Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 93698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“Yes.”
“She know you’re comin’?”
“No.” And that little detail wasn’t going to stop her. “Is she here?”
Leo stared at her for a few moments with his expression locked down and his jaw tight. “Yeah.” With a single nod, he stepped back and gave her just enough space to squeeze past him. “She’s in her office.” As she began to head inside, he took one more step back so he wasn’t crowding her and jerked his chin toward Ledger. “Who’s the kid?”
“My son.”
“He looks”—his head twitched—“familiar.”
She could see him struggling to keep his shock under wraps.
Family or not, maybe she shouldn’t have moved back to western Pennsylvania. Too many people knew her here. Too many knew that she and Zeke had been together.
Too many people would be all up in her business.
Going back to living away from her family and friends was looking more and more like a better decision. Only at this point, it might be too late.
Zeke would never let her disappear again.
Most likely Vi wouldn’t, either. Only, the Shadows’ manager had the power to make sure it didn’t happen. If her current team was anything like her father’s, they could track anyone anywhere.
Keeping a tight grip on Ledger’s hand, she headed in the direction Leo indicated. They continued down the hallway until he said, “Office on your right.”
While her memory was a little dusty on the location, it made sense that Vi used her father’s former office.
Leo, in a deliciously deep voice, announced behind her, “Boss, your friend’s here to see you.”
Kyra thought it was weird that Leo would call Vi by that title. The offspring of both the DAMC and the Shadows all grew up together. They considered each other family and all were tight.
When Violet’s gaze lifted from her oversized, curved computer monitor, she did a double-take when she saw Kyra. Then the second her gaze dropped to Ledger, she whispered, “Holy shit balls.”
“Surprise!” Kyra said awkwardly.
“So, it’s true.”
“Yes, I’m back in town.”
“I knew that part. That’s not what I’m talking about.” She lifted her head and called out, “Hey, Grim!”
Grim?
Kyra glanced over her shoulder to see Leo now standing in the open doorway.
“Yeah.” Had he stationed himself right outside Vi’s office?
Did he think Kyra was a threat to his boss? She was simply a single mother trying to survive. She wasn’t capable of doing any military-like takedowns and she had no reason to take out Vi. Even if Kyra wasn’t happy with her right now.
“Do you mind taking her son for a few minutes while we talk? Show him some of the cool vehicles we have.”
It was a little annoying that Vi would make that decision about her son without asking Kyra first, but she also understood it. Ledger probably shouldn’t hear what they were about to discuss, anyway.
“Would you like to see that, buddy?” Kyra asked him.
He turned his wide gray-blue eyes up to her and bounced on his toes. “Yeah! They have twains?”
“Um, no trains. But I bet they have other cool stuff!”
Leo moved farther into the room. “What’s his name?”
“Ledger,” Kyra answered.
Leo held out his hand and cracked a smile. “What a cool name you have, Ledger. C’mon, you can check out our Terradyne.”
Whatever that was. As long as they weren’t going to play catch with a grenade, she was sure Ledger would be in good hands.
“Close the door behind you.” Vi watched Leo and Ledger leave before turning her troubled, deep brown eyes back to her. “I’ve missed you, Ky.”
She rubbed at the ache deep within her chest. She and the woman sitting behind the desk had been close for a majority of their lives. They had done almost everything together. For years.
While Kyra had missed her family after she left, she missed her partner in crime even more.
“I’ve missed you, too, Vi. I hope you now understand why I left without a word.”
Vi sank back into her office chair and shook her head. “Why come back at all?”
“You’re not the only one I missed. My brother’s family is here. My parents are here. Everyone I know is here. I was also tired of keeping Ledger isolated. It wasn’t fair to him. I had hoped your cousin had moved on. Even so, it was stupid of me to go to that fundraiser. I wasn’t thinking.” But, realistically, she couldn’t hide here and not isolate her son, either.
Now, she needed to put on her big girl panties and deal with the fallout.
“I’m glad you did.” Vi flipped a hand toward one of the empty chairs.
Kyra reluctantly perched on the edge of the closest one and waited, since it was obvious Violet was gathering her thoughts.
“You left Zeke because of what he did. But you left Shadow Valley because of him.” She jerked her chin toward the closed office door.
Violet had always been hyper vigilant and intelligent. She had been the perfect candidate to step into her father’s boots.