Page 65 of Bleeding Blackheart

Her fingers tighten around mine, and her voice sharpens. “No. You’re not leaving me, Gunner. We stick together. Do you hear me?”

I smile, both surprised and happy at this bossy side of my little fox. “I hear you. We stick together.”

I park and help her out of the car that’s still filled with cash and lead her up to the front door. Dallas opens it before I can knock, and he runs a hand over his cropped brown hair. “You guys can stay as long as you need. Just keep it down when you get settled tonight or Cali will have a fit.”

Montana steps in the house first, and Dallas locks the door behind us. “Spare room on the second floor is made up and ready.”

I give him a quick nod of thanks and walk beside Montana to our room. Once I get the door closed, I help Montana out of her shoes, leaving her oversized T-shirt on while I help her into bed. My body is vibrating, and I doubt I’ll get any sleep, but I climb in beside her fully clothed wanting to give it a try. At the very least, I’ll be next to the only person keeping me sane right now.

Montana snuggles right up to me immediately, and I hold her body close to mine. “Try and get some sleep.”

She groans and presses her lips to my neck. “I can’t sleep.”

“Me neither.”

Her voice lowers. “Do you want to talk?”

I kiss her hair, sinking my fingers into it. “What about?”

“Anything.”

I smell her hair that still smells like Colt’s hair products. “What’s that hat called that you wear when you go to bed?”

Montana bursts into laughter, and I cover her mouth briefly so she doesn’t wake up Dallas’ angry wife.

“It’s a bonnet. We could get you one if you want.”

A bonnet. That’s so cute. “Thank you. I’ll pass, but I like when you wear it.”

She laces her left hand through my right, brushing her fingers over my knuckles. “What’s this ring for?”

My smile drops. The only people who know what this ring is for are Colt and Dallas. I never take it off, and Montana’s seen me wear it since we met. I never thought she’d ask me about it. I guess now’s a good time to tell her. “I’ll tell you, but it might bring you down some more.” I want to give her a way out in case she doesn’t want to be more depressed than she currently is.

Her soft hand cups my cheek, and she rubs her nose against mine. “I want to know.”

I put my hand on her hip, rubbing my thumb against the soft material of her shirt to ease my anxiety. “The day Margaret died was a really bad day for me in a lot of ways.” It feels strange bringing up Margaret to Montana and in Dallas’ house of all places. I’m so used to Montana mentioning her, but I have to talk about her for this story to make sense.

Just like any other time her name leaves my lips, Montana doesn’t turn her nose up or get irritated, but gives me her standard empathetic and reassuring look, letting me know it’s okay to keep going.

“My father killed her, and I found her body. It was brutal, Montana. He stabbed her twice, once in the neck, the other in her stomach. She was gone, but so was our unborn baby.”

Montana covers her mouth with her hand, but I pull it off, squeezing it in mine to relax her.

“My father used to be a sheriff, and Dallas and I covered up his murder to avoid more trouble from him and to keep his mother from finding out the truth. If she discovered what had happened, my father would have killed her too. So I buried her outside of the house I found her in. We were supposed to live there together. She inherited it from her grandmother who had recently died.

“Violet was there too. That’s the reason I hate her so much, Montana. I know it’s irrational and silly, but I blame her, blamed her for so long for Margaret’s death. I was furious that she hadn’t been able to save her. It wasn’t her job to, but I hated her just the same. I almost shot her like I almost did today.

“But I took her with me. I brought her home. The home you know as mine, I bought for Margaret and me. For our family. But she never got to see it or know about it because I was going to surprise her.”

Montana starts to cry, but I wipe away her tears which helps me keep mine in. “After I got Violet home, I pickedup my other horse, Faye.” I sniffle at the same time Montana does. I can’t believe I just introduced her to Faye. These horses were snatched away from her just like they were me. “Anyway, I got Faye secured with Violet, and I didn’t know what to do with myself, Montana.

“I was overcome with so much sadness and anger, and everything became too much. My mother was gone, my sister, and Margaret. I just—I just didn’t want to be here anymore. I felt completely hopeless and alone. I had Dallas, but he was just as broken up about everything as I was.

“I didn’t want the house. The horses. I just wanted what little happiness I had left back. But there was no undoing the damage that had been done. So I did the only thing I felt capable of doing.”

Her soft hand sinks into my hair, and I press my head up against hers. “It’s funny because what happened is so similar to what happened the day I met you, Montana. It’s how I knew I was meant to help you. When I pointed the barrel of my shotgun in my mouth and tried to fire, it locked up. I tried to kill myself, and I failed. I couldn’t stop crying, and I didn’t know why.

“And when I tried to kill you, the goddamn idiot I was, I failed. And in my heart I knew that I was fated to meet you and to save you, Montana. I’d been given a second chanceto make things right. That you were meant to go on, just like me.”

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