Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Walker
I don’t know what I was expecting to find when I picked up my wife from Rowan’s house, but it wasn’t this.
Standing in the doorway, I go unnoticed because the room is dark, save for the bouncing, multi-colored strobe lights and the light from the TV. Skylar is sitting cross-legged on the sofa, the biggest bowl of popcorn I’ve ever seen resting between her legs. She picks up a handful and chucks it at Rowan, who’s standing in front of her, microphone in hand, belting the lyrics to a bad eighties song.
He’s putting on a full-out performance, complete with an interpretive dance. I wince as he hits a particularly high note. Actually, it’s more screech than anything. Skylar throws her head back in a full-belly laugh. There’s not an ounce of worry on her face, and for that, I’m grateful to my idiot friend, who is probably scaring all the wildlife off his property.
Once the song ends, Rowan notices me. With the mic still in his hand, he says, “And now, we have a surprise performance by none other than the legend himself, Walker Carter.”
Skylar follows Rowan’s gaze until her beautiful eyes land on me. Fuck, she’s gorgeous. And after a day like today, she’s just what I need to chase away the demons nipping at our heels.
She claps and chants. “Walker. Walker. Walker.”
“Come on, buddy. Bless us with a song.”
I stride over to Rowan and take the microphone. He throws both hands in the air and cheers before taking a seat next to Skylar. I wish I could say this is the first time he has talked me into a round of karaoke, but it’s not, so I’m well-versed in how to scroll through songs on his tablet. Landing on the song that has always reminded me of Skylar, I hit play.
A popular hip-hop song from the 2000s plays, and Skylar lights up in recognition. I feel like an idiot as I put on a concert for the two of them. I’m not standing up here alone for long because the second the chorus hits, my wife is on her feet, dancing and singing at the top of her lungs.
I take a second to memorize this moment and be grateful she’s back in my life. Even after the shit show I was just put through, I wouldn’t change a damn thing. Knowing she has managed to fit right in with my friends just makes her all the more perfect.
Looping my arm around her middle, I pull her to me, and we dance and sing together. I ignore the sharp pain in my side because feeling her grind against me has me instantly hard, and that’s when I know it’s time for this party to end. I need to get her home and naked. She’ll need at least two orgasms before I have to give her the details about the day and she sees my ribs.
The song ends, and my girl and my friend cheer like they just witnessed a real concert. I bend down, bringing my lips to Skylar’s ear. “Time to go home, baby.”
“Just one more song?”
I discreetly take her hand and place it over my erection, enjoying how her expression changes from shocked to heated. “No more songs.”
Skylar walks over to the light switch and flips it on. “Party’s over.”
“Really? I haven’t shown you my Macarena yet.” Rowan faux-pouts.
“Next time.” She plows into him, throwing her arms around his middle like she does with me, since she’s pint-sized. “Thanks for babysitting me today.”
He slides his arms under hers and lifts her in a bear hug. “Any time, sugar.”
“Okay, that’s enough,” I grumble. It’s clearly a platonic embrace, but that doesn’t stop my irritation at seeing his hands on my wife.
“Better watch your step, Walker. If you fuck up with her, I’m primed and ready to move in on your girl.” Rowan sets her down.
“Don’t make me kick your ass.”
“No offense, babe, but I don’t think you can kick his ass.” She cups a hand around her mouth. “He’s got an Uzi.”
My gaze shifts from her to him. “Seriously?”
“Don’t spill the state secrets,” he chides.
Skylar holds up her hands. “Sorry. My bad.”
I shake my head. “Let’s get you out of here before my head explodes.”
“Speaking of exploding?—”
Rowan slaps a hand over her mouth and, without moving his lips, says, “Loose lips sink ships, Skylar.”
She pushes his hand away, laughing. “Okay, okay.”
“You got the knife, right?” He points a finger at her.
“What knife?” I ask.
“Rowan taught me how to use a switchblade.” She pulls a knife out of her purse. “It’s pink!”
“What the fuck, dude?”
“She needs to know how to protect herself. I did you a favor.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. “Please, can we get out of here before I murder my friend?”
“Come on. Let’s go.”
On the drive home, Skylar animatedly tells me all about her day. She’s so excited, she doesn’t even ask about mine, which is good—I’m dreading talking about it. I don’t want to be the one responsible for taking away that light in her eyes.
“I’ll make some chicken and rice for dinner. Does that sound okay?” she asks while stripping her outer layers in the mudroom.
“Sure. While you do that, I’ll take care of the animals and take Sprocket for a quick walk.”
“Cool.” She lifts onto her tippy-toes and tips her head back. “Kiss me.”
Shit, she’s cute. I cup her cheeks and plant one on her that was meant to be brief, but the second I get her taste on my lips, I can’t stop. Soon, we’re making out like we did when we were kids, taking time to learn every inch of each other’s mouths. Eventually, I force myself to pull away, but I don’t go far. With my forehead pressing against hers, we catch our breaths.
“I missed you today,” I say.
“I missed you too. So much.” She rubs her nose against mine. “Wait, how was your day? Mine was so eventful, I completely forgot to ask.”
“I’m glad you were able to relax today.”
“Racing through the forest on an ATV and blowing shit up wasn’t exactly relaxing, but it was exciting.”
“What?” I close my eyes, pushing away all thoughts of him risking my wife’s life. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
“Probably best.”
“I have a feeling my day was nothing compared to yours, but I’ll tell you all about it over dinner.” I stall because I’m a coward.
She takes a step back, assessing me. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. Everything is okay.”
I speed through my nightly chores, which include uncovering my Oakleaf lettuce plants and my carrots. They can live through snow, but I still like to keep a barrier between them and it. Moodonna bellowed at me as I fed her, so I took some time to give her scratches under her chin. I feel a little guilty they haven’t received the kind of attention they’re used to since Skylar showed up. That’ll improve with the weather and getting rid of any threat to my wife and baby.
Back inside, I run upstairs for a quick shower. Turning on the water, I catch sight of my bruised and bloody knuckles. It was a blessing she and Rowan were having a dance party with dim lighting and that the drive home was in the dark so they could go unnoticed, but I can’t hide them forever. I lift up my shirt, wincing at the black and blue forming over my ribs. Can’t hide that either.
Once I’m clean and rid of all the blood, I head back downstairs to find Skylar plating dinner.
“Perfect timing.” She turns and hands me a plate.
“Looks good, sweetheart.”
“See? I can cook.”
“I haven’t tasted it yet,” I kid, earning me a punch to my side that smarts since it’s so close to where I took a steel-toed boot.
“What’s wrong? I didn’t hit you that hard.”
“Are you kidding? You’re like a little Mike Tyson.” Maybe if I joke with her, she’ll let it go until I can tell her what happened.
No such luck.
She takes the plate from my hand, finally noticing the knuckles, and her nostrils flare. “Lift your shirt.”
“Let’s eat first. I’m starved.”
“Walker!”
“It’s no big deal.” I lift my shirt and show her the damage.
“ No big deal? Are you delusional?” She sets the plate down and takes my hand, inspecting the split knuckles. “What happened?”
“Grab your plate, and I’ll tell you over dinner.”
“Okay, though I’m not sure I have an appetite after that.”
“You need to eat so the baby can grow,” I say, an excuse I can tell will work in a lot of situations.
“Way to manipulate me,” she gripes, but she plates up food for herself, and we take a seat at the island. “So? Spill.”
“Some of the Geezers reported seeing bikers at the diner, so Wilder and I went to do some investigating. We found them there, talking to people, asking questions.”
“What kind of questions?” She pushes her rice around.
“I’ll answer any question you have, but for each one I answer, you have to take a bite.” I’ve noticed the more anxious she gets, the less she eats, and all the websites and books say expecting moms need extra calories, not less. I don’t tell her that, though, because I promised I wouldn’t read up on the pregnancy anymore—a promise I break every night before bed.
“That’s dumb.”
“No, that’s a negotiation. What do you say?”
Her knife and fork clank against the plate as she dramatically cuts a piece of chicken and stuffs it in her mouth. “There.”
“They were asking questions about you, trying to figure out if you were around. Of course, no one said anything. At least not until they asked Lucy.”
“Lucy?”
“Bite,” I reply.
“I hate you.” She forks in some rice.
“Lucy has dementia, and usually that means she doesn’t remember shit. Sometimes, she thinks I’m her husband, and other times, I’m her grandson. She lives with her sister, Clara, but when Clara has an appointment, she brings Lucy to the diner, and we all watch?—”
“This is all very heartwarming, but you need to cut to the chase. We can talk about Lucy and Clara another time.”
“Right. Well, Lucy and Clara were at the diner when I took you there for dinner the other night, so she saw you and must’ve overheard gossip about us. So, when the two bikers, neither of whom were Klutch, by the way, showed her a picture of you and asked if she’s seen you, I thought she’d do what she always does and mistake you for her mom or cousin. Of course, they caught her in a moment of lucidity, and she told them all about you and me. Thankfully, she hadn’t seen Wilder and me walk in. Otherwise, I’m sure she would’ve pointed me out.”
“Oh my god.” She covers her mouth, her eyes wide.
“Clara showed up as Lucy was talking to them and tried to fix the damage. She told them her sister has dementia and often mistakes people for someone else, but I wasn’t sure they bought it. Not wanting to risk her spotting me, we slipped back outside after that.”
“This is so bad.”
I cover the hand not clasped over her mouth. “She didn’t tell them where I live, and no one else will. The town will protect us.”
“None of that explains why you’re all banged up. How did that happen?”
I release her hand and point at her dinner. “Eat.”
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
“I know,” I say, but grin when she takes a bite. “Wilder and I thought we’d have a chat with them, play stupid just to feel them out. So when they left the diner, we approached them. After asking a few questions, it was obvious we weren’t going to get any information, so Wilder told them they best get on their way.”
“Let me guess: they didn’t like that answer?”
“Nope. One of them took a swing at me—that I dodged, by the way.”
“Good job, babe. Then what?”
“Then, we fought. Wilder took one on, and I took the other.”
“That was so stupid. Is Wilder okay?”
I lift my chin at her plate, and she shovels in some chicken. “Good girl.”
“Bite me.”
“Don’t tempt me. I’ve been wanting to take a bite of your ass since I was sixteen.”
“Don’t try to distract me. I took my bite, so you have to answer.”
“Fine. Wilder is no more banged up than I am.”
“That’s good, I guess.” This time, she eats some rice before she asks, “Then what?”
“My guy probably outweighed me by a good fifty pounds, so he was able to tackle me to the ground. After that, he kicked me in the ribs with his steel-toed boots.”
“I told you it wasn’t a good idea to take them on. You’re lucky they let you go.”
Ouch. That fucking stings. “You don’t think we could take them?”
“It’s not that. You’re a big guy, and obviously, you work out, but they’re ruthless and don’t fight fair.” She mistakes the look on my face for shame. “Please don’t be embarrassed. I don’t think any less of you. It’s just that?—”
I interrupt by standing and tossing my napkin on top of the dinner I barely touched before I walk away.
“Don’t be mad. I wasn’t trying to emasculate you. They’re animals. Not many people could fight them and win.”
Pissed, I whirl around and stab a finger in her direction. “Yeah, well, I’m one of them. Wilder and I got them both wrestled to the ground and cuffed. If you want proof, you can visit them in county lock up.”
“Really?”
I laugh, but there’s no amusement. “Fuckin’ really.”
Her gaze lowers to the ground. “I’m sorry I assumed, Walker. That was pretty shitty of me.”
“Yeah, it was.” I scoff. “I don’t know when you’re going to trust me to take care of you. I told you over and over that I got this. I have plans with contingencies. You know Rowan; he wouldn’t let us be unprepared for intruders. Maybe now that I kicked one of their asses, you’ll believe me. Or maybe you think they just sent their weakest soldiers, and that’s the only reason.”
“No, I believed you before, I just?—”
“Stephen Gray and Lucas Graham. Do those dumbass names ring a bell?”
“He sent Axel and Cracker?” She finally looks impressed.
“Yeah. Those idiots. They deserved to have their asses kicked for their dumbass road names. I mean, Lucas Graham is Cracker? Fuckin’ stupid.”
“They’re the muscle. Klutch would only send them if he wanted me dead.” Her arms fold around herself, and I want to rush over and comfort her, but my stupid pride won’t let me. It hurts that she still doesn’t believe in me.
“That’s the impression I got.” I snark.
“How long will Wilder hold them?” She tucks a rogue curl behind her ear, and that’s when I notice she’s shaking. Fuck. How am I supposed to be mad when my girl is trembling in fear?
“For a while. They assaulted an officer of the law and were both carrying firearms with the serial numbers filed off. And even if the guns were legal, they’re both convicted felons and aren’t supposed to even be around guns. Wilder is going to drag his feet on this one, and he’ll have the county prosecutor do the same.”
“What’s the penalty for those crimes?”
I grimace. “Four years, and that’s the best case. If they have a good lawyer, probably less. And if they have a really good lawyer and a really terrible judge, they’ll walk away with fines.”
She nods, looking so vulnerable and small. I can’t stand it any longer. I rush over and lift her off her feet, carrying her over to the couch. With our height difference, I can’t be as close as I want to her while also carrying on a conversation if we’re standing. My side aches from the movement, but I don’t give a shit.
After I’ve situated her on my lap, I look her dead in the eyes. “I know you’ve seen them do some awful shit in the past, which has made you believe they’re unstoppable. But sweetheart, please listen when I say we’ve got this.”
“I’m starting to see that.”
“Fuckin’ finally.” I rub soothing circles on her back. “And I know you could run and keep yourself safe. You’re a fuckin’ survivor. Your whole life, the men you trusted most told you were nothing—just an object to use—and instead of accepting that, you rejected it and did everything you could to not become what they wanted you to be. And because those men are absolute shit, they figured out what you value most and used it against you to make you fall in line.”
“And what did I do? Exactly what they wanted.”
“I don’t think so. You’ve had fifteen years to get this divorce, and it’s never required you to come to me.” I lift her hand and place a chaste kiss on the inside of her wrist. “I think I was your failsafe. I think you kept me in your back pocket because you knew I’d be here for you, no matter what.”
“I didn’t expect you to wait around for me.”
“Maybe not, but deep down, I think you knew our love was something neither of us could move on from. And you were right. Had you not shown up, I would’ve died on this mountain a lonely old man, still pining for the one who got away. So why wouldn’t I want to fight alongside you? Because make no mistake, I’m nothing more than a weapon you’re wielding; I’m not your shield.”
Her eyes glass over. “I’m sorry I made you wait so long.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m a patient man.” When her brows lift, I back down. “Okay, fine. I’ve only been patient about one thing—waiting for you to come back to me.”