the pain he’d caused me. The two men had drug Neil to his feet and were now holding him against his will as he struggled to free himself. No longer was he glaring at me in disgust. Now the only look I saw was one of fear.
“Thanks, guys.” Walker quickly told them. “Bring him back to the ranch for me. I’ll deal with him later.”
“Walker,” I interjected. “Why not just have them take him to the police station? I’ll follow and fill out a report. I’ve got a dash-cam, and one on the bed that I know caught everything.”
“I’d rather bury him in a shallow grave,” Walker said.
I reached out and took his hand. “He’s not a problem any longer.”
Walkers' gaze softened briefly before he turned back to the two men and Neil. He moved with deliberate steps until he was just inches away from Neil’s face. Reaching up, he grabbed the man's ear as he squealed in pain. Walker whispered something into Neil’s ear. The drunk man stopped struggling as the blood drained from his face. His eyes darted to me before quickly moving to the ground as he nodded.
Walker again stepped away and gave his brothers an order to drop Neil off at the police booth set up at the fair. We watched as the three men disappeared into the crowd of people on the edges of the festivities. Neil no longer struggled against them. As a matter of fact, he looked downright terrified and docile as they walked away.
“What did you say to him?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter. Are you okay, though? When I saw him grab you, my mind just went blank. I hope I didn’t hurt you when I tackled him.”
I shook my head. “No, I’m fine, really. Thank you for doing that. I’ll be happy when I don’t have to deal with him any longer.”
“Because you are selling the gallery and leaving?” Walker asked.
“Yes, and no,” I told him.
“Please, Stacy, I don’t want you to leave. Please don’t go.” He whispered.
“Walker –
“I know that I’ve made a mess of this, and I can't ever go back and fix that, but I don’t want you to leave. I’m miserable without you.”
“I know that you care but –
“There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for you and Harrison. I told my mother and father that I wanted to be cut out of the family. If you are leaving, I’m going with you. I’d follow you all across this earth if that’s what it takes to be a part of your life.”
I smiled at him and waited. He took a deep breath and started to pace. I could have told him right then and there my plans, but I enjoyed watching him fumble for words. Plus, he’d cut me off twice. So the uncomfortable unknown he was grappling with was his own fault. I leaned back against the truck, peeking in to see Harrison already passed out in the cold air-conditioning.
“I just, I’ve made such a mess of things. I never should have talked with my lawyer. I was angry, I’m sorry about that. I would never try to take action against you, though. I know you don’t believe me, and I’m sorry that my mother showed up at your gallery like that too. Damn, I feel like I’ve just really been a fuck up.”
“Am I allowed to talk now?” I asked.
He grinned. “I’m sorry, go ahead.”
I took a deep breath. “First of all, the gallery is back up for sale, but the signs that you saw were just a ploy by Neil to ruffle my feathers. It didn’t work. I’ve already spoken with both his parents, and tonight, when I meet with them, I’ll be buying the gallery under a C-Corp, not my own name.”
Walker's eyes lit up. “Then, you aren’t leaving?”
“Well, I don’t know yet. But the building is a solid investment either way. I don’t want it under my name, though. A business is a business. I can always pick up and start over somewhere, but now I’ll have a little collateral. I’m pretty sure after I meet with Neil’s parents tonight, they are going to cut him out of the deal entirely. As a matter of fact, my offer to buy it is conditional on that detail.”
“Oh,” Walker said, his head lowering. “So, you are leaving?”
“No.” I sighed. “I don’t want to leave. Honestly, I was sure that I would, but after I talked with your mom, I sort of saw things in