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“That would be awesome.” Skyla compiled all the resumes and took them behind the bar. She placed them on top of the stack she had acquired from the day before. She couldn’t put off selecting Nico’s replacement for much longer, but she just wasn’t sure about these. Maybe this would be a good time to consult her father. He’d always loved Madigan’s, and it would get his mind off his recent troubles.
The front door opened again and Tanner walked in. “Hey, Skyla, Blake.”
“Tanner,” Blake said. “What brings you by? You know Madigan’s is closed today, right? It’s Tuesday.”
Tanner nodded. “I know. I’m actually here to see Skyla.”
Skyla straightened. “Okay, I'm all ears. What’s up?”
Tanner looked uncomfortable and shuffled his feet. “Maybe we can sit?” He gestured to one of the empty tables.
Skyla raised an eyebrow and came out from behind the bar, pointedly standing in front of Tanner, ignoring Blake’s worried stance. “Okay, you’re kind of freaking me out right now, Tanner, so whatever is on your mind, just spill.”
Tanner strode over to a table and pulled a chair out for her. His gaze met Blake’s and the two men seemed to share some unspoken message she wasn’t picking up on. Blake took her by the hand, and gently led her to the chair, taking the one next to her. Both men watched as she sat, her arms crossed in front of her.
“Did I do something illegal?” She asked jokingly, but then remembered that Tanner was a homicide detective. Even if she had done something wrong, he wouldn’t be here unless she committed murder, or someone she knew had been killed.
And just like that, she struggled to draw breath at the realization that it had to be the latter. Who could have possibly been killed for Tanner to come all this way to tell her about it himself? “Who?” She asked quietly. “Who died?”
Tanner folded his arms on the table, sincere remorse coloring his features. “About two hours ago, your father bought a gun on the street and went in search of someone to loan him a sizable amount of money. When the bookie refused him, he threatened him with a gun, not expecting the bookie to have one of his own. Unfortunately, the bookie got off the first round, and your father was killed instantly.”
She gasped. Tears pooled in her eyes, her gut churned, making bile rise to her throat.
“Skyla, I’m so sorry,” Tanner said.
She stood from the chair, knocking it off its legs. She didn’t hear it fall behind her, or the words coming from Blake. She ran past the bar and straight into the ladies’ room where she proceeded to heave out the little food she’d been able to keep down from breakfast, and the nasty bile that burned the back of her throat as it wretched its way up her esophagus.
And then warm hands held her, pulling her hair back, rubbing slow circles between her shoulder blades. Her knees gave out and she sank to the floor in front of the toilet. Blake sank with her, catching her in his arms and pulling her into his lap. A thick silence enveloped them as he sat with her on the cold gray tile.
“I loved him,” she said, unnecessarily.
“I know,” Blake said.
“What was he thinking?” A steady stream of silent tears came down her cheeks. “How could he do that to me? I thought, despite everything, he loved me more than his stupid gambling. More than the money. Was I really just a means to an end for him?” When Blake didn’t respond, Skyla had her answer. “I loved him,” she repeated.
Blake kissed the back of her head. “And that’s all that matters now.”
“He’ll never know,” she said, her hand drifting to her belly.
“He’d be a fool not to know how much you loved him, especially after everything you did for him.”
Skyla drew in a ragged breath. Blake’s words were meant to be a comfort, but she’d waited too long. Maybe if her dad knew he was about to be a grandfather, he wouldn’t have taken this risk. He’d still be alive. “It’s all my fault. I’m the reason AJ cut off his money supply, and now -”
“No,” Blake bit out. “You are not the reason behind any of your father’s decisions. He was a grown man, who made his own choices. If anything, you’re the reason he survived for as long as he did.”
“I loved him,” Skyla said again, as if she simply couldn’t find any other words to say about the man who’d spent years using her for his own personal gain and enjoyment. “I hated him,” she quietly admitted. “But I loved him.”
Blake held her tight in his arms, peppering the back of her neck and head with sweet kisses. “I know. I’ll help you through this anyway I can. In any capacity that you’ll let me.”
She turned in his arms and buried her face into his neck. So many thoughts raced through her mind, it was hard to keep track. But suddenly, the foremost one was on the man she’d left in a lurch. “Poor Tanner. Is he okay? I just left him there and -”
“He’s fine,” Blake reassured her. “I’m pretty sure he’s done this once or twice before in his career.”
Skyla grimaced. “That sucks. This sucks. Death sucks.” She looked up at Blake, tracing his features with her gaze until she reached his eyes. She wanted to memorize every speck, every shimmer, every ounce of love he emitted from them, directed straight at her. “Don’t ever die on me, okay? I know that’s asking a lot, but please don’t ever die on me.”
Blake tenderly pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I never make promises I can’t keep, but I can promise you that I will always love you.”
“I’ll always love you,” Skyla repeated on a shaky breath. “Take me home.”
