Page 110 of Unbound

When the gun goes off, I scream, a pain like I’ve never felt before spearing through my heart as I latch on to Walker, desperate to keep him with me.

I can’t lose him. I can’t imagine living without his dry retorts and adorable frowns. I won’t be able to.

I need him.

I squeeze tight, expecting Walker to sag in pain, but he remains as strong and stable as ever. A sob rips from my throat as a second gunshot echoes through the house I’ve always felt so safe in.

Then Walker’s arms come around me. Scooping me up and pinning my body against his.

“Breathe, Snoopy.” He cradles my head in one hand, rocking me. “It’s over. Everything is okay.”

That’s not possible. “But… he shot you.” I push away from him, expecting to see blood leaking from his beautiful body.

But it’s not there.

My head snaps to where Tom stood just seconds ago.

He is not standing anymore.

The man who stole so much from me—so much from Walker—is lying on the floor, completely still, a puddle of blood collecting around him on the hardwood.

My mother stands behind him, a small handgun clutched in her fingers. “The first bullet was for my husband.” She meets Walker’s eyes, a fierceness I’ve never seen before simmering in her gaze. “The second bullet was for your mother.”

36

Walker

“It’s so weird to see your whole body.” Heidi looks at me across the cab of my truck. “You’re taller than I expected.”

I turn out of the private airport Pierce flew his perkiest hacker into. “I get that a lot.”

She snorts. “Really?”

Pulling onto the highway that will take us to Willow Bend and the woman who’s about to be real fucking excited—I glance her way. “No.”

Heidi barks out a laugh, reaching across the console to shove my shoulder. “You crack me up.”

I shake my head, questioning my own decision making skills. I’m not sure what part of me thought having Heidi and Sybil together in my house was a great idea. Probably the part that will do whatever it takes to make Sybil happy. To make her smile after everything that happened.

Learning a man she thought she knew—a man her father trusted—was not only responsible for her father’s death, but also for establishing a nationwide human trafficking ring, was a blow. One she’s still coming to terms with.

But at least she’s not doing it alone. Paula decided she couldn’t stand living two hours away from her daughter, so she put her home up for sale and became a permanent member of my household.

Now, I wake up in the mornings to Sybil’s mom in the kitchen and spend many of my weekends watching her and my Aunt DeeDee take over my family room, drinking wine and sharing snacks the way she used to with my mom.

It’s not the way things should have been, but having a mom to fuss over me and lecture me about taking care of myself has helped me close a door that’s been open for over two decades. With every hug she gives me, Paula heals a few more of my broken parts. Having her around has been pretty fucking great.

Especially since I moved her to the bedroom at the other end of the hall.

Heidi chatters the whole drive to my house, telling me about her kids, her partner Shawn, and how Pierce’s daughter barfed right down the front of her father’s fancy suit yesterday.

I find myself smiling at that last part. Not necessarily because I think Pierce could probably stand to get puked on now and then—even though I do—but because for the first time in my life I can consider what it might be like to be puked on myself.

I gotta admit, I don’t hate the thought of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl with her momma’s motormouth upchucking on my blue jeans. Outside of the fact that it probably wouldn’t be an enjoyable experience for her.

“Oh my God. You are going to be the cutest daddy ever.” Heidi claps her hands, bouncing a little in her seat. “Just so we’re clear, I’m coming to stay for a week after Sybil delivers. I freaking love babies.”

“I feel like you’re getting way ahead of yourself here.” Not that I’m far behind her. “We haven’t even discussed having kids, so you can slow your roll.”