"But when?" Dakota turned to look at him, her eyes searching his face. "Whoever did this to Cooper—whoever put those needles inside him—they're still out there. They could hurt someone else. They could hurt Takoda."
Kade reached for her hand, his fingers closing around hers. "I won't let that happen."
"You can't promise that."
"I can promise that I will do everything in my power to protect our children." His voice was low and fierce. "Whoever did this will pay. But for now, Cooper is safe. He's alive. He's here with us. That's what matters."
Dakota looked at him for a long moment, then slowly nodded. She knew he was right. Cooper was alive. He was safe. He was home.
But the fear—the fear that had been living in her chest since she had found out what had been done to him—was not going to disappear overnight.
Kade seemed to sense her thoughts. He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles.
"We'll get through this," he said quietly. "Together."
