Chapter 12
Flint
“Are you alone?” I ask the moment Gunner picks up my call.
“Yeah, is Leslee alright?”
“No news since she spoke to Riley yesterday, which is good. Are things complete on your end?”
“They’re complete, but this whole thing stinks to hell and back. Out of the kindness of their hearts, the Navaja compensated us for Parks’ death. The guy who did all the talking said that the man who started firing, was over-eager and has been dealt with.” Gunner lets out a long exhale before continuing. “He goes by Jay. I don’t give a damn what he was saying, he knew damn well Trinity wasn’t associated with us. I think they were more interested in testing our response.”
“And how did Molly’s niece survive their hospitality?” I question.
“You’ll see when we get back.”
I can’t begin to guess what he means by that, but the feeling in the pit of my stomach tells me it ain’t good.
“Make it soon.” The demand in my voice is clear.
“Yeah, we’ll head back in the morning.”
“Alright, I’ll have Hyde hit the road then also.”
I’m stalling. I know I am and it pisses me off.
I’m fucking old, my body aches, and there’s still so much I want to experience. But there are days, it’s almost like I can hear that timer ticking down.
A few years after I married Bree, I realized that I was older than my dad was when he was killed. That freaked the hell out of me. I loved that man and modeled my actions on my memories of him.
To think that I was busy loving Bree, visiting with my grandkids, found a daughter I never knew existed and adopted a son – while still balancing the Northern Grizzlies and my investments, all without any sort of roadmap from him.
Gunner stays silent, patiently waiting for me to continue and I let out a curse. I’ve never been a coward and here I am acting like one. Just as I open my mouth, Gunner starts talking.
“You’ll want to make sure Bree isn’t around when I see Hyde,” he tells me. His voice is low with anger, but I also hear the resignation. “I’m telling you out of respect, I’m gonna break his nose and a couple of ribs. No lasting damage, but she’s half his goddamn age and is smart enough to have gone anywhere and been anything. If he hurts her, Flint, I will fucking end him.”
“If he hurts her, Gunner, I’ll have Royce dig the grave,” I promise him, relieved Gunner didn’t make me break the news. “But I believe Hyde needs Leslee, more than he probably understands right now. We’ve been running on luck for a long time, and if the Northern Grizzlies are going to survive another generation or two—unscathed—he’ll need her guidance, and I trust that he’s smart enough to accept it.”
“I am beyond pissed at you, and I won’t even try to talk Riley down when I tell her, but between you and me?” He pauses, measuring his words until I take it as my turn to respond to his unspoken feelings.
“You don’t have to say goodbye to Leslee and hope she’s safe living somewhere else,” I complete his thoughts. “I had to, back when my kids were barely out of diapers. I understand, Gunner. I also understand that you wish I was twenty years younger so you could knock my teeth out.”
“Yeah, I’ll have to settle for hiding your dentures.”
“Fuck off, I still have my own teeth,” I growl back.
“Don’t tempt me, old man,” he responds before hanging up.
Well, that went better than expected. I mean, I don’t envy the beating that Hyde has coming. Nor the tongue lashing I’m in for with Riley.
Stacked up against having Hyde back home with us, and in place to take over for Jasper, I can live with it.
“Are you and Gunner alright?” Bree’s soft voice pulls me from my thoughts as she enters the room and wraps her arm around my shoulders.
She lets out a shriek when I pull her onto my lap and give her a kiss.
“We will be, once they’re settled in,” I tell her, trying to sound confident about my decision to send Leslee into Hyde’s care.
“That might just be your last get out of jail free card, y’know.” The look Bree gives me tells me she’s not just talking about Gunner.
While I’ve included her in many of my plans over the years, I knew this was a sensitive one—so I kept my council and didn’t give her a heads-up.
“I’m going to need you to give me one more, darlin’,” I say with a heavy sigh. “Gunner’s going to… sort things out with Hyde when they get back. And you and I are going to let him.”
The flash of pain in Bree’s eyes feels like someone’s reached an icy hand into my chest and squeezed my heart, more so because I’m responsible for it. I’m surprised that she doesn’t pull away, she just tucks her head into my neck, and I tighten my arms around her.
“No matter how much I love you, all of you guys. Sometimes I don’t like you very much,” she replies after a pause. “And I guess I’m no better than any of you, because if that’s the price that has to be paid to have my family together, then I agree.”