Page 75 of Bleeding Blackheart

I know my father better than anyone on this planet. I know his patterns. And I know he has a home in L.A. “He’s probably going to go to his home in L.A. It’s the closest place he has to here. We’ll meet him there.”

Gunner huffs. “And how many people are going to be waiting there for us when we arrive, Montana?”

“I don’t know. But our best move is to fill up and head there. If he sees that we’ve stopped following him, he may not be expecting us, and we can surprise him. But if we can get more guns on the way, that would be a good idea.”

Gunner glances at me and then slows down, getting off the nearest exit. “Alright. We’ll give it a try.”

By the time we get to my father’s house in California, it’s after ten p.m. and I’m wishing I was in bed with my man. We made a stop by some “business” in an abandoned building that Gunner took us to to get some backup weapons. I have two guns that I barely know how to use, and he has his shotgun as well as two guns on his waist.

Gunner kisses my lips before we go up to the door. “Don’t you dare leave my side, Montana. Do you hear me?”

I rub his back. “I won’t. I’m right here.”

He walks ahead of me, a hand on his gun and the other around my wrist while we walk up the front steps.

I feel discouraged as soon as we go up to the door. It’s too quiet. All the lights are off, and I don’t see any other cars besides ours. Gunner peers in the window, and he looks down at me with a shocked expression on his face. “The house is empty, Montana.”

I type my birthday into the keypad. Mason uses it as his passcode for everything. “No one’s in there?” I open the door quickly, and when he steps in next to me, I panic.

The entire house is empty. Wiped clean. It looks like no one ever lived here. It’s like Charlotte’s apartment was. No refrigerator. No microwave. But even more dead inside.

“How, Gunner? How—why—where is he?!” I scream into the empty house, feeling bamboozled and tricked.

Gunner takes a look around cautiously and enters the kitchen. “I don’t know, baby. But he’s gone, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be back anytime soon.”

I get so upset that I almost start crying, but I hold my tears back, not wanting to shed another one ever again on that sorry excuse for a man. I’m seconds away from telling him we should leave when I spot a white notecard laying flat on the white marble countertop. “He left this here. He knew we’d find it.”

Gunner nods his head for me to take a look, and I flip the card over in my hands, taking in the words quickly.

If you thought I was going to lead you right to me, you’re not the daughter I raised. You’re an idiot. Just like Mr. Shit for Brains who’s tucked you under his wing. You can run after me until you’re out of breath, but you’ll never catch me. I’m gone. And I’m never coming back.

31

Gunner

It’s nearly four a.m., and I’ve been driving nonstop back home. We won’t get back until this evening, but I’m not stopping for rest. Montana’s passed out in the passenger’s seat next to me, and I want her to get as much sleep as she can. It’s been one week since I found her, and the girl’s been running on adrenaline ever since.

I hate to say it, but it feels like I have to let Mason Barnes go. What else can I do? We traveled across several states for him, got in a shootout, and finished the night empty-handed. He played us. Made us look like idiots so he could plan his escape. The man has more resources than most, and if he wants to disappear, he can.

What upsets me most is not that the bastard is hiding away in some corner but that my girl is not getting justice. My girls are not getting justice. I need justice for the way he murdered my horses. And Montana needs justice for the suffering he put her through for her entire life.

She was so upset when she balled up that note. She’d been fearing seeing him all day long, and when she found out she wasn’t going to, it broke her. I wanted to hold her until she fell asleep. It’s one of my favorite things to do. But I don’t want to waste any more time out here in places I don’t know. I want Montana home in our bed while we try to piece our lives back together.

As soon as we get back and have a night of sleep, I want us on a plane to Seattle. Before we do anything else, I want to get whatever Montana wants from her apartment so she can close that chapter of her life. We’ll come back the next day, and then we’ll find a home we want to live in in Snoqualmie and plan our move.

If Mason is moving forward like we don’t exist, we’ll do the same with him. I’ve finally opened myself back up to happiness after years of getting in my own way, and I’m not going to let anyone else take away what’s important to me.

By the time I pull into my driveway, I’m exhausted. It’s after seven p.m., and as soon as I get Montana upstairs, we’re showering and getting in bed.

Dallas offered us to stay with him longer, but I feel more at home in my own space. He repaired the glass in my door while we were away and installed security cameras, so I feel comfortable being here until we say goodbye to this place.

Montana’s essentials are upstairs in my room, so I leave our bags in the car and carry her upstairs. Dallas fed Violet dinner and watched her while we were away, so she’ll be set for the night. Montana’s braids are ruffled, and her eyes are red. “Where are we?”

I squeeze her body and hold her close to me while I unlock the front door. “We’re home, baby.”

She wraps her arms around my neck, starting to wake up. “Mason. Where is Mason?”

“He’s gone. He’s not coming back.” I lock the door behind me and make sure all of the windows are shut, and then I carry Montana upstairs and set her down on the bed gently. “Get undressed so we can wash up for bed.”

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