Page 119 of Silver Linings

Gunner had been the sniper. He’d shot James while she was pressed against his body. The pieces came together and absolutely wrecked her. Shaking tore through her body as she bent over and emptied her stomach.

“We need to get out of here.” Lily heard Sloane groan as she got to her feet.

“Right. Let’s get you both outside.” Stone ushered them towards the door, and as Lily walked down the path leading away from the house, she heard feet stomping towards her.

Her eyes lifted, and she nearly collapsed with relief. Maybe she actually did, but the hard ground never touched her. Instead, she fell into Gunner’s open arms. They wrapped around her, strong and unwavering. She never wanted to leave the safety of his embrace again.

“I love you, baby,” he whispered for the hundredth time into her ear. “I love you so much. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Her whole body shook in his arms. She didn’t know how long he held her, there in the dirt and grass outside, gently stroking his hand through her hair, but it was long enough for someone to come drape a blanket across her body. Gunner’s warmth seeped into their cocoon of peace and her sobs slowly quieted.

“Where’s Sage?” Lily gently cried into Gunner’s chest. “Did they take her? Did they take our baby, Gunner?”

“She’s safe, Lil. She’s with Mae and Hawk.” The tears in his voice ripped her heart open. Lily reached up towards his face, wiping away every single tear as they poured out of him. “As soon as we get you checked out, we’ll go straight to her. Fuck, Lil, please tell me you’re okay.”

“You kept us safe. God, you saved me. I’m okay, Gunner. You came for me. I’m safe.”

“Never letting you out of my sight again, Lily Kate. Never again.”

“I like the sound of that.” Gunner wrapped the blanket tighter around her body and scooped her up in one fluid motion.

“Wait. What about Sloane?”

“Gage won’t leave her side.”

“He won’t?”

Gunner shrugged. “I feel like there’s something going on there that I have no idea about, and honestly, I don’t care. You’re the only thing that matters, Lil. You and Sage. My family. Forever.”

“I love you, Gunner.”

“I love you too, Lily. So fucking much.” He lifted her left hand, twirling the band on her ring finger. “I want to marry you.”

She laughed. In the middle of the field, covered in dirt, and blood, and marked with violence, she laughed. “Are you okay? I’m already your wife.”

“I want to do it right. In front of everyone here in Texas. Our friends. Sage. I want that for us. A celebration of our love. So will you, Lil? Will you marry me, again?”

“You have to promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ll wear your dress whites again. And afterwards, we’ll have a real wedding night. Maybe one where we start practicing for baby number two.”

“Fuck, Lil. Yes to all of that.”

Thirty-Nine

“Max, please tell us our fucking contract has been shredded.” Gage watched as Gunner grumbled the question at the FBI agent.

“You guys sure you don’t want to keep working with us?”

“Fuck no. If we aren’t on their radar, we want it to stay that way. We hope you take them all down and bury them at your black sites, but we’re happy just to live our small town lives,” Hawk replied.

“Well, I’m happy to tell you this, then. Congratulations, guys. As of today, the FBI is officially and permanently dissolving its partnership with Montgomery Defense and any employee of the company.”

“Thank fuck.” Nash stood up. “What’s happening with you?”

“Things are… sticky here at the moment. I’m being pulled from the case and reassigned off-grid. More than likely, this is the last time we’ll speak.”

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