Chapter 17
Will: Walker. Get in there and talk some sense into my sister. Now. She’s ready to bail.
Tate: Why?
Will: She doesn’t like endangering your family.
Tate: My entire family is ready to go Die Hard on this guy for her.
Will: Just don’t let her out of your sight until I can figure something out.
I wasn’t a flight risk.
But I needed something for my hands to do. I was packing my bag because Will now had two days to figure something else out, and I would be ready when he did.
And being forced to sit and do nothing when you want to be doing something, anything, is the worst.
There were three things I knew for certain. I had put the entire Walker family at risk. I was about to be fired for living here. And Leroy was never going to stop.
The Walker home had become a fortress since this morning. Even if I did want to escape, I had no clue how to make that happen. Cameras now covered every square inch of the property on and near the house. This house was probably the safest place in the world for me now.
And to be honest, leaving was the last thing I really wanted to do.
Being with the Walkers and being accepted so easily in their family had been something I hadn’t known I’d been craving. Their family was the kind I had dreamed of having since I was a little girl.
But the jig was up.
A knock sounded outside my door, stalling my packing. Though my room hadn’t had much by way of personal decoration, there would be no way to hide what I was doing. I stood up and swiped at the lone tear falling from my eye.
“Come in.”
Tate opened my door, and when his sweeping gaze settled onto the two black duffel bags on my bed, he looked sharply at me.
“What are you doing?”
“Leaving,” my voice came out soft.
“No, you’re not.”
“Not now. But I am soon.”
“You’re not.” He folded his arms and looked at me stubbornly.
“Tate, he could have killed us all.” I glanced at him before his piercing blue gaze became too much, and I looked to the floor. “Your whole family. It’s not worth it.”
“It’s my fault for not double-checking the house last night.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But you’re not leaving. We’ve changed all the locks, installed cameras. We know he’s in town somewhere. If you run now, you’ll have to start all over again.”
“I’d rather do that than risk anybody getting hurt,” I protested.
When he looked like he wanted to argue, I threw my final log on the fire. “Besides, my job found out that I’m here with you and…I’ll be fired if I don’t go. They won’t take my manuscript unless I move.”
“What?”
I found the email on my phone and held it out to him. By this point, I was numb to its contents, but I could recite just about every word.
From: elainevp@
Liv, I understand your situation, and I’m terribly sorry for it. But I am also your boss at a company fresh off of a scandal that completely jeopardized everything. We cannot rock any boats. The fact that you are living with an unmarried man while hiding out from a stalker is concerning.
We have several morality clauses woven into your contracts. For reference, this is part of what you signed:
"Employees shall not engage in living arrangements that may reasonably create public confusion regarding marital status or family relationships."
It’s not the fact that I’m worried about you living there.
It’s the fact that thanks to your announcements and pictures on social media, the whole company now knows you’re living there.
One week. Two, for your safety…fine. Everyone understands.
But I can’t sanction anymore without a possible employee revolt.
Someone will use this as leverage to try to get away with something else.
We’re too fresh off the previous scandals.
I can’t give you any extra leeway. I want you safe.
I need your screenplay. And while I deeply sympathize with your plight, if this isn’t cleared up soon, you will have to be put on an unpaid administrative leave until things are back to normal.
That’s the best I can do. Daniel is breathing down my neck about this, and my hands are tied.
You have until Tuesday to find other arrangements, or else you’ll be placed on administrative leave, and your screenplay will be reassigned.
Tate leaned against my wall, reading with a growing look of disbelief.
He looked over at me. “You signed this?”
“I didn’t have much choice if I wanted to keep my job. But I never thought it would matter.” I blew out a frustrated breath.
The whole thing was convoluted. I couldn’t leave, and I couldn’t stay.
“They can’t fire you for this. We’re not even sleeping in the same room.”
I shrugged, my voice sounding dull and tired. “They’re a private company. I signed the contract. They can do whatever they want.”
Plot Twist:
Real life can be more seriously convoluted than fiction.
“You’re still not going.”
I leaned against the wall and folded my arms. “You can say things in your bossy voice all you want; I don’t have to listen. I can’t stay.”
“So you want to run again?” he clipped. “And always be scared.”
“Maybe that’s just my lot in life.” I tried to laugh, but it came out hollow and sad. I lifted my chin up, but there was a pit in my stomach, and my hands couldn’t stop twisting the bottom of my shirt.
Three soft knocks sounded at the door, and we both turned to watch the entire Walker clan step into the room.
“What’s going on?” Luke asked as he and Jaxon stepped into the room, followed by their parents, and noticed what no doubt looked like a showdown between their brother and me.
“You want to tell them?” Tate asked, his arms folded across his chest and looking for all the world like he was ready for a fight. “Or should I?”
With an irritated glance in his direction, I told them.
Everything. It was best to get it over with.
I started with my love and gratitude to their entire family.
I thanked them for taking me in before adding my abhorrence at putting any of them at risk on my behalf.
I ended on my boss’s email and told them I’d be gone by Wednesday.
Like a Band-aid.
The email was the angle none of them saw coming. The final piece of evidence that, once known, would render them incapable of changing my mind. It had been an impressive speech—at least I thought.
“Honey,” Ann began, her eyes softening as she took me in. I panicked and looked away immediately. Ann’s sweet nature and her constant temptation to stuff me full of pot roast and pumpkin spice cookies would be too good to pass up. If she pulled me in for a hug, I’d never leave.
“I’m so sorry, but you just can’t go,” she went on, motioning around the room to her boys, her eyes lingering a little longer at Tate.
“I’m horrified that you’ve been dealing with this on your own.
Please don’t worry about us. We all want you here, and I have complete faith in Tate and the boys to keep you safe. ”
Dang it, Ann Walker. I could feel myself wavering at her words.
Wavering at the tender way she looked at me.
I wanted to waver. I wanted to fling myself into her arms and have her hold me, pat my head, and tell me it would all be okay.
Being a part of this family had meant so much to me.
I’d never felt so safe as I did with her son.
I could feel Tate’s heated gaze on mine, but I didn’t look at him.
“Wait. So…” Luke trailed off and pointed to me, eyebrows knit together. “You’re going to leave because, to keep your job, you have to be married to stay here?”
The room fell into a weighted silence. The ticking clock on the wall above the desk was the only noise. I shifted uncomfortably. That wasn’t at all what… The way he said that made me…
Luke looked at Tate. “And you’re not going to jump on that?”
Though I was mortified at his words, the way Luke motioned toward me as he said them caused a warmth to glow inside of me.
He had stunned us all. Tom and Ann sat down on my bed with thoughtful expressions. Jaxon covered his hand over his mouth, but it wasn’t hard to decipher the grin beneath. Luke looked extremely pleased with the idea he’d brought to our door.
Tate hadn’t moved.
Not even a blink from his spot leaning against the wall.
I had never considered my contract in this light. I’d absolutely never use it to entice another person to marry me. It was almost laughable, if I didn’t have so many Walkers staring at me.
Luke threw up his hands. “Where the hell do I sign? I’ll marry her right now. I’m a better shot than you anyway.”
He started walking toward me, a smile on his face, my own not far behind at the sweet absurdity of it all, when Tate stopped Luke’s movement with a hand on his chest.
Luke looked down and grinned. “Ah…there it is.”
Tate pushed a delighted Luke backward before looking over at me, exasperation in his eyes. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I nodded, and slowly, the entire family filtered out of the room. Ann gave me a brief hug, momentarily lowering my defenses—that conniving woman—while Tom grabbed Luke’s arm to be sure he followed him out the door. I stood next to the bed and faced him, my arms folded and prepared to do battle.
Tate was also prepared.
“Do you want to leave?” he demanded quietly.
“What?” I was instantly annoyed. How dare he just outright ask me the hardest question of the night.
He spoke slower this time, with more intent. “Do you actually want to leave, or are you just leaving because you think you have to?”
“I’m leaving because a deranged man broke into your family’s house, and the thought of putting your family at risk absolutely guts me.”
He folded his arms, looking formidable. “Everyone here is begging you to stay. Try again.”
My eyes narrowed slightly, though I felt more at home arguing with him alone. “I’m leaving because I can’t stay here and keep my job. I’m leaving because I’m starting to really love this screenplay, and if I don’t get it out in time, I’ll have to take a second job to supplement my income.”
“We can work all that out.”