Officer Brody’s house was now officially a crime scene. Hannah had heard one of the other officers say it over the radio. It wasn’t gossip, just plain facts. She was sitting in the back of one of the police cars when he found her, and she couldn’t look him in the eye.
‘You shouldn’t be in here,’ he said angrily as he slipped into the seat next to her. The other officers were all talking to Ruby, who was speaking animatedly and miming wielding a bat with gusto. The officers were taking notes, nodding occasionally. From her view out of the open window, she could feel the sun. She also saw Martine rolling her eyes at Ruby as she walked around in small circles with Ava. They’d all been checked over by the paramedic. The police had arrived minutes after, finding all three women and a baby outside, and Victor tied up and coming to. The police had bundled him off to the hospital cuffed to an officer. Brody was pressing charges against him. Everyone was. ‘Are you okay? I saw Ava.’
He’d checked on her. The thought warmed her a little, through the numbness. ‘We’re fine, and they have to check the house out. It’s wrecked. It’s going to cost a fortune.’
Brody reached for her hand, taking it in his and rubbing it. ‘You’re cold. Sod the money. I’m insured. We can redecorate the whole place together.’ He frowned, and she wanted to rub it out of his skin. ‘Or move. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. When I got off the stand, the lads came and got me but …’ She saw the fingers on his other hand clench, just for a second, but then he relaxed. ‘Anyway, it seems the local toddler group had things covered.’ He pulled her close then, as if he’d been holding back. She ended up half in his lap, wrapping herself around him.
‘Er, Hannah …’
‘Sorry, I’m just very glad you’re here.’
‘Yeah, well I love you, Hannah. Not the time I know, but after today I’m not holding words back anymore. I love you, and I am so proud of you. I was terrified. I thought you were both … Never mind what I thought – you defended each other. John is mad by the way. You owe him a call.’
She couldn’t take everything he said in after proud. ‘Proud of me? I panicked. It was awful, I—’
Brody stopped her in her tracks. ‘You were amazing. You defended yourself, your friends, and your daughter. You got help here. You were calm on the phone. I heard. Victor is done now. After this, the witnesses. You’re safe, Hannah. We can shut this down.’
She hugged him tight. ‘We? You’re off the case, remember.’ She pulled back and looked into his eyes. ‘No more time spent on him. Ever.’
Brody took her in, dropping a long kiss on her lips before he answered. ‘Anything you want. I prefer the question game anyway.’ His devilish smirk made her wish they were on their sofa at home. Then she remembered the police cars, the forensics, everything. The car fell silent. ‘We need to go get Ava, sort this mess out.’ He nodded, preparing to get out. She pushed her hands onto his chest, stilling him.
‘Before I say this, I want you to know that the thing I like most about you is the way you let me be. You let me find my feet.’
‘You already had them.’ Ever the gent. Never the one to take credit. ‘It was all you.’
‘Yeah, well thank you. I love you, Andrew Brody. For so many reasons, including that.’ She looked around at them. ‘The uniform’s a bonus.’
‘You do? Hannah, I didn’t say it to—’
‘Stop.’ She laughed. Another piece of numbness fell away. ‘Andrew, I love you. I’ve been trying to sleep with you for weeks. I love our life.’ She bit her lip. ‘I’m just sorry the way it happened, what happened here. Not where I am now. I belong here, with you. I chose to be with you, Officer Brody.’
‘Call me Andrew,’ he teased as he pulled her closer.
After they’d kissed as long as they dared leave Ava for, which wasn’t long, they headed back to reality. Brody’s strong hands never left hers as they collected Ava, spoke to the girls, said their goodbyes to the cavalry as they finished their various tasks. Brody spoke in hushed tones to many people, and she knew he was piecing the scene together in his mind. They might need to redecorate after all, just to please him. She knew he was thinking the same.
Before too long, it was just the three of them. The women in the community centre had taken Ruby and Martine’s kids, all the mums in the villages seamlessly making it work like a superwoman phone tree. They had to get back now though. They’d done so much. Hannah had thanked them over and over, and Brody had hugged each woman so tight they’d both blushed furiously.
They sat in the living room, Ava sitting on Brody’s knee. The fuss she’d had since the incident had made her ecstatic, but it would be a long time before Hannah would be fully sure that Ava wasn’t traumatised. She knew the signs, and her daughter had her, and their new pack. The wolf was dead.
‘When I came here,’ she said as they sat and took in the events of the day, in their mess of a home, ‘I was Hannah, and Erin was just locked away. She was sick and tired of fighting. I really think I split myself in half.’ He listened as always, her rock to lean on when she needed it. ‘You saw both in me, and I think that’s one of the things I was the most scared of. I never thought I’d find someone like you.’
‘You have no idea how much I feel that about you.’ His goofy grin told her how much.
‘I’ve decided to keep my name, change it officially. I meant what I said to Victor: Erin is dead. She’s part of me, but I’m Hannah here, at home. What do you think?’
Brody grinned, and she kissed him again. Ava made mwah noises at him, pushing her palm to her face. Brody did it back to her. Thick as thieves as ever. Bullet was snoozing by his feet. He’d done nothing but sniff when he’d got back. Brody had had to make him stop looking for Victor. Hannah was going to sneak him a prime steak when Brody wasn’t looking. He was a good dog.
‘I think I love you all. Hannah.’ He dropped a kiss onto her lips. ‘My Hannah.’