“You’re so desperate to get me away from the plant life, you’re volunteering to go shopping,” I muttered.
“No, baby,” he assured me. “I want you excited about this, not overwhelmed by shit we haven’t even decided to do.” He gestured to the acres around us. “That can come with time. And if we don’t have animals here, that’s okay,” he murmured.
“I want to,” I insisted. “I didn’t grow up with them, but I love them, and I want to figure it out. I know I can.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Emmie, you can do anything.”
I smiled. “Including trying to murder a perfectly innocent tree, apparently.”
Being the smart man he was, he didn’t comment and instead pulled me to my feet and took me into town.
* * *
“What are we doing here?” I asked in confusion as we pulled up to my old place after a trip to buy a few new things for the house.
He cut the engine before turning his body to face mine. “Moving you out,” he replied. “Baby, you agreed to move in with me. You think I’m gonna give you a chance to change your mind?” He smiled, reaching out to stroke my cheek.
“I’m not going to change my mind.” I shook my head. “But I haven’t even given Grace a heads-up, I’m not sure….” I trailed off as I followed his gaze out the window to where my best friend stood, her red hair piled high in a ponytail, wearing jeans, a tee, and… were those tennis shoes?
“You already gave her a heads-up,” I murmured, once against floored by how thoughtful he could be.
“I did. Called her last night,” he replied as I turned to face him, a million emotions racing through me. “I know you’ll miss her, baby,” he said softly. “But I’m hoping living with me will help to make up for that.”
I blinked back tears, leaning over to kiss him. “You already have,” I assured him as the passenger side was yanked open.
“Alright, are we doing this or what?” Gracie demanded. “I put on sneakers and everything.”
I laughed, breaking away from Gunner and sliding out of his truck. “I see that.” I wrapped her in a hug. “I love you, Gracie.”
She squeezed me tight. “And I love you. Tatum’s already inside, since I still can’t be here alone.” She rolled her eyes.
I nodded, wiping at my eyes, and eyed the house with new focus. “All right, let’s do this.”
“Not without coffee!” Frannie called as she, Layla, and Wren piled out of her car. I hadn’t even heard them pull up.
“You can’t lift a finger,” I instructed Frannie sternly.
She smiled, handing me a coffee. “I know. I’ll supervise.”
“You didn’t bring the babies.” I pouted.
“Mad and his mom have got them for a few hours. I already feel like I miss them,” she admitted. “But I think some time with my girls is well in order.”
I put an arm around her shoulders, intent on directing her to the nearest couch as soon as possible. “I agree. Let’s go get you settled with your feet up.”
An hour later, the girls and I were nearly done packing up my bedroom. I’d already moved most of my clothes to Gunner’s house, and what remained hadn’t taken long.
The guys came in to take apart my bed, which Gunner and I had agreed could replace the futon in the guest room.
“What are you going to do with this room?” I asked Grace curiously as we lay side by side on the empty floor.
“Don’t know,” she replied. “Might use it as a guest room and for storage of my beauty stuff.”
“You still having trouble with Valerie?” I asked after the woman who owned the salon where Grace worked.
“Yep.” She sighed just as Gunner appeared, leaning against the doorframe.
“Tired?” he asked, fighting a grin. He and Tatum had done all the hard work.
“Hey, packing can be tiring too,” I quipped as I sat up. “Are we about done?”
He nodded. Aside from my bed, the rest of the furniture was either Grace’s or something Gunner already had.
“So when’s the housewarming party at your place?” Grace asked with a raised brow.
“How about you at least let me move in?” I teased.
“So, like a week?” she replied seriously.
“We’ll let you know.” I laughed as Gunner helped us both to our feet.
“I’ll go make sure we got everything,” Grace offered, striding from the room.
Gunner wrapped an arm around me, kissing the side of my head. “Okay?” he asked gently.
I eyed the empty room that had been home for so many years. “I love this house,” I shared. “Grace and I had so many great memories here. But during all that time, even when I couldn’t admit it, I wanted you. I couldn’t fully realize my dreams here, because you weren’t a part of it.” His grip on me tightened as I continued. “So, while I loved living here, I’m going to love making our future together even more.”
He turned me in his arms, staring down at me with so much love and intensity, it nearly stole my breath. “Fuck, Emmie, why are you always saying shit like this when we’re not near a bed?” he growled.
I looked up at him. “Well then, let’s go home.”
He took my mouth in a soft kiss. “Let’s go home,” he agreed.
Chapter 19
GUNNER
I woke slowly the next morning, relishing the feeling of Emmie’s smooth, warm skin in my arms. I’d missed waking up with her. I’d talked to Cason, and he’d eagerly agreed to dig more into Castillo’s whereabouts with the agreement he and a few of the Bloods would be up to Hawthorne for an in-person visit soon. Though I still spent the better part of every day hunting the bastard, having Cason’s help allowed me some much-needed time with my woman.
When she stirred in my arms, my cock stirred right along with her as I breathed in her intoxicating scent. I was just about to shift her in my arms, when the dogs started barking, followed by the doorbell.
“Who’s that?” she asked hoarsely as I groaned in frustration.
Whoever it was better have a damn good reason for showing up unannounced. “Don’t know, but you stay here, and I’ll get rid of them,” I directed, rising from bed to slide on my sweats.
She looked up at me, her gaze hungry as she nodded willingly.
“Heel,” I ordered the dogs, looking through the peephole and immediately realizing I wouldn’t be getting back in bed with Em anytime soon.
“Hi, honey.” My mom smiled after I’d opened the door.
I wrapped her in a hug. “Hi, Ma. Didn’t know you were coming,” I rumbled, genuinely pleased to see her despite my waylaid morning plans.
“I know. I hope you don’t mind, but after our conversation the other day, I thought I could help,” she replied, greeting both dogs with a pat on the head as she stepped in through the door.
When I’d told my mom about Emmie’s concerns that she wasn’t truly okay with us living here and about her lack of experience with animals, she’d listened intently and conveyed her support. Now, it appeared, she wanted to do more.
“Okay, I just wish you had told me. It’s not safe to have you traveling alone,” I objected. While Emmie appeared to be Castillo’s target, I didn’t want my mom unprotected.
“Max met me at the airport,” she surprised me by saying, and for the first time, I looked out at the driveway, realizing Max’s SUV sat parked, waiting for my mom to get safely inside.
Damn, but I had the best brothers.
I waved in thanks to him as he pulled away from the house and down the drive.
“Let me just go get Em,” I told her as I turned on a heel and headed down the hall. “Baby.” I spoke softly, sitting on the bed where Emmie had fallen back asleep.
“Hmm?” she mumbled.
“My mom is here,” I shared.
She sat up with comical speed, her hair in disarray, eyes wild. “What?” she demanded.
I chuckled. “Surprised me too. I think she just wants to make sure we�
��re good. And probably wants to spend some time with you.”
“Okay,” she breathed, and I was surprised she seemed nervous.
“Babe, it’s not like you haven’t met my mom before,” I reminded her.
“Yeah, but now I’m your girlfriend. It’s different,” she exclaimed, standing up and rushing around the room grabbing her clothes.
Not for the first time, I reminded myself that I needed to change that title. It was far too insignificant for what she was to me. “You’re right, it’s better,” I grunted. “I’ll go start breakfast. Take your time.”
I heard her mutter something unintelligible as I left the room, knowing she’d need coffee as soon as possible.
When I entered the kitchen, my mom was already on it. Coffee was brewing, and she was mixing pancake batter.
She looked at me with worried eyes. “Did I overstep? I guess I should have called.” She fretted in the soft-spoken voice I was well accustomed to.
While she might appear hesitant, or even shy to those who didn’t know her well, my mom was one of the strongest women I’d ever known.
I grasped her hand, squeezing in reassurance. “It’s fine. It’s good to see you.”
“You look happy.” She smiled tenderly up at me. With her large dark eyes and kind smile, my mom had matured into a beautiful woman. Though the scarring on her face would always be a reminder of what we’d been through, it was also a representation of how far we’d come.
I knew with everything I was that my dad would have loved her even more today than he had before. The fact he’d been robbed of that chance fueled the fury that lay burning just beneath the surface.
“Happier than I’ve ever been,” I replied truthfully just as she looked behind me and her smile expanded.
“Emmie,” she greeted warmly as my girl walked into the room and directly into my mom’s arms.
“Karen, so good to see you.” Em smiled, looking gorgeous in the black tank top and jeans she’d put on. Hell, she looked good in everything she wore and even better in nothing at all.
“I hope you don’t mind the intrusion,” my mom said, pulling back to get a good look at Emmie. “I won’t stay long,” she assured us as she turned to the coffeepot and poured us all a cup.
I pulled a barstool out for Emmie and sat beside her as my mom piled our plates high with pancakes. Once she’d served us both, she got her own plate but remained on the opposite side of the counter.
“Emmie, if it’s alright with you, I was hoping we could spend some time together today,” she hedged.
Emmie looked at her in surprise but nodded readily. “I’d like that. I just have a quick thing I have to do tonight, but it shouldn’t take long.”
I grunted, remembering it was Angela’s birthday, one of the nurses she worked with. She’d promised to meet a few of them for a drink.
My mom’s gaze flicked from mine back to Em. “I hope you don’t mind, but Gunner shared a bit about how you’ve been feeling. I wanted to make a trip out here so I could tell you personally how happy I am that you two are making a home here. I’m truly happy in San Diego. This house had become a lot to maintain, but the thought of it going to strangers after everything it’s meant to us was a tough pill to swallow.” She reached across the bar and put her hand over Em’s. “For me, this is perfect.” She smiled reassuringly. “And,” she continued as Em swallowed hard, visibly moved, “I thought you and I could spend some time together reviewing some of the tips and tricks I picked up over the years—only if you want to,” she was quick to add.
“I’d love that,” Emmie murmured.
“Good.” My mom smiled. “Now, eat up. We have a big day ahead.”
* * *
“So, how did the crash course go?” I asked that evening as I joined my mom on the back porch. Emmie had taken off to go meet her coworkers with Max as her tail so I could spend a bit more time with my mom.
“She’s gonna do great.” My mom smiled, accepting the glass of wine I handed her as I sat next to her with a beer in hand. “That woman is determined.”
“Don’t I know it,” I agreed wholeheartedly. She and Emmie had spent nearly the entire day outside, my mom walking her through the property, the empty chicken coop, kennels, and orchard. “But I really appreciate your coming out. I think that for as confident as she is, until she got your blessing firsthand, she was doubting herself.”
“I’m happy to help.” She smiled. For a few moments we sat in comfortable silence, staring out at the darkened landscape, both dogs sleeping at our feet.
“You’re still after him.” Her soft statement was like a crack of gunfire in the quiet night air.
We’d never spoken directly about my mission to end Castillo, to take from him as he had taken from me.
“I am,” I confirmed simply. “But it’s nearly over.”
All of my hours of chasing every lead had paid off, and I finally had a line on his whereabouts. I was close, so close. I could feel it.
“I would tell you to stop, that he’s not worth it. But I know it wouldn’t do any good. So instead, I’ll ask you to be careful,” she murmured.
“Always am,” I assured her.
“I brought something for you.” She shocked me by slipping her engagement ring off her finger and handing it over to me.
My throat got so tight, I couldn’t respond as I opened my palm. “Are you sure?” I rasped, staring down at the ring in my palm, the delicate piece weighted with significance.
“I’m sure.” She grasped my hand, closing my fist around the ring. “This ring has already had one great love story. It’s time for it to have another.”
“Thank you,” I managed.
“You’re welcome.” She smiled. “Now, I better get my bag. Cal and Jill will be here soon.”
“I told you, you could stay the night,” I grumbled.
She waved a hand. “I need to get back, and you two need your privacy. And next time, I’ll call.” She grinned as I stood to walk her back inside.
“You sure I can’t drive you?” I offered again.
She waved a hand. “Nah. You stay and wait for Emmie. Plus, I want to catch up with Cal and Jill. Seems like we’ll be family at some point.” She winked.
“True,” I confirmed without hesitation. “Love you, Mom.”
She wrapped me in a hug. “I love you too, honey.”
When Cal and Jill arrived, I helped put her bag in the back of their SUV, thanking them both for coming before stepping back inside, my cell ringing in my pocket.
“Yeah?” I greeted, shutting the door behind me.
“Pierce?” Cason’s voice was low and insistent. “You know that lead you’ve been chasing? I found something. And you’re not gonna like it.”
Chapter 20
EMMIE
“So, how goes the cohabitation?” Angela asked as we sat around a table toward the back of the bar.
I smiled. “Good. I feel so much better after spending the day with Gun’s mom. As much as he’d assured me that she wanted us to live in the house that was once theirs, I think I just needed to have her blessing directly. And after our time together, though it’s clear she still loves the place, it’s obvious she’s happy where she is,” I shared as I took a sip of my drink.
I’d welcomed the chance to get to know Karen better and hoped we could spend more time together soon.
“That’s great,” Jess replied as she looked up over my shoulder. “Peter, we didn’t know you were coming,” she greeted as Peter came to stand alongside my chair.
He shrugged with a deprecating grin. “Got bored at home. Sorry, was this just a girls-only thing?”
“No, of course not, join us.” Angela gestured to the seat beside mine.
I inwardly groaned. As harmless as Peter was, Gunner would not be happy.
“Where’s Eliza? You could have brought her,” I mentioned, referring to his girlfriend who none of us had met yet.
“She’s tired.” He shrugged as he signaled the
waitress. “Anyone need another?”
After we shook our heads, he ordered a beer for himself while Jess shared her recent landlord drama on the lease she was trying to get out of.
“Well, guys, I think I’m gonna head out.” I spoke up a little while later. I was tired and eager to get home.
“You on tomorrow?” Angela asked.
“Yep, bright and early. Happy Birthday, enjoy the rest of your night.” I waved to the table and picked up my purse, heading out of the bar.
As I stepped out into the parking lot, keys in hand, two things happened at once. I locked eyes with Max, who was parked two cars down, sitting astride his bike, his phone to his ear. I watched as his eyes widened and he shouted my name as I felt something hard press to my lower back.
“Get in the truck,” Peter ordered from behind me.
“Emmie!” Max bellowed again, moving toward us with fury darkening his features.
“Stop right there,” Peter ordered, sounding nearly gleeful. “Your sister and I are going to go for a little drive. In, Emmie.” He pushed me hard, opening the driver-side door of my truck and shoving me over to the passenger side as he got in behind me, yanking my keys out of my hand and starting the engine.
“What the hell is going on?” I demanded as he peeled out of the parking lot with one hand, the other keeping the gun trained on me.
“Consider yourself a package I’ve been commissioned to deliver,” he explained darkly.
My blood froze in my veins as realization dawned. “You work for Castillo.”
“Give the girl a prize.” He snorted as I heard the rumble of Max’s motorcycle behind us. He looked up into the rearview mirror with an irritated glance.
“I’m guessing Peter Davis isn’t your real name,” I muttered, and for a moment, my fear was replaced with pure anger. Gunner had known something wasn’t right with this asshole all along.
He rolled his eyes. “No, and I fucking hate that name.”
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