Beautifully Broken Pieces

by Catherine Cowles

  Walker’s jaw was granite-hard, his words seeming to be ripped from his throat. “But I didn’t get there before he hurt you.”

  I pushed my hand harder against his chest. “I’ll heal.” The statement was simple but true. I would heal. And if I had Walker by my side, I knew that recovery would happen quickly.

  Walker’s gaze locked on mine with such intensity, my heart stuttered in its rhythm. “I love you. You snuck in and stole my goddamned heart, but I hope you never give it back. Please give me the chance to love you.” His eyes pleaded with mine.

  My heart seized and burned. A sensation that was nothing but pleasure and peace this time. “I’d love nothing more than to be loved by you and to love you in return.”

  Walker dropped his hold on my hand and grasped my face again, this time brushing his lips against mine. It was a feather-light touch, but one with the deepest of meanings. “You’re mine.”

  “I’m yours,” I whispered against his lips.

  Walker pressed his mouth to mine again. “And I’m yours, too.”

  “Yes, you are.” Warmth flooded my entire body. This beautiful, strong man, who never gave up fighting for me, was mine. I flashed a huge grin.

  Walker gave me a slow and sexy smile. “I might have to share you for a little bit, though.” I blinked up at him, confused. He let out a low chuckle. “The waiting room is filled to the brim with people just waiting to see you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. Carter and Austin hopped on a private jet as soon as they heard what had happened and have been going between Liam’s hospital room and the waiting area. My entire family is there, a large portion of the SLPD, Tessa, even Arthur, Clint, and the rest of the bridge club is out there.”

  Pain flashed in Walker’s eyes at the mention of his family, and my own face lost its grin. “How’s Jensen?” I couldn’t imagine what she must be going through right now. My heart ached for her.

  “In stoic denial, I’d say.” He rubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw. “It’s not that she doesn’t believe Bryce did those things. She does. She just…I don’t know, is playing off that it has any sort of impact on her. She’s focused solely on you.”

  I reached for Walker’s hand again, needing to draw strength from him to ask the next question I needed an answer to. “I-Is he dead?” That part of my memory was still hazy. I was pretty sure I remembered Walker shooting him, but I had no idea if that shot had been fatal.

  Walker’s teeth ground together. “He is.” He seemed to struggle with how to express what he needed to say next. “I’m not sorry for it. Bryce never would have stopped. There was no other option. He was sick. I’m not sure why, but maybe Ashlee will be able to fill us in on the missing pieces once she’s able to come to terms with it all.”

  Oh, God. Ashlee. I couldn’t imagine how this must be rocking her world. “Is she—?” I started to ask, unsure of what word to use because of course she wasn’t okay.

  “She’s hanging in there. She’s been in the waiting room, too. Wanted to make sure you were going to be okay.”

  “Walker, that poor girl.”

  “I know,” he said, his voice gruff. “He was the only family she had left. Her dad took off when she was twelve, and Bryce was fourteen. Her mom drank herself to death.”

  My stomach churned again as tears pricked my eyes. Walker brushed his lips across my temple. “We’ll get past this. All of us. Together.”

  A knock sounded from the door. “Come in,” Walker called.

  The door swung open, and a disheveled Ashlee appeared. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her face was incredibly pale. She shuffled in, one hand grasping the bag that was over her shoulder, the other shaking slightly by her side. The door closed quietly behind her.

  Ashlee’s wide eyes swung from Walker to me. “They said you were awake.” I wasn’t sure how to respond or what to say to someone who had just recently discovered that her brother was a serial killer. Ashlee just bobbed her head slightly. “That’s good. I needed you to be awake for this.”

  With a shaky hand, Ashlee pulled something from her bag. The world slowed. I wished I could blame it on the pain meds or the blow to my head, but no. The world slowed because Ashlee had a gun. A weapon that was now pointed directly at me.

  45

  Walker

  I slowly stepped to my right, effectively blocking any shot Ashlee might have of Taylor. What the hell was happening? Ashlee’s hand shook. Not a good thing when that hand was holding a gun. Tears streamed down her face as her eyes hopped from Taylor to me and back again.

  I held out a hand in a placating gesture, while mentally cursing the fact that my weapon had been taken by a crime tech as part of the investigation into Bryce’s death. I knew I’d be cleared, but they just had to take my fucking gun. Now, I had no weapon. No way to defend Taylor. I stalled for time. “What’s going on, Ashlee?”

  “She’s not supposed to be here.” Ashlee’s eyes were wide, almost feral, and they were fixed on Taylor with the ferocity of a cornered wild animal. “She’s a liar. Did you know that? She lied to make me think she wasn’t a threat. Lied to hide that she wasn’t after you. But she was! From the first minute she got here.”

  “And you!” Her eyes shot to me again, and she shook the gun at me for emphasis. “You killed my brother! The only person who ever really loved me.”

  Her voice had a keening quality to it now, her grief right on the surface. “You were supposed to love me. Why, Walker? Why couldn’t you love me? What’s wrong with me?” Ashlee’s tears fell harder, streaming down her cheeks and dripping from the end of her chin.

  My mind whirled, trying to put the pieces together. “I had no idea you felt that way. Why didn’t you tell me?” How had a seemingly innocent crush turned into this?

  “LIES! You knew!” The gun rattled again.

  The beeping of the heart monitor increased in speed, and I knew Taylor was panicking. I had to find a different track. “Ashlee, I didn’t know, I promise. I thought we were friends. We are, aren’t we?” It was a total lie, but I didn’t know what else to do other than plead complete ignorance.

  Ashlee cocked her head to one side as if pondering what that might mean. “Friends?”

  “Yes. Friends.” I searched for where I should go from here. Where could I take this conversation that would help me understand what the hell had happened and how to get us out of this situation? “And friends are honest with each other, right?”

  Ashlee cocked her head to the other side. She wiped her tears away with her free hand, still not dropping the gun. “Yes…” Her voice was quiet now.

  Quiet was good. Quiet meant calm. And I needed her to keep from making any sudden movements that could cause the gun to accidentally go off. I pushed on. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “She ruined everything.” Ashlee was back to a keening wail again. Shit.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You were supposed to be with me. We’re perfect for each other. And I’ve worked so hard for so long to get us together.”

  My muscles locked. “How have you worked to get us together?”

  She looked at me like I was an imbecile. “I got rid of them, of course.”

  My chest tightened along with my fists. “What do you mean you got rid of them?”

  Ashlee’s eyes hardened. “Bryce liked killing. He mostly did it away from here to protect me, but when I needed someone to disappear, he would do that.” More tears spilled over her lower lids, but I no longer felt that pull of compassion towards her. “Bryce always took care of me. Did you know that our dad beat us?”

  I’d heard rumblings that Mr. Elkins had been a nasty drunk, but there had never been substantiated claims that the police department could act on. Then he just disappeared. Everyone thought he’d just abandoned his family, but maybe that wasn’t the case. I shook my head. “I didn’t know, Ashlee. I’m so sorry.”

  “Bryce would always take the beatings for me, whenever he cou
ld. They were so bad and always for no reason. Finally, Bryce said we had to stop him.” Ashlee sniffled, wiping at her face with her long sleeve. “He used to chase us into the woods. This time, Bryce said to lead him to a specific area, so I did. Bryce had hidden a shovel out there, and when I ran by, Daddy trailing after, Bryce killed him.”

  More of the pieces began to fall into place, and my blood ran cold.

  “See, Bryce was good. He protected me. Always. Always. Always. He protected me, and he wanted me to have what I wanted.” Ashlee’s eyes turned in my direction. What she wanted was me.

  “I would tell him who I needed to be gone, and he would do it. See, he killed to protect us, but then something broke in him. He liked it.” Her face fell. “Too much. I told him to only kill the bad people, and he said that’s what he did.”

  Caitlin and a random hiker counted as bad people? I wanted to ask but didn’t. Taylor? My body vibrated with the rage currently coursing through me.

  Ashlee was oblivious, she just kept right on with her tale. “When I heard you were going to propose to Julie after she graduated, I knew I had to stop it.”

  My eyes fell closed for the briefest of seconds. I finally had the answer I’d needed for over a decade. The thing that would allow me to put Julie to rest completely. I’d known her killer, and I’d ended his life. And I would bring Ashlee to justice, as well.

  A weird combination of emotions flowed through me. Heartbreak at the taking of an innocent life for the most selfish of reasons. An innocent who had meant so much to me in my young life. Relief followed closely on its heels by guilt. Relief that Julie would have her justice and that losing Julie had meant I was free to find Taylor—the woman who truly set my soul aflame. And guilt for feeling both of those things.

  I pushed those thoughts aside as Ashlee kept talking. “I told Bryce, and he said he would take care of it. He did.” The rage reignited in my veins. All the years of betrayal… It was almost too much to bear. “You didn’t really date seriously after that, so I didn’t really have to do anything. I know you just needed time to sow your wild oats. And I was giving you that.”

  Ashlee’s eyes snapped towards Taylor, anger flooding her expression. “But then Caitlin got greedy. It wasn’t enough to just date you. She wanted to marry you. She wanted what wasn’t hers. I heard her in the bakery.”

  My mind flashed back to the scene Caitlin had made that morning at the shop. Ashlee and Bryce had both been there. Was that all it had taken to set Ashlee off?

  “Then she had to come.” Ashlee shook the gun in Taylor’s direction. “That liar. She said nothing was going on between you two, but the whole time, she was trying to snare you. I knew it!”

  I took a step towards Ashlee, keeping one hand outstretched. “We can figure this out. There’s a solution, I promise you. We just have to find it.”

  Ashlee’s head bobbed up and down in a jerky nod. “There is. She has to die.” I froze mid-step as Ashlee’s eyes and the gun swung from me to Taylor and then back to me again. More tears fell from her eyes, her shoulders heaving. “And you have to, too. You killed Bryce. Why? Why did you have to do that?”

  I was going to have to tackle her and hope for the best. Fuck, I really didn’t want to get shot again, but there was no way Ashlee was giving up on this crazy mission she was on. My eyes were drawn to a spot behind Ashlee at a small movement. The door was creeping open. I really hoped it was a cop from the waiting room and not some unsuspecting nurse.

  I forced my eyes back to Ashlee, not wanting her to be clued in to the intruder behind her. I needed to keep her talking. “I’m sorry—” I blurted. “I didn’t know the whole story. If I had known what happened to you and Bryce, I wouldn’t have killed him.” Lies. Total lies.

  “It’s too late. You did, and now I have to defend him. Protect him like he did for me, even if it’s too late.” She cocked the hammer on the gun, and my muscles coiled in preparation to leap at her. Suddenly, she crumpled to the floor in a heap. Left in her place was Liam, standing there decked out in a hospital gown and those socks they gave you with the rubber dots on the soles, holding a fucking bedpan.

  My jaw fell open. “Did you just knock her out with a bedpan?”

  Liam grinned. “It seemed only fair. Her brother cracked my skull open with a skillet.” His face grew serious. “Are you guys okay? She was fucking crazy. I could hear her all the way out in the hall.”

  I crouched, lifting the gun from where it had landed on the floor. “You might want to grab some on-duty officer and an orderly.”

  Liam nodded and ducked back outside to get some help. I turned to Taylor. Her eyes were wide, and her face was as white as a sheet. I rushed over to her, panic licking at my veins. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded woodenly. “She’s crazy. But at the same time, I feel horrible for her, she’s led such a messed-up life.” Taylor’s gaze went from Ashlee on the floor to me. “Is it over now? Please tell me it’s finally over.”

  I set the gun down on the table next to the hospital bed. “I hope to hell it is.” Brushing my lips against hers, I cupped her face in my hands as police officers and medical staff burst through the door.

  46

  Taylor

  THREE WEEKS LATER

  Strong arms engulfed me from behind. I let out a little moan as I burrowed back against the hard, warm body behind me. “Too early. Let me sleep.”

  Sleep was coming much easier now. I never would have thought that would be possible just weeks after almost getting hunted down by a serial killer, but it was. I’d had a couple of nightmares that first week when I was still in the hospital, but Walker had been right there beside me, never leaving me to face the darkness alone.

  He talked me through whatever was on my mind. Held my hand, stroked my hair. He spent every night in a narrow cot beside my hospital bed. But since returning home, he’d held me each night, and no more nightmares had come.

  A chuckle sounded from right next to my ear, and then teeth nipped at my lobe. The action sent a zing of sensation down my spine. I was awake now. Walker’s low and husky voice sounded. “The doctor cleared you for all activities, didn’t he?”

  A slow smile crept over my face. I’d been to my final doctor’s appointment yesterday and had gotten a clean bill of health. It had been a full day of doctoring and running a few errands that we’d been putting off, so by the time we got home, I was exhausted. I’d fallen asleep on the couch and had only awoken when Walker carried me to bed. There’d been no sexy times. Only a love affair between me and my pillow.

  I pushed my backside against the growing bulge in Walker’s sleep pants. “He did clear me for moderate activities…including bedroom-type things.” My voice was thick with the last remnants of sleep and growing desire. I hadn’t had Walker inside me in what felt like forever.

  Walker’s hand dipped below the waistband of my sleep shorts, and I sucked in a breath as he teased my folds. A growl sounded in my ear. “You’re already wet. Fuck, I love that.”

  A very unwelcome knock sounded at the door. “What?” Walker barked.

  I giggled.

  “Uh, breakfast is ready. If you’re not too busy.” I’m sure if we could have seen my bestie’s face, it would have been flaming red. Carter and Austin had stayed in Sutter Lake for the last three weeks, baby Ethan in tow. They’d wanted to help Liam and me recuperate. We’d had matching severe concussions, though Liam’s was a little worse than mine. The wounds on my stomach, while awful-looking, weren’t actually that deep. They’d probably scar, but there was no permanent damage. I was incredibly grateful.

  “We’ll be out in a minute. Thanks, Carter,” I said, still fighting laughter. I loved having all the people I cared about most in the world at the cabin with me. It made for tight quarters, but I loved the feeling of having them all as close as possible. It had been a time of healing and repairing of relationships for all of us.

  Walker, on the other hand, was just about done with the cramped living space.
He growled in my ear again, but this time out of frustration instead of arousal. “I am taking you to my house today.”

  I chuckled, the action causing delicious tingles to overtake me since Walker’s hand was still between my legs. My laugh turned into a moan.

  Walker nipped my ear again and removed his hand. “Soon.” He kissed my neck. “Very soon.”

  The way Walker could play my body with the barest of touches was criminal. I groaned and forced myself into a sitting position.

  Walker was by my side in an instant, his brow creased. “Are you okay? Is something hurting you?”

  My face softened, the frustration melting away. “I’m fine.” I brushed my lips against his. “Just pouting because I wanted a lazy morning in bed with you.”

  Walker grinned and pulled me to my feet. He pressed his warm lips to my forehead, and I soaked in the feeling, warmth filling my entire body. He pulled back, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “I have something I want to ask you.”

  I studied his expression. It was hopeful, with some excitement and a touch of nerves mixed in. “Okay…”

  “We haven’t talked about the future much.” My stomach tightened. We really hadn’t. We said that we loved one another all the time now, but that hadn’t transitioned into future talk. I’d wanted him to broach the subject first. The old-fashioned Texan in me shining through, I guess.

  Walker pressed on, his eyes drilling into mine. “I want you to stay.” My shoulders sagged in relief. “And move in with me.” He brushed his lips against mine. “Make a home with me.”

  My insides twisted in the best possible way, my stomach dipping at the promise of building a life with Walker. “There’s nothing I’d like more.”

  His eyes searched mine for any hint of doubt, but I knew he’d find none.

  A smile broke over my face. “I’ve actually been looking into what I would need to do to get certified to teach in Oregon.”