Mine are already in my hand. “No fucking way. I want to survive this trip.”
Walker seems like a calm guy—albeit a grumpy calm—but the minute he gets behind the wheel, he turns into a raging lunatic. It’s like he wants to take out his frustration on the unknown driver who killed his mother by verbally assaulting anyone who changes lanes without a turn signal.
“Stop being so dramatic.” Walker falls into step beside me as we walk to where my truck is parked in the spot directly next to Brooke’s SUV.
On the days I know I’ll be able to leave on time, she and I carpool. Since I’m taking this little field trip, I’ll likely be working late, and I don’t want her having to stick around just for me. Not when she can go home, soak in the hot tub, and be relaxed and happy when I get there.
I’m a little nervous Matt might try to make a second visit to my parents’, but realistically the odds of that are slim. Even if he were to make bail, showing up at the place he was just arrested would be dumb as hell.
But anger can make a narcissist do dumb things.
So maybe I won’t work late tonight. Maybe I’ll skip out as soon as Brooke is done, and take her home. Then I can soak in the hot tub with her.
Among other things.
Getting behind the wheel, I start the engine, backing out ofmy spot as I punch in the address of the building we’re visiting. It’s about twenty minutes away, so we should be a little early.
Maybe I can sweet talk them into adding that to our allotted time.
“How is Brooke this morning?” Walker adjusts his seat, gaining himself a little more legroom. “Not too upset about what happened last night, I hope.”
“I’m not sure she knows how she feels about last night.” It was a lot, and not all of it was bad.
Or about Matt. Brooke saw firsthand how ready my family is to defend her. The way so many of them didn’t bat an eye at stepping in to keep her safe.
“It was pretty wild.” Walker shakes his head. “Maybe we should reach out to Pierce. See if there’s something he could do to encourage that prick to forget Brooke exists.”
I hadn’t even thought of that. “Pierce might get sick of us asking him for favors.”
Walker chuckles. “I think Pierce is the kind of guy who enjoys people owing him.” He looks my way. “Especially people who can provide him with what he needs.”
He has a point. We’ve busted our asses plenty of times over the years for Pierce. Not just me cranking out vehicles, but Walker overnighting security systems, and Titus working through the night helping Pierce’s team secure their system.
Granted, at least one of those incidents was more our issue than his, but still.
“I’m going to call him then. See if he can send one of his men to California to put the fear of God into Matt so he leaves Brooke alone.” I have plans.Wehave plans.
And I’m not gonna let Matt fuck them up for us.
I have a whole plan I’m putting together to ask Brooke tomarry me. Officially. The way she wants. I’m not going to do it with Matt and his bullshit hanging over our heads tainting the moment.
Feeling a little better now that I’ve got a plan to get rid of one of the skeletons refusing to stay in its closet, I relax back in my seat, hand slung over the top of the wheel as we coast through an intersection.
I don’t even fully register what happens next. All I feel is the impact. Everything that happens after it is a blur. My brain doesn’t come back online until my truck has stopped rolling, coming to a rest on its roof. The position leaves me hanging upside down, surrounded by sagging deployed airbags.
The first thing I do is look for Walker, reaching out as I try to get my bearings. “Are you okay?”
My cousin groans. “I’m alive.”
I blow out the air from my lungs, relief washing through me as pain begins to work its way through my nerve endings. “Are you hurt?”
“I don’t fucking feel like a spring chicken, but I don’t think it’s anything life threatening.” Walker fumbles around beside me. “What about you?”
I don’t know how to answer that. Partly because my leg is strangely numb and my head is really fucking starting to hurt. Bad enough I close my eyes, which makes sense considering it’s starting to get dark anyway.
“Oh, no.” Something pounds against my shoulder. “Don’t you dare pass out.” Walker curses under his breath. “Did you hit your head?”
I try to answer him, but the mumbled words that come out of my mouth are not at all what my brain is attempting to convey. But he’s right. I can’t pass out.
