Page 112

“Know what?” Martin smirked.

“That Ryan was having an affair?”

The smirk lessened.

“You did know?” She shook her head, forcing her fingers into her hair. “I can’t believe all these years, and you wouldn’t tell me.” They weren’t buying this. She needed details. This wasn’t what she and Wes had talked about. But she needed to stall. Where was Wes? “I’ve never been able to get a handle on the finances. I didn’t even know Ryan had a secret place to, gah, I don’t even know. Bring women. But I guess you all knew.”

“Shut up,” Angus snapped.

Kimbra set her glass down and glared at Bailey. “Let’s cut to the problem. You never understood what makes this family work. You’ve never understood loyalty.”

“Loyalty? Where’s my son?” she shouted.

Kimbra balked as if Bailey yelling was the problem. “We are an entity. If a link in the scaffolding falls, we all do. Whatever you have concerned yourself with, whatever bad habits the boys,” she gestured with her wrist, “have entertained themselves with, that is not your problem.”

Bad habits? Weak links? “As best as I could tell, the boys are serial killers.”

Kimbra rolled her eyes. “You and Ryan, bleeding-heart and filled with dramatics. These are powerful men. With powerful needs.”

Her stomach lurched. “I’m done with this family. I’m going to find Matt and leave. You will never hear from us again.”

Erick walked into the living room, holding an unhappy Matt by the elbow, and jerked him back when Matt tried to run toward her. Tear streaks stained his cheeks. His eyes were red behind his little glasses.

“Give me my baby.”

Erick plunked Matt on a couch across from her. “Don’t move.”

Matt’s bottom lip quivered.

“Don’t talk to my son like that.” Bailey rushed to Matt and hugged him close. She just needed to get to her car with Matt. She wouldn’t even wait for them to buckle in. Just flying down the driveway. “Everything will be fine. I’m so sorry about this. We’re leaving.”

“Bailey, Bailey, Bailey,” Erick muttered, opening a small drawer on a side table. He lifted a gun. “That’s not how this is going to go—”

A loud explosion crashed. Then another crash. Glass shattered. Smoke hissed. Bailey dove onto Matt, shielding him.

Larger-than-life figures flooded the room. Through the windows. Through the door. One after the other. More and more. Kimbra screeched. Angus cursed. Chaos erupted as Erick, Martin, and Peter fought. Bailey could do nothing except cover her child, wrapping him in her arms, as she searched for a way to carry Matt to safety.

She saw her opening and clutched her boy, running, running, running through the maze of tactical vests and weapons until a man’s arms opened wide. The man. Wes Wilder, who promised it would be okay. Wes, who she loved.

He wrapped them against his chest and carried them out the door, into the summer sun, and away from everything she hated. The people. The power. The money. The evil.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Wes carried his world in his arms, and when he set Bailey and Matt on their feet, far away from the chaos unfolding inside, he held back. Bailey dropped to her knees and wrapped Matt in her arms. Her hands ran over him as if checking for injuries. Wes wanted to do the same thing to both of them.

She rested her chin on his head and looked up. “Thank you.”

“I promised you I would get you both out of there.” He was ready to promise her the world.

Winters, a man who had been on the breach team with Wes, jogged over. “Wilder. Boss Man needs you back at the house.” He tilted his head toward Bailey and Matt. “I’ll get them someplace safe to wait for you.”

“Give me a sec.” Wes helped Bailey to her feet and kissed her. He didn’t care that people surrounded them. “I love you, baby.” He touched his forehead to hers and locked on her blue eyes. “I know I’m giving you time. Giving you whatever you need. But I’ve been kicking myself since I got out of your car and hadn’t told you. I love you. I need you. I want everything with you and Matt.”

He hadn’t thought he’d see happiness today, but her face glowed. “I love you too.”

“Yo, Wilder,” Winters called. “You gotta roll, man. I’ll take care of them.”

“I’ll be back. Soon as I can. All right, baby?”