Page 48 of Untamed
Just not a real one.
Walker is shaking his head before I even finish making the claim. “No you did not.” His expression softens the tiniest bit, along with his tone. “I know why you don’t want one, and I also know that hasn’t changed.”
There’s a moment of silence between us. One that carries years’ worth of unsaid words. Years of sharing a similar fate.
I know Walker understands why I am the way I am. I don’t know if anyone else truly gets it—or even saw the pain I struggledto navigate as a kid—and that’s okay. I know my pain is nothing compared to Titus’s.
Or my mother’s.
It’s different. Complicated. It’s made me see the world differently. Prioritize relationships in a way many people don’t get.
But I think Walker does. He understands how risky connection can be. The space it occupies in your life and the hole it leaves when it’s gone.
That’s why I decided to never give it space. That I will never face the kind of emptiness that nearly broke Titus.
Probably did break Walker.
And while I might not be able to convince my cousin completely, I’ve got to at least make him wonder. Because my mother will notice if Walker thinks I’m lying.
So I shrug, blowing it off like it’s no big deal. “What can I say? They're right when they say meeting the right person will change you.”
Birdie smacks me in the side of the face, pulling my attention from where my cousin stands. Her eyes are big and fixed on my face as she wildly gestures down the middle of her chest.
“You are an impatient little thing, aren’t you?” I’m smiling as I say it, because I suffer from a serious case of impatience myself. “I should probably let your momma pick what you snack on.”
I’m starting to understand how Ruth is raising Birdie, but I’m nowhere near fully grasping what she would or wouldn’t do. And I really appreciate her being here, so the last thing I want is to step on her toes.
I wrap one arm around Birdie, scooping her up as I stand, holding her on one side and her bag of goodies on the other as I meet my cousin's skeptical gaze. “Would you like to meet Ruth?”
“I’ll wait.” He smirks, thinking he’s got me. “I’m assuming she’s coming to family dinner tomorrow night?”
“You assume correctly.”
I grin when he’s immediately shocked. I understand this is nothing he ever expected to see, but Walker’s going to have to come around. Because I’m not going to have Deidre Bradshaw on my ass next. Hell, if Walker knows what’s good for him, he’ll start plotting his own scheme to get her to set her sights on Trevor.
And he’s gonna have to start soon, because I am in it to win it.
A fact I think he grasps a little more when I pause as I walk past, laying down my cards. “It would be weird not to bring Ruth, especially since she’s living with me now.”
Walker stands in stunned silence as Birdie and I stride out of the break room. My grin holds as I walk through the halls, greeting employees who give me the same sort of shocked look my brother offered when they see me carrying Birdie around. They’re going to have to get used to it too. At least for the next few weeks.
I anticipate Ruth and Birdie coming here more often than not as this all plays out. I know at some point she’ll likely be more comfortable with the prospect of my mother showing up unannounced, but I like having them here.
Especially since I still don’t know what’s lurking out there. When they’re here, I won’t have to worry about someone figuring out their location and showing up to cause problems. I won’t have to?—
I stop as I round one corner, coming face-to-face with something I might actually have to worry about.
Brooke, Maren, and Ruth stand just outside the door leading to my wing of the building. And they’re not alone. Standing a little too fucking close, and looking a little too fucking hard at Ruth, are the three men from Alaskan Security.
And for some goddamn reason, Ruth is laughing at something one of them just said.
Bradshaw Brothers Group Chat
Trevor
Remember that time Toby got all wound up over Brooke having the AS guys in her office
Tobias
