Page 47 of Daybreak

“See you then,” Bill said.

Gunner immediately called for an Uber, then put on his shoulder holster and gun, added a lightweight jacket over it, and clipped his badge onto an upper pocket. His ride arrived a short while later. He set the security alarm as he exited the house, and after a quick glance around, hurried out to the car and got in.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

Gunner gave him the address and sat back for the ride.

Traffic was heavy. Runoff from the early morning thunderstorm was still flowing from gutters and into sewer grates as they took an on-ramp onto the Loop. He had a moment of déjà vu as they passed where the shooting had taken place, and then it was gone.

When they finally arrived at the destination, Gunner exited with a quick thanks and went inside to the man at the front desk.

“Gunner Kingston. I’m here to pick up my car. It’s a black Mustang GT.”

The man pulled up the invoice and printed it out. “This is the total amount owed. Will that be check or card?”

“Card,” Gunner said, then waited while they ran it through the system, signed for the charge, and slipped it back in his wallet.

“I’ll have one of the boys drive it around front for you,” he said, then grabbed the keys and headed into the service area.

While Gunner was waiting, he received a text to rate the Uber driver, and when he did, he added a generous tip.

A couple of minutes later, a clerk drove his car up from the back parking area to the front of the shop and went inside. “Mr. Kingston?” he asked.

Gunner nodded.

He dropped the keys into Gunner’s hand. “Have a good day.”

Gunner slid into the driver’s seat and retrieved his sunglasses from the console where he’d left them. Moments later, he was gone.

Now the real test had begun.

Had Dixon really called off the bounty?

Did Lieutenant Samuels actually know what he was talking about?

He was about to find out.

The city traffic was one thing, but getting back on that six-lane loop and trying to watch his back at the same time was impossible. All he could do was hope the hit was really off and no one knew he was back in Dallas.

Every car that rode his bumper. Every vehicle that roared past him on both sides. Every time the traffic slowed to a crawl because of some incident up ahead—the skin crawled on the back of his neck.

By the time he was home and pulling into the garage, his knuckles were white from the grip he’d had on the steering wheel. He sat in the car without moving until the garage door was all the way down, then got out, disarmed the alarm and went inside, then reset it.

He needed a stiff drink, but he decided to call Holly instead.

* * *

Holly woke up with a jolt with the sun coming through her bedroom windows and flew out of bed before she remembered that everything was over. There was nothing to rush around about, no random visitors to deal with. It was business as usual again, except for the absence of her mom. A quick sheen of tears blurred her vision before she blinked them away as she went to shower and dress.

She could hear people talking on the back porch as she entered the kitchen to get some coffee, noticed Travis’s truck wasn’t parked in its usual place, and guessed he was already somewhere out on the ranch. Then her focus shifted to the muffled conversation her dad and grandmother were having outside on the back steps.

Garrett’s hand was on his mother’s shoulder.

Her hand was cupping the side of his face.

The moment seemed poignant and private, but it dawned on her that her dad could more easily reveal his sadness and grief to his mother rather than to his children. A parent is always supposed to be strong for the family, but a man who’s lost his way and his wife can still be a child in need of comfort with his mother. Seeing this moment between them was going to make going back to Dallas so much easier.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and put a piece of bread in the toaster, then buttered it hot after it popped up, and ate standing up at the island. She kept wondering what Gunner was doing as she went to gather up her laundry. The least she could do was take her clothes back clean.