Protecting Ellis (Loved by the SEAL #1)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Trip wasn’t positive they had come to the right place until he entered, and the receptionist, an older woman with gray hair and two hearing aids, asked if they were with the wedding party. She started muttering something about how it was supposed to be small.

Q held up his hand, interrupting the woman. “Where?”

She lifted her thin age spot-covered hand, pointing down the hall. “Down there.”

They took off, rushing down the hall to the double doors. Trip pushed through first, taking in the people. He spied Ellis’s father, Dean, and knew he’d picked right. Ellis was nowhere to be seen, but that didn’t stop him from advancing.

“Where is she?”

“Get out!” Dean roared. “Shoot them.”

Rider was beside him, his piece raised and aimed at the closest man carrying. “You’d best not. You’re outmanned and outgunned. You’ll be dead on the floor before I take my next breath.”

Trip saw the guys hesitate then raised their hands, backing away like they wanted no part of what was going on.

“Shoot them!” Her dad’s histrionics were getting to Trip. Instead of telling him to be quiet, Trip just walked up to him and punched him in the face, knocking him out.

Trip turned to the rest of the group. “Anyone else want to say anything?”

He heard someone off to his left, then saw a head pop up. It was Ellis. “I do.” But tears made her voice crack as she stood on shaky legs.

Trip stepped up on the first pew and made his way back to her, stepping on each pew until he was in the row with her.

“I’m here now, love.”

Her shoulders shook as she buried her face against his chest. He held onto her, thankful he had good friends who would stand up for him and help him when he needed. They’d spent the night working hard, and here they were in some church, rescuing his woman from her demented father.

The police were called. Ellis and her mother were both checked out by the EMTs. Eloise had bruises but nothing else. Physically, Ellis was fine, but she’d been through a lot.

When they were finally home, they both dropped into bed and slept until four the next morning. Thankfully Q drove Ellis’s car home, and she had no reason to ever go back to her parents’ house.

The police were able to connect the attack to Dean. Bennet spilled the beans about Dean’s motivations. Officer Mackay had sent a text, checking in after she heard from the police in Glendale.

Trip wanted to protect Ellis from it all, but he knew she would end up having to testify in the eventual trial. Ellis was the strongest woman he’d ever known. She may be small in stature, and look ethereal like an elf, but she was a powerhouse. She could withstand a trial, and come out the other side on top.

They were sitting outside, coffee in hand as the sun was starting to slowly come up, turning the sky light grey.

“Thank you for finding me.”

He reached out and held her hand. “I want to give you something to wear that has a tracker in it. I know that may seem like I’m stalking you, and I’ll always tell you if I put a tracker on your car or in your purse or something so you can get rid of it if you ever feel unsafe, but I didn’t like not knowing where you were.”

She let go of a bark of laughter. “Sign me up. I don’t want to ever be in a situation like that again. Besides, I know you won’t stalk me. You’d be looking to make sure I was safe, not to take advantage of me.”

“I love you so much.”

She turned her gaze on him, her eyes moist with fresh tears. “I love you so much. I don’t want to wait to get married. I want to be yours.”

His lips curved up, and he set his coffee down before he dropped to one knee in front of her. “Ellis, you mean the world to me. Marry me this weekend. We can take a trip later to celebrate, but I want you to be mine.”

The light in her eyes said yes for her. He knew his woman well enough to see that all the love she had for him meant they would be together.