Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 235(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 235(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
“In my defense, I got the text that they were in town this morning.” I leave out the fact that I’ve known for a few days that Walker thought they were headed this way.
Ford claps his hands together. “Okay, so what’s the plan?”
My mouth drops open, and I close it again and smirk. “The plan is you’ll go home to Lilian and Ollie, Lucas, you go be with Isabella, Beau you go home to Natalie, and Austin, hell, you go do whatever or whoever it is you do. I got this.”
Ford is the first one to laugh. “Forget it, brother. We’re here to stay until we know you and Elle are safe.”
I’m about to argue with them, but then an idea comes to mind. “Good, I need a favor.”
“Anything,” Austin says.
They are all worried-looking, and I don’t know how to convince them that I can handle this. I’m trained to do this. “I need you to stay here with Elle.”
Ford groans. “And where are you going?”
I walk over to the gun safe and type in the number before extracting my 22-caliber. None of my brothers look surprised. We were raised shooting guns, and sometimes when I came home to visit, we would pass time by going to the gun range. I point to the safe. “The code is Granny’s birthdate if you need it.”
I put the gun in my waistband and cross my arms over my chest. “They’re going to go to her apartment. We have someone in town, planted to give them the address. I need to be there when it all goes down. I need to know that they’re both apprehended. That’s the only way Elle is going to be truly safe.”
Lucas steps forward. “Walker can handle it.”
I don’t know how else to say it, so I try to explain it to him. “If someone was after your wife, would you just hunker down and wait for them to come get her?”
“Fuck no.”
I nod. “Right. I’m doing what I have to do. I just need you guys to stay with her until I get back.”
Austin bangs his hand on the kitchen counter. He’s sitting on the stool, all laid back and relaxed, but if you knew him, you’d know he’s unsettled. “Let me go with you.”
I shake my head. “No, Austin, I can do this on my own.”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “You think we don’t know that? We know you can do this on your own, but the whole point is that you don’t have to. You’re home now, Huddy. All of us,” he says, pointing at the four of them, “are here for you.”
I walk over and clasp his shoulder before pulling him in to a tight hug. “I know that. I do. But I’m trained for this. You staying here with Elle is what I need. I can concentrate on what needs to be done because I’ll know she’s safe.”
Beau rubs the five o’clock shadow on his chin. “I don’t like it.”
“You know me, Beau. I don’t take unnecessary risks.” I look up the stairs, but Ellie isn’t coming down yet. “I’ll be right back. There’s leftover pizza and beer in the fridge. Steaks too if you want to grill something.”
Beau grunts. “This isn’t a fuckin’ party, Huddy.”
I shake my head. I’m not used to having people worried about me, and it feels good. “I know. I’m going to be fine, Beau. I promise. I’ll be right back.”
I walk up the stairs, and when I get to the top, I go straight to the guest bedroom. I hate for her to be up here. I want to keep her in my room, but I know that’s a conversation for another day.
When I go into the bedroom, I hear the shower going in the bathroom. The door is ajar, and I can’t resist. I push it open gently and instantly wish I’d gotten here a little sooner. I can barely make out the curves of her body through the steamy glass.
Her back is to me, and she’s washing her body, but she says my name.
I walk into the bathroom and close the door behind me, stopping at the shower. “Yeah, honey?”
She finally turns toward me, and I open the door and lean into the opening. She’s beautiful anyway, but with the water flowing down her body, she’s something else. She crooks her finger at me. “You coming in?”
Fuck, I want to. “No, I need to go somewhere, but I wanted to let you know that my brothers are going to be downstairs until I get back. I’ve asked them to stay with you.”
She turns off the water and grabs the towel off the hook before hiding her body from me. “Where are you going?”
I tilt my head because I know she already knows the answer to that.