Gunner (Ride Series Second Generation Book 4) Read online

  She looked up at me with wide, worried eyes. “She’s not scheduled for a few more weeks. I was going to be make sure to be back in time….”

  I grasped her upper arms. “Em, she has an army of support around her. You know this. And we’ll get back as soon as we can. Mason’s manager is already working some magic. We just need to focus on getting to the airport.”

  It wasn’t the way I’d intended to bring her home, and we hadn’t even had a chance to talk things out, but as we taxied the runway a short time later with Emmie determined to ignore me, I knew at the end of the day it didn’t matter where we were.

  What mattered was us beginning what we’d both denied for far too long.

  What I didn’t know was that my past was about to make that a hell of a lot more complicated.

  Chapter 5

  EMMIE

  “You did so amazing.” I praised Frannie that evening as she lay exhausted but happy in a hospital bed with two healthy babies snuggled in her arms and a beaming Maddox looking on.

  Gunner and I had made it back to Hawthorne in record time, arriving at the hospital to join our friends and family in welcoming Francesca and Maddox’s son and daughter. Her surgery had gone well, both babies’ heart rates strong after birth despite the drop that had necessitated the emergency surgery.

  “Thank you for being here.” She smiled tiredly up at me.

  “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t have missed it,” I assured her. “They’re perfect,” I added, staring down at the gorgeous babies.

  “They are, aren’t they?” She grinned proudly.

  “You should get some rest, baby,” Maddox put in, placing a gentle hand on her forehead before doing the same to each baby, as though assuring himself they were there and healthy. Francesca and Maddox had been through a lot, and I had no doubt that fact was passing through his mind now.

  “You should rest,” I agreed. “I’ll let you guys be, but I’ll come back tomorrow to check in.”

  “Okay. Love you, Emmie,” Frannie murmured.

  “Love you too,” I replied, my gaze lingering on each baby before I offered a grin to Maddox. “Good job, Dad. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  When I stepped out into the hall, my mind full of relief that Francesca and the babies were okay, I was shocked to find Gunner leaning against the wall, his arms crossed at his chest.

  “You’re still here.” I gasped in surprise. It had been hours, and though many of our club remained in the waiting room, many had gone home, knowing Frannie wouldn’t be able to have visitors until the morning.

  He shoved off from the wall. “The fact you’d question that makes me regret keeping you at arm’s length more than just about anything else could. And makes what I have to say that much harder.” His expression became troubled, and I braced. “I have to leave town for a bit. Em, you gotta believe, only something really fucking important would take me from you now.”

  I looked up at him in exhausted confusion. “You’re leaving?”

  “Not for long,” he swore. “But there’s a lead I have to track. I’ll explain everything when I get back. I’ll check in while I’m gone.”

  “Check in?” I queried.

  He cupped his hands on either side of my neck. My skin broke out in goose bumps, unaccustomed to the touch I’d craved for so long. “Yeah, baby. Check in. I want to know how you’re doing. Where you are. That you’re safe.”

  “Um, okay?” I replied.

  “Is that a question or a confirmation?” he demanded, his head cocked to the side as though trying to read my intent.

  “Gun, I don’t know what the hell planet I’m on right now, so take it however you want to,” I snapped.

  He grinned, as though welcoming the challenge. “Let’s put it this way: I text, you answer. Got it?”

  “Fine.” I sighed, too tired to argue with him.

  Then he shocked the hell out of me and tipped my face up, taking my mouth in a soft but consuming kiss. My knees wobbled beneath me, my heart pounding as I grasped his forearms for support.

  When I thought I’d never breathe properly again, he pulled back, burying his face in my neck. “I can’t believe I have to leave right now,” he growled, his own breathing labored.

  “Be safe,” I murmured, pulling back, needing some distance from the tornado that was Gunner and me.

  “Always,” he confirmed. “Max will take you home. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  And with that, he pulled away, striding down the hall and out of sight.

  * * *

  The melodic chime of my phone’s alarm sounded entirely too early as I reached blindly toward my bedside table to hit snooze the next morning. I drifted back into sleep, appreciating the familiar feel and smell of my pillow, something I’d missed during my short time away from home.

  “Em, you getting up?” Grace’s voice sounded from the doorway.

  “Hmph,” I mumbled into my pillow. Promising Max I’d meet him for breakfast no longer sounded like a stellar plan.

  “I made coffee,” she added, knowing caffeine was one of the few ways to coax me out of bed.

  I rolled to my back, rubbing my eyes, trying to break out of my stupor. I hadn’t been sleeping well, and last night had been no exception. “Thanks,” I rasped as I sat up, squinting at her, taking in her wide smile. “You look entirely too awake,” I groused.

  She laughed. “Not all of us are demons in the morning. Come on, get up, take a shower. You’ll feel better.”

  I nodded with a yawn, throwing my legs over the side of the bed.

  “Have I told you how much I missed having to blast your ass out of bed?” She grinned as I grumbled in response.

  When I emerged from the shower a short time later, Grace had a cup of coffee waiting for me.

  She really was the best friend a girl could ask for.

  “You working today?” I asked around the brim of my cup.

  She nodded. “But I was thinking we should grab drinks after work. The girls really want to see you.”

  “I want to see them too,” I replied, and I did. That didn’t mean I felt ready to be under a microscope, even a loving one. Luckily, I had a somewhat valid excuse—not that Grace would necessarily accept it. She was nothing if not persistent. “I just have a bunch of stuff to get done today. How about we plan something for this weekend?” I bargained.

  She appeared to consider whether or not to push me before relenting. “Deal,” she agreed, pointing a finger at me. “But I’m holding you to the weekend.”

  I held up my hands in surrender. “I’d expect nothing less. Alright, I gotta boogie or I’ll never hear the end of it.” I had a habit of being perpetually late, something my brother didn’t have much patience with.

  I grabbed my coat, stepped out into the morning sunshine, and headed for my truck.

  When I pulled up to Francesca’s Sweets, I saw Max’s Harley parked out front.

  My mouth was already watering at the thought of one of Frannie’s signature sweets that I’d missed desperately during my short time in Denver.

  My phone buzzed with an incoming text from Gunner.

  Sleep okay?

  He’d texted a few times before, checking in, and I hadn’t responded. I wasn’t trying to be cold; I just honestly didn’t understand what the hell was going on between us.

  I waved to Sophie, Francesca’s mother-in-law who was minding the shop while Frannie was on leave. I still marveled that Maddox’s mom, who used to burn toast for us as kids, was now at the helm of the most popular bakery in town and doing an awesome job.

  I plopped down across the table from Max, who was clad in his signature leather cut, his dark eyes assessing but kind as he eyed me. “Only five minutes late. I’m impressed,” he greeted dryly.

  I rolled my eyes. “Hello to you, too.”

  “Got you your favorite.” He pushed a carrot cake muffin my way along with a cup of coffee.

  “Okay, you’re forgiven for being annoying.” I grinned, unwrapping
my muffin eagerly. “Damn, that’s good.” I sighed in contentment, glancing around the bustling café, pleased to see it so busy.

  “So, you want to tell me why you wanted to have breakfast?” I asked with a raised brow. It wasn’t that the two of us weren’t close but him asking to have a meal with just us was unusual.

  He shrugged. “Just wanted to check in on you. You hightailed it outta here right after you’d been kidnapped, Em. It’s not like you to take off like that.”

  And there it was: he was worried.

  “I just needed some space.” I shrugged defensively.

  “I get that,” he acknowledged gently. “How are you doing now? You sleeping okay?” he pressed.

  “I’m doing much better,” I replied evasively.

  “So, you’re not sleeping,” he deduced. My brother had always been able to read me like a book. Hell, my whole family had a special talent for it.

  “Not all that well,” I admitted. “Geez, if I’d known I was going to get the third degree, I would have demanded more than one muffin,” I quipped.

  His gaze softened. “I’m not trying to rag on you, Emmie. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  I honestly wasn’t even sure how to answer that. “I’m getting there,” I settled on.

  After a moment, he nodded, appearing to let the subject drop, much to my relief. “You been to see Mom and Pop?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve talked to them but haven’t seen them. I’ll try to get over there for dinner soon.”

  If Max was worried about me, I knew my overprotective parents were closer to beside themselves. And I just wasn’t sure I was ready to deal with all that, selfish as it was.

  “Wren said you girls might meet up this weekend,” he noted, referring to his wife and one of my closest friends.

  I snorted. “Grace doesn’t waste any time, but yeah, we talked about that this morning.”

  He nodded. “She’d like that. And you start your new job next week?” At my nod, he grinned with pride. I’d received the offer from Dr. Greenstein’s office two days before. “So fucking awesome, Emmie.” His head cocked as he appeared to consider his next question. “And how was Denver?”

  “Oh, come on, Max, it’s not like you to beat around the bush,” I challenged.

  He chuckled. “Fair enough. I know Gun went down there. Everything okay?”

  “Who knows.” I shrugged with an indifference I didn’t feel. “He showed up, but we barely got to talk before we were hightailing it back home. And now he’s gone, so….” I trailed off.

  His gaze softened. “Em, I know things with you guys have always been murky, but you’d have to be blind not to see he cares about you. I accepted that a long time ago. Trust me when I tell you that he didn’t want to leave. He has some shit to deal with. Those are his details to share. But I hope you’ll hear him out. In the meantime, X is your tail for the day.”

  I wrinkled my brow. “What do you mean?”

  “Shit, no one told you,” he grumbled.

  “No one’s told me what?” I demanded in frustration.

  He sighed in resignation. “Gun asked to have a man on you while he’s away. The club’s gonna take shifts.”

  My jaw dropped as I tried to figure out which of the many questions exploding in my brain to ask first. “Why in the hell would Gunner want a man on me?” I demanded.

  He stared at me, and I recognized that look all too well. He was debating how much to tell me.

  “Max, be straight with me,” I demanded.

  He sighed in frustration. “Like I said, it’s his story to tell. If I didn’t think he would, that would be a different story.”

  “I didn’t even think he liked me until recently. Now I don’t know what the hell to think,” I muttered.

  He placed a hand on my shoulder, meeting my confused gaze. “Em, if you still don’t get that the man would kill for you, then you got hit harder than I thought. Now,” he continued before I could think of a good comeback, “I gotta get to the club. Don’t give the guys any shit, alright?”

  “Yeah, okay,” I grumbled petulantly. “I should go too. I have a ton of errands to do.” I rose, coffee in hand. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, kissing my temple as we walked out into the sunshine. “Glad you’re home, Em.”

  “Me too,” I replied, and for the most part, I meant it. “I’ll see you soon.”

  He gave me a chin lift as he backed out of his parking spot and roared off down the street.

  I looked across the street, for the first time noticing Xander, or X as we called him, sitting in his black F-150.

  “The truck’s better for tailing me, huh?” I called dryly.

  He offered a grin and a shrug and gestured for me to proceed about my day.

  There was no use arguing. When the Knights wanted their women protected, it happened whether they liked it or not. I just couldn’t figure out for the life of me what I needed to be protected from.

  * * *

  After a day running errands and checking in on Francesca and the babies at the hospital, I was ready to flop on the couch and ignore the outside world. Driving home, I reached for the radio, determined to lighten my mood, and looked up just in time to swerve violently away from an animal in the road, my tires screeching against the pavement as I slammed on the brakes.

  My heart pounded from the near miss as I looked around the now abandoned road. I’d barely caught a glimpse and I couldn’t be sure, but it had looked like a dog, and I was compelled to pull over and check it out.

  Cash’s Harley came to a stop behind me. He’d taken over for X when I left the hospital.

  “You alright?” he demanded, swinging a leg over his Harley as I hopped out of the truck.

  “Yeah, what the hell was that?”

  His eyes scanned the dark woods on the other side of the road. “Not sure. Sort of looked like a dog.”

  I cocked my ear to the air and on instinct, let out a whistle.

  Almost immediately, two four-legged forms emerged from the ravine below.

  “Holy shit,” I exclaimed as Shadow and Ripper, Gunner’s bull mastiffs, ran toward me. “What are you two doing here?” I demanded, bending to greet them both, though I didn’t have to bend very far. Both dogs were huge.

  They bounded between Cash and me exuberantly as he shot me a perplexed look. “How the hell did they get out?”

  I shrugged, sharing his confusion and concern, knowing how much Gunner loved his dogs.

  “Let’s get you two home,” I said, opening my tailgate and gesturing for them to jump in. My pickup groaned a bit under their weight, and I had to laugh at their size. “You two are like hauling livestock around. You sure you don’t want to head home?” I asked Cash. “I’m just gonna drop these two off and head straight home.” I felt badly that Gunner’s mysterious mandate was taking Cash away from his wife and daughter.

  He shot me a look that said without words how pointless any argument was.

  “Fine,” I grumbled, hopping into the driver seat and starting my engine.

  “Take them to Karen’s. It’s where Gun was staying before he left town,” Cash explained, referring to Gunner’s mother’s house, where he’d been raised.

  I drove toward the familiar property, having been many times throughout the years, typically when Max dragged me along to pick Gunner up for something when we were younger.

  When I pulled through the open gate and down the long drive, I took in the nondescript ranch home situated on several acres of land through the darkness. Very few lights were on, and until a female form stepped onto the front porch, I wasn’t sure if anyone was there.

  “Hello?” she called hesitantly, stepping out into the porch light.

  “Hi, Marta, it’s Emmie and Cash,” I called, recognizing the woman who had housesat for Karen over the years.

  “Oh, hi.” Her reply was filled with relief. “I couldn’t see who it was.”

  “Just us. We found Ripper and Shadow near town and wan
ted to bring them back.”

  “Oh, thank god!” she exclaimed in relief as I dropped the tailgate, the dogs jumping down and following me toward the house.

  “Do you want me to put them out back or in the house?”

  She ran a hand over her dark hair, and for the first time I noticed how tired and frazzled she looked. “I guess inside for now. I thought for sure I closed the gate, but I should double-check.”

  “Everything okay?” Cash asked as we followed her inside and shut the door behind us.

  I didn’t know Marta well, but every time I’d seen her around town, she’d been upbeat and cheerful.

  She sighed. “Gunner asked us to look after the house and dogs while he’s away. But Luis is better with the animals,” she explained, referring to her husband, “and he’s been really sick, and it’s just been a lot,” she admitted. “I’m exhausted.”

  I rested a hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on with Luis?” I asked in concern.

  “He’s had a bad flu. He’s at home right now, but I was worried about things here.” She wrung her hands in agitation. “I don’t want to let Gunner down.”

  “Marta, you’re not letting anyone down,” Cash was quick to reassure her.

  “Definitely not,” I added. “And I can help. What do you need? Do you want me to head over and check on Luis?”

  She offered a grateful smile. “Thank you, but no, I think he’s doing better. His fever is down. It’s just that these two keep escaping.” She shot a pointed look at Shadow and Ripper. “I think they’re out of sorts with Gunner gone, and they’ve never liked me much.”

  “Shit, I’d take them, but Oscar wouldn’t do well with two dogs taking over his house,” Cash muttered, referring to their deaf cat.

  “I’ll take them,” I offered without hesitation.

  Marta looked at me in surprise. “Really?”

  “Really,” I agreed. I didn’t think Grace would mind; she’d been raised with mastiffs. “You focus on Luis and making sure he gets better.”

  She deflated with relief. “That would be great. Clearly they’re much more fond of you.” She laughed as both dogs sat on either side of me, looking up at me as though waiting for a command.