The only confirmation Logan gave that he’d heard my whispered words were two pounding slaps to my shoulder before he moved.
Five...three…enter.
The door was unlocked and the stage was set just as I’d hoped. The only difference was I was staring down the business end of Belview’s gun.
Shots rang out.
My breath left my body in a painful whoosh, white-hot pain seared through me, and my vision blurred.
Jesus Christ.
Shouts filled the room and I felt hands on my shoulders moving me back.
“We need a medic, Razor’s hit.”
Jesus Christ. I’d heard that before and the flashback hit hard and fast. Dust and debris raining down, hitting me on the face until I rolled and the worst of it landed on my back and it felt like I was on fire. I rolled again, looking for Luke, but my vision had been blurry then, too. I couldn’t see through the smoke and the concussion of the blast had scrambled my brain. I’d closed my eyes to clear the fog and when I opened them, Liberty and Drake were there.
“I’m fine,” I wheezed, blocking out the memory. “Get this thing off me.”
I felt tugging, then heard the quick-detach latches go before Drake lifted the vest over my head.
“Good God, that hurts.” I rubbed my chest and tried to breathe deep.
“Crazy fucker.” Drake’s pissed-off grunt made me smile. “You took two, asshole, maybe three.”
I took three, I felt the two hit my plates. And without looking, I’d say the third went clean through my shoulder.
“Jasper?”
“Breathing.”
“Awake?”
“Yep.”
I shoved past Drake, ignoring the throb in my shoulder. Okay, so it was more than a throb, it actually felt like someone had taken a branding iron to my flesh, then poured battery acid into the wound.
Carter stepped to the side and I caught Jasper’s gaze. A slow, bloody smile formed, upon which time I saw he was missing a tooth, his lip was torn to shit, and smiling just made the blood flow faster.
Crazy son-of-a-bitch.
“My wife’s gonna be pissed,” he announced.
“Likely,” I agreed.
Jason finished untying his dad and I saw Jasper wince as he brought his arms in front of him.
“Forgot about this part,” he groaned and rolled his shoulders. “And I’m definitely too old for this shit.”
Jason, not finding his father amusing, grunted at his dad like a bear with a thorn in his ass.
“Let me help you up.”
Jasper narrowed his eyes, assessed his son, then wisely allowed Jason to help him stand.
“Ambulance should be here in less than five,” Nick said from the door.
“Want me to carry you out front?” I asked Jasper, and he turned his eyes back to mine.
The green so green, they still looked like emeralds even through the swelling and blood.
“You want me to shoot you?”
“No. I think one hole is enough for today.”
“Yeah, my daughter’s gonna be pissed about that.”
“Likely. Though I’m hoping all her energy will be spent nursing you back to health so she’ll forget all about it.”
“Right. You keep thinking that, you’ll be disappointed.”
“You think maybe we can cut this short?” Jason asked. “I’m not feeling all that happy standing in a room with a dead guy.”
“Yeah, son. Help your old man to the front door.”
There it was, further proof Jasper Walker was a damn good father. It was unlikely he wanted help, even if he had to drag his leg behind him, he’d still get himself to the door. But his son needed something to do, something that made him feel close to his dad after almost losing him. So being the father he was, he swallowed his pride and gave his son what he needed.
“You good?” Carter asked.
“All good, brother.”
With a jerk of his chin, Carter started to the door and I pulled out my phone to call my woman and give her the good news.
31
“And he’s dead?”
“Jeez, Mom.”
My mom’s gaze snapped to mine and I recoiled at what I saw.
It had been a bad day.
A very bad day, and it shone in my mother’s blue eyes. The worry, devastating fear, the relief when Trey called to tell us they’d gotten Dad out and he was alive.
But that relief flew out the window when we’d made it to the hospital right before my dad was wheeled back for surgery. Jake had worked my dad over some more after he’d sent me that text.
Now we were in the surgical waiting room and Trey—with fresh stitches in his shoulder, front and back—finished the story.