Walker Revenge (The Walker Family Series Book 5) by Bernadette Marie Read Free Book Online Page A

said she’d wanted
full custody. It had been the longest and worst two days of her
life. She couldn’t imagine what he might do if he came back to
Georgia now. And what if his mother still held a grudge against her
for making sure the law kept them all away from her? How long could
his parole hold him to Texas?
    Her hands began to shake again, and panic
rose in her chest.
    Maybe now was the perfect time for her to
leave Georgia. He’d come for her if he could, and not because he
wanted her or Lucas. He’d come to hurt them.
     
    Russell opened his eyes slowly. The day
would come, soon, when he opened his eyes and the room would be his
room.
    He took a quick inventory of everything
strapped to him before he tried to adjust for comfort. He knew he’d
go home with his arm bandaged. Of course, he’d have that stupid
bandage on his leg for weeks to come. At least he’d walk again,
though he’d been told that would take some therapy. It’d be nice if
he could walk out of that freaking hospital on his own two feet,
but now he’d just like to get out.
    Movement at the window caught his attention,
and he turned to see a woman standing in the shadows. Her back was
turned to him.
    It wasn’t just any woman. It was
Chelsea.
    No matter how nasty they’d been to each
other since he’d been there, something in his heart lightened when
he saw her.
    “Chelsea?” His voice was raspy and soft as
it broke the silence of the room causing her to flinch and splash
herself with the hot liquid in the cup.
    She jumped back and wiped at her shirt. Then
she looked at him.
    “Hi,” she said setting her cup on the
table.
    “Which arm do you want to poke on?” he asked
as he blinked heavily, realizing he hadn’t yet shaken his sleep
completely.
    “I’m here to visit. I’m not your nurse
today.”
    That got his attention as he shifted in the
bed to look at her. “You’re here to visit? Another one of those
‘I’ll get another shift’ kind of visits?” The thought stung, and he
realized it had quickly taken a slice at his mood.
    “No. I need to talk to you, so I’m here to
visit.”
    He studied her in the dim light. “Open the
blinds. What time is it?”
    “Nine,” she said walking to the window,
opening the blinds, and walking back to him.
    “Nine? Damn. Whatever they give me knocks my
ass out.”
    “It’s meant to. You heal better if you’re
rested and not in pain.”
    At the moment, looking at her, the pain
wasn’t in his limbs. It was in his heart.
    “You have a son,” he said, and Chelsea
sucked in a breath and held it before she spoke.
    “Lucas. He’s almost three.”
    “Does he have your father’s name as his
middle name?”
    He noticed her wince. They’d discussed that
when they’d once planned a family.
    Batting her eyes against the tears he'd seen
well up, she nodded. “Yes.”
    Russell raised his bed to sit up, and
Chelsea adjusted the pillows around him. She might not be attending
to him today, but it was in her to always comfort people, that much
hadn’t changed. “Thank you,” he said. “Smythe told me your
ex-husband is on parole in Texas.”
    She bit down on her bottom lip. “Yes.”
    “He hurt you.” His is voice was a curt
whisper.
    “He did. He wasn’t the man I thought he was.
I made a mistake.”
    “Doesn’t mean he should hurt you,” he
offered shaking his head.
    She batted her eyes. “He kidnapped Lucas.”
The first tear fell, and she quickly wiped it away. “He had him for
two days before they found them in Texas. He’d abandoned him in the
back of a car and robbed a liquor store.”
    “That’s what sent him to jail?”
    She nodded. “Yes. They added the charges for
domestic violence.”
    “Violence?” Russell's voice grew sharp.
    “Like I said, I made a mistake.”
    Russell reached for her hand and held it in
his. “No, he did.”
    “I just wanted to tell you how sorry I was
for everything I put you through.” She wiped at the tears that
rolled down her cheeks.