“No!” Ellena lowered the Glock to her side and went to him. Carefully, she wrapped her fingers around his taut forearm as best she could. “Don’t.”
“He almost killed you, Elle.”
“I didn’t cause the fucking wreck!”
Ellena turned her gaze on Walker. She wasn’t sure why, but something in his eyes made her want to believe him.
“I think he’s telling the truth.”
Walker’s dark brows rose with surprise, his gray-blue eyes shifting to hers. “Thanks, Doc.” He looked back to Gabe. “You really should listen to your wife. I wasn’t the one who hit her, but…I know who did.”
“Mywifejust put a bullet in your shoulder.” Gabe stared down at him. “You really think she’s on your side?”
“Can’t really blame her for shooting me.” Wincing, Walker used his good arm to push himself up into a more upright position. He huffed a few breaths before adding, “She thought I came here to hurt her.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that you didn’t?”
“Gabe.” Ellena tried getting through to him again. “Please.”
“It’s the truth.” Ryker put a hand on Gabe’s chest in an attempt to talk him down.
With a deadly tone to his voice, Gabe glanced at his chest then back up to Ryker. “You’re gonna want to remove that hand.”
Deciding now was not the time to push the limit with Gabe, Ryker dropped his hand but refused to step aside.
Keeping his eyes—and gun—on Walker, Gabe spoke to her next. “Did he touch you?”
“No.”
“Did he threaten you in any way?”
“No.”
“She got spooked when she heard my voice,” Walker explained for her. “Thought I was here to kill her. Didn’t think she had it in her, but…” He glanced down at his bloody wound. “Should’ve known better.”
“I’m sorry,” Ellena heard herself say.
Gabe’s incredulous expression immediately followed. “He breaks in here, and you’reapologizingto him? What the fuck is happening right now?”
“He’s right,” Ellena answered his rhetorical question. “I got scared. He didn’t even have a weapon, but I…I don’t know. He started to walk toward me, and I guess it was just…reflex.”
“Helluva reflex you’ve got there, sweetheart.”
Gabe’s head moved on a fast swivel. “I told you not to fucking call her that.” He looked back at Ellena. “And trust me, he has a weapon.”
“Look. We all just need to take a breath and calm down.”
All eyes turned to Ryker. The clean-cut man was standing at Gabe’s side looking like he was ready to pounce if Gabe made another move toward Walker.
An alternate reality. That’s where I am. It’s the only explanation for the amount of crazy happening in this room.
“Here.” Ellena held Gabe’s Glock out to him. “Take it. I-I can’t even look at it anymore.”
Sympathy warred with his anger as Gabe took the weapon from her hand. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Not sure okay is the correct description for what I’m feeling at the moment.” She let out a sarcastic laugh. “I don’t really know how I’d describe my current state of mind, actually.”
In shock would probably be a good place to start.
