Page 122 of Her Unflinching Warrior (Omega Sky)
Her small little body pulled up straight. “You most certainly did not deserve it. You were put in a terrible position and no adult could have handled it better than you did. I’m proud of you, Son.”
Again, Gideon felt his heart clench. “But what about Pops?”
“I knew that man to the bottom of his soul. If he had known what I know now, he would be just as proud of you as I am.”
Gideon shook his head in denial. “I’m not sure, Ma.”
“You listen to me, Gideon. I hope it’s not going to be my time to go for a good long time. But when I’m let into the pearly gates and welcomed into my father’s arms and see my beloved Henry again, his first words to me are going to be how proud he is of his first-born son.”
“You can’t know that, Ma.” Gideon could barely get the words out.
“I can. I do.” She stood up on her tiptoes and brushed away his tears.
“Now give me a hug, Son.”
Later That Night
“I am not goingto make love with you with your mother in the house,” Jada hissed.
Gideon chuckled as he tugged at her little cotton tank top again. It was so much fun to tease Jada Harlow.
“Stop that!” She slapped his hand.
“Okay, Honey, not full-blown intercourse, but maybe something else?” he wheedled.
“Yeah, you want something blown all right,” Jada giggled.
Gideon let out a laugh. “I hadn’t meant it that way, but now that you mention it…”
Jada wrestled him to his back and propped her elbows up on his chest. “How do you feel?” she asked.
“About Ma?”
“Partly.”
“About Pops?”
“Partly.”
“Then what?”
“You didn’t talk much for a couple of days after you killed Kendall, and then when you did start talking again, you never mentioned how it felt having him dead. Or having him dead by your hand. So, I guess my question is, my little snuggle bunny, how are you feeling about all of it?”
Gideon sighed. “Snuggle bunny, huh?”
“I’m going to keep coming up with terms like that until you spill your guts,” she warned.
He saw she was serious, God help him.
“Kendall wanted me to kill him. It was a death-by-cop kind of thing.”
“Okay.” She continued to look at him.
“I could have easily incapacitated him, shot him in the hand, sent him off to prison again. In a way that would have been the real revenge.” Jada nodded. “But Kendall Douglas has no place on this earth. I made that judgment. I would make it again. So I killed him.” Gideon paused and looked closely at Jada. “I’m okay with what I did, are you?” he asked softly.
“Yes, Honey, I am.” She placed a kiss over his heart.
“Now, you want to know about Ma and Pops, besides being fucking thrilled?”
