Page 123 of Ride the Sky

Ford gives me a pissed-off look. “She’s your wife. Get her under control.”

I snap open my mouth, wanting to defend her, but also knowing she went too far. “She’s goin’ fucking through it.”

This isn’t her. Not really. Fallon would rather drop dead than hurt any of her friends. Especially Ruby.

Charlie’s voice is cold. “Doesn’t give her the right to treat everyone like shit.” Rugged expression softening, he turns to Ruby. “We’ll figure it out, Sunflower. It’ll all be okay.”

I don’t envy the spot my brother’s in. Wanting to do everything he can for the woman he loves but unable to fix it.

“I know,” she says with tear-filled eyes. She musters a smile and places a hand over Charlie’s heart. “If we stop, it’s okay, because I have you and that’s all that matters.”

Fuck. I can’t handle it. The pain, the love on their faces…

Ford lifts his head from his hands. “Christ. That almost wins the most awkward family dinner award.” He looks to me. “Although, it doesn’t beat you comin’ to Thanksgiving dinner hammered.”

I give Ford a tight smirk. “Was that before or after I let the cow in the house?”

In her bassinet, Lainie’s whimper is now a full-throttle cry.

Dakota, panicked, goes to her daughter. “I want Fallon to move back to the ranch,” she says, cradling Lainie against her chest.

I bristle. “Bullshit.”

I will fight to the death for Fallon. Because this isn’t her. She’s hurting and taking it out on everyone around her with rude words and rough attitude. But she’s hurting. They haven’t been there, sleeping beside her, hearing her nightmares, seeing the pain she’s been in these last two months.

“Wyatt,” Davis warns and holds up a finger.

“She ain’t stayin’ at the ranch,” I say through clenched teeth. “She was doin’ just fuckin’ fine until Pappy.”

“She’s a long way from fine,” Charlie says coldly.

We argue, everyone putting their two fucking cents in about what to do about Fallon, when I scan the table. Fallon hasn’t returned. So I stand and head to the kitchen, expecting her to be glowering, standing back against the counter, slugging whiskey straight from the bottle.

But she’s not there either.

A bad feeling settles in my gut.

Frowning, I head back to the dining room. “Y’all seen Fallon?”

My heart lodges itself in my fucking throat when all I get is a chorus ofnos.

I stomp for the living room. “Fallon!” I call out.

Her walker’s gone. The front door cracked open.

Cold washes over my chest. I saw the look in her eyes when she said that to Ruby. Guilt. Hatred. She’s a bomb, damn near ready to blow.

“What’s wrong?” Dakota’s at my side, clutching my arm.

“Fallon’s gone.”

Panic’s a primal beast inside of me as I storm past her, and outside into the hot summer night. Hoping, praying, that I find Fallon before she does something really fucking stupid.

Ineed to walk and walk and walk. Even if it doesn’t matter.

Because it won’t fix me.

Nothing will.

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