She shoves the rest of the sandwich in his mouth and then turns to face me. Tears stream down her red cheeks and she runs into my waiting arms where she belongs. As she sobs and I embrace her, Gabe and I maintain eye contact. He seems satisfied at toying with me. Almost as if the asshole thinks he holds the fate of my relationship with Baylee in his hands.
For some reason, he didn’t mention Tony’s involvement in her abduction. I’d like to think it’s because he’s a * and doesn’t want her to be angry with him. But deep down, I feel like he doesn’t want to break her already fractured heart further. Tony and Lynn were his friends.
He clearly has something up his sleeve. I’ll make sure he never gets the chance to pull out any of his tricks though.
This game is nearly over and I’m already calling victory.
“Can you take me to Walmart?” Her voice is a muffled whisper against my chest. “I need a few things and then we can get back to dragging answers from that prick before we go to the police.”
Her soft voice pulls me from pondering what Gabe’s motives are and I stare down at her. Despite her flushed wet cheeks, she lifts her chin and bravely gazes up at me.
The idea of her face plastered all over the Walmart security cameras while she’s wanted in connection of an attempted murder, sends panic skittering through me. Stark would have her team all over us before we even managed to fill the shopping cart. Fuck that. We’re not going anywhere. But just when I think I have the balls to tell her as much, she speaks again.
“Plus,” she says with a shaky voice, “I’d like to see my mother’s grave.”
The very idea that Baylee didn’t get to say goodbye to Lynn is heartbreaking. If I could bring her mother back to her, I’d do it in a second without a moment’s hesitation. I would do anything for her. Anything.
Which is why I pull slightly away from her and run my fingers through my hair while I battle with indecision. All the reasons as to why this is a bad idea fly at me like baseballs barreling at me in a batting cage. I wish I could knock them all away from me and give her everything she asks for.
But I can’t.
I won’t make stupid mistakes like going into public knowing they’re looking for her. She’s already been through too much. I’ll protect her from this too.
I slip my palm to her neck and run my thumb along her jaw. “Sure, baby. We’ll go see your mom’s grave.” The Walmart trip will have to wait for another day. “Go get in the truck and I’ll finish him up.”
A grumble echoes in the kitchen and my shoulders tense at the sound.
“What the fuck does that mean?” Gabe demands from behind her.
I flip him off. “Exactly what you think. You’re dead, asshole. Time’s up. You’ve ruined shit enough and I’m done with you fucking with my girl.”
He laughs at me. “Your girl?” he says with a tsk. “Brandon, Brandon, Brandon. We’ve been through this and—”
“SHUT UP!” she screeches. “Brandon, you’re not killing him.” She snaps her gaze to Gabe. “Yet.”
Gabe, seeming unaffected by her threat, smirks at me. “By all means, take your ‘girl’ to dinner. Go woo her. I’ll just hang out here. Bring me a doggie bag.”
She grabs my hand and drags me from the kitchen. “Why do you even challenge him?” she huffs as we make our way into the living room. “You can’t win with him.” Her tone is annoyed and impatient. It stings that she’d chastise me for wanting to protect her from his predator ass.
“Apparently I can’t win with you either,” I mutter under my breath. “I’ll wait outside.”
“Did you get what you needed?” I ask as she climbs into the truck with a bagful of shit. Earlier when we’d pulled into the parking lot of the aging drugstore in town, she’d seemed suspicious as to why I didn’t take her to Walmart. But I just shrugged my shoulders, feigning indifference, and told her this place was closer.
She nods and rummages in the sack until she pulls out a small plastic box. Tossing it into my lap, she narrows her eyes at me and says coolly, “A phone charger. You can charge it when we get back to the cabin.”
I give her a clipped nod as I try and figure out a way to avoid her using my phone. Once she sees her face on the news as a person of interest, she’s going to really lose her shit. I don’t need her completely breaking apart. Not when I’m finally here and attempting to put her back together again.
Putting the car into reverse, I reach over and push play on my Big Wreck CD. This was an album that we always listened to together. I’m hoping to help her remember better times—times when our relationship wasn’t strained. Times when we were free to love without worry.
From the corner of my eye, I see that she bought a small purse and is quickly shoving shit into it. It all appears to be girly makeup, a hair brush, and other stuff. I didn’t really think to grab those things in my haste to get to her. All I cared about was finding her and then never letting her go.
The cemetery is about forty-five minutes from the cabin and I dread having to drive in silence. She now stares out the window as if she longs to be anywhere but inside this truck with me.