks, and everything else came at them. The mudslide happened faster than anything she’d ever seen in her life.

“We need to hurry!” Aaron shouted over the deafening noise.

“Guy had a knife,” she said, clutching her father’s chest. He practically dragged her up the hill on the other side of where the mudslide was coming from.

There was a ravine between the two edges. As long as they made it to higher ground, they should be fine, as would the lodge. But if they’d remained where they were before Aaron had come, they likely would have died.

If Aaron hadn’t come for her, that would’ve been it.

She shook, the adrenaline pumping through her at a fast pace. She knew she was going to crash at any minute.

“Daddy,” she whispered in shock.

“Let’s get you inside. Let’s get your mother and you inside. Come on, pumpkin.”

He held her close, and she looked over at Aaron, knowing that he had only let her father hold her so he could carry her unconscious mother up the hill. No one else would have been strong enough. As it was, Ralph was struggling with Guy’s weight, but she didn’t care. At this point, Guy could be left behind. But then again, she didn’t want that death on her conscience.

They made their way to the top of the hill, the mudslide roaring on the other side of the small ravine, and then people were all talking at once, coming at them. Lights flashed, and she realized that the authorities had arrived.

She wasn’t exactly sure what would happen next. The paramedics came towards her mother, and Aaron handed her off to them before turning and facing her. Madison didn’t know what to say. She simply threw herself at him, pulling away from her father and sinking into Aaron’s hold.

He had saved her. Had saved her mother.

And all she wanted to do was hold him.

And never let go.

Chapter 19

Aaron leaned against the wall, grateful that the authorities were leaving. The cops had taken Guy away in handcuffs. He had woken soon after they landed in the lodge, with Ralph hogtying the man just in case the police didn’t bring their restraints.

Aaron liked Ralph. He couldn’t help it. He knew that, no matter what, he would end up being friends with the lodge manager.

The night’s events weren’t exactly how he’d thought to spend his evening, but then again, nothing about his life was normal.

Not anymore.

He looked over at Madison, saw how she and her family talked to one another, standing so close it was as if they had never been on opposite sides of a fight.

Her mother had woken up as soon as they got her dry. Though the paramedics were sure she had a concussion and would need stitches, they planned to wait a little longer before they put her in the ambulance and took her away. Primarily because the storm had washed out some of the roads, and she was safe and being watched—mostly by Madison, who seemed to never want her mother out of her sight.

After everything that had happened, somehow, this had been the rallying point that had brought them back together. Maeve was like a completely different person, and Aaron didn’t think it was the knock on the head that had done it. No, it was almost losing her daughter. It was as if that scare had changed everything.

He didn’t know if things would stay this way, but he had a feeling that Madison would do her best to make sure they did.

Somehow, she had found her family again, and he was now only an observer, not sure what to say.

She didn’t seem to need him anymore. And, honestly, he wasn’t sure what he would have done if he had lost her. And that scared him. But she needed to be with her family right now, he knew that much. Maybe that meant it would be best to walk away soon. He just didn’t know if he was strong enough to do that.

The cops had questioned him, looked at the bruises on his hands and his bloody knuckles, and hadn’t said a damn thing. Instead, they’d looked almost…proud of him. He’d take that. He had almost been too late to save Madison. Almost too late to save the person he loved more than anything.

And because he loved her, he was going to do whatever was best for her, even if that wasn’t what was best for him.

Mark came up to him then, a frown on his face. Aaron rolled his shoulders back and looked at the older man.