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“No. Charli would be a bad choice.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s influenced by Grady, who may be influenced by Mason. And I think Mason may be pushing them in a direction they don’t want to go.”
“You mean that billionaire? Grady mentioned it before we headed home. Mason was pretty psyched about it. Is there a reason Grady should be against it?”
“That’s something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you, but honestly, I just wanted to wait until later.”
Gunner would put money on the topic being unpleasant in some manner, but he’d sure hear her out. “This has the ring of something I need to hear whether I want to or not.”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to dump anything on you until I know there’s something to merit attention.”
Her consideration was appreciated, but he hated that she felt she had to protect him. “We have an hour’s drive back to Clay’s,” he said, and started the truck. After checking his mirrors, he pulled out onto the street. “You might as well tell me now.”
When she didn’t respond, he added. “Unless you prefer I spend the next few weeks worrying about whatever it is, and not being able to be here.”
“No, of course not.”
“Then what it is?”
“Not a what. A who.” She looked directly at him. “Samir Abdul Amir.”
Something in her voice when she spoke the name told him this wasn’t your garden variety, bad guy. This guy had done something that cost Oakley, and she hadn’t moved on from it. “That sounds like the name of trouble.”
“Yep.”
“Trouble for who?”
“The people at Sanctuary, the Walkers, you, me.”
That was a lot of people. Who or what connected all of them? The answer was obvious. Her. They all had metor had dealings with her. What the hell had she stepped in?
“And the trouble stems from…?” He cut her a look.
“Me.” She didn’t flinch from his question or his gaze.
“I feel like this tale has history.” It’s the only scenario that made sense, at least in the few seconds he’d had to consider it. She had to have been involved in something, sometime in the past, that had resurfaced and could now affect the people she named.
What made that theory fall short was that she included him. He wasn’t into anything, nor had he been involved in anything that would bring trouble to Riggs or his family. But he’d hear her out. Who knows, she might provide information that would alter that initial perception.
“It does,” she agreed.
“Then start at the beginning.”
Oakley did exactly that. She walked him through the entire operation when she and Charli faced Samir, and she killed his wife, and the aftermath. Then she told him about the offer Mason received.
Gunner stood corrected. What connected all of them was not something that should cause Oakley shame. She was a soldier in a combat situation. She acted in the manner she’d been trained. The timing of Samir’s reinforcements was unfortunate for her, but fortunate for Samir.
He lost his wife, but only lost vision in one eye from the bullet that grazed him. “I’m guessing he made a promise to find and kill you?” Gunner asked.
“Slowly and painfully.”
“And you’re sure it’s him?”
“How can I be?”
“I get it, but we’ll need confirmation.”
