Page 36 of Unbound

“But how would someone else know that?” Walker is right beside me, the solid expanse of his body grounding me even though we’re not touching. “Unless you think this was written by someone he was familiar with.”

I understand what he’s not saying. The implication he’s making. That someone my dad knew is responsible for what happened to him. Possibly to Walker’s mother. And it’s possible, but this doesn’t prove that.

“Lots of people called my dad Shelley.” I manage to rip my eyes from the slanted letters, putting them on Walker’s concerned face. “He was a politician. Shelley was the name he used in his slogan when running for office, because our last name is so long. It didn’t fit on flag signs.”

I still have a few of them stashed away. Relics of a man I miss every day. I didn’t have my father for long, but he managed to leave me with more memories than I can count. And I carry them close. Hold onto them tight so time can’t rip them away.

It has faded them, though. A fact I do my best not to think about.

“What sort of politician?” Walker’s eyes move from me to the screen before settling back on my face. “What was he running for?”

“He’d held a few different offices over the years, but was campaigning to be a senator when he was killed.”

My parents were older when they had me. Had reached the point they didn’t think children were in the cards for them. So they each threw themselves into their careers. My mother became a successful dentist, while my father chased his political aspirations.

Then I showed up and they worked hard to maintain what they’d built while doting on me.

Especially my dad.

“Interesting.” Walker taps one finger against the surface of the desk, his brows coming together in thought.

“Why is that interesting?” I turn my chair so I can fully face him. “What do you know?”

There’s something he’s not telling me, and I don’t like that. If there’s knowledge to be had, I wish to possess it. That’s probably how I ended up being so decent at hacking. There’s an abundance of things to learn, and I soak all of it up like a sponge. It’s challenging. It’s exciting. It never stays the same, and there’s always new things to figure out. It’s an amount of stimulation my brain hasn’t gotten from anything else, and I love it.

Except when it tries to get me killed. Zero stars on that bit.

Walker hesitates, like he’s not sure he wants to tell me. And as much as I hate it, I’m not sure I can blame him. We haven’t exactly gotten off on the best foot. We met under completely fraudulent parameters. Then I possibly got his family members shot at, almost set his house on fire, and have a really questionable photograph of him as my computer’s wallpaper.

Definitely haven’t made the best impression.

I can get over ruining any chance I might have had romantically with this guy if it means I finally figure out what happened to my dad. But that’s only going to be possible if he trusts me. Unfortunately, I don’t have the faintest idea how to make that happen.

Walker hedges. “It’s actually a very long story.”

“I understand.” I take a deep breath before telling him what might be the biggest lie I’ve ever told. “It’s okay if you don’t want to explain it to me.”

It’s not okay, but I recognize it should be. Any reasonable person wouldn’t press him for more information than he wants to give. Especially considering the shaky foundation we’re standing on. There’s a good chance it could all come crashing down if I keep hacking at it.

No pun intended.

Maybe pun intended.

“It’s not that I don’t want to explain it to you.” Walker rakes a hand through his dark blond hair before scrubbing at the back of his neck. “I just don’t know where to begin.”

I get it. It’s a problem I struggle with myself. I frequently fail to identify the beginning of things. It’s such a fuzzy line I can’t discern exactly where it’s at.

“Knowing why it’s relevant that my dad was a politician might give me something more to work with.” Maybe he doesn’t want to tell me his own secrets, and will have an easier time focusing on my dad’s. “Did your mother know some politicians? Maybe volunteered for one during their campaign?”

I know his mother worked as an administrative assistant for the local newspaper, but it’s possible she had interests on the side. Most people do. Not everyone possesses as one-track of a mind as I have. And maybe politics was one of his mother’s interests. Maybe she was like my dad, and genuinely wanted to make the world a better place.

The possibility of Walker’s mom and my dad having common ground makes me smile. I like thinking that maybe they would have gotten along. Possibly even been friends instead of just two people killed on the same day, maybe even in the same place.

Inside the same car.

“I don’t think my mom was ever part of anyone’s campaigning.” Walker seems frustrated, dragging a hand through his hair once more. “And I don’t remember her ever really talking about politics, but I don’t know if she would have. Not with me. I was a kid.”

My heart pangs, chest going tight. “I thought she and her sister were close. Hasn’t your aunt talked to you about her over the years?”