Unbreakable Bond (Whiskey Men: Wounded Heroes), page 1
UNBREAKABLE BOND
HOPE FORD
CONTENTS
1. Kanan
2. Emerson
3. Kanan
4. Emerson
5. Kanan
6. Emerson
7. Kanan
8. Emerson
9. Kanan
10. Emerson
11. Kanan
12. Emerson
13. Kanan
14. Emerson
15. Kanan
16. Emerson
17. Kanan
18. Emerson
19. Kanan
20. Emerson
21. Kanan
22. Emerson
23. Kanan
Epilogue
Also by Hope Ford
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About the Author
Unbreakable Bond © 2023 by Hope Ford
Editor: Kasi Alexander
Proofreader: Nicole Graf
Cover Design: Lori Jackson
Image Photographer: CJC Photography
Cover Model: Bryan Jordan
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
CHAPTER 1
KANAN
I’m jealous. There’s no other way to explain it. Seeing big ol’ grumpy-ass Davis smiling and happy as his bride-to-be walks down the aisle to him causes a pang in my chest. I reach up and rub my palm over my heart because it hits me fast. It feels like a kick, and it catches me off guard. It takes me a minute to remember I’m standing in the front of the room, right next to the groom, and I slowly lower my hand down to my side, trying not to draw any attention to myself.
There is no hesitation for Davis. As soon as Abby is within reach, he grabs her and draws her into him. The way they’re looking at each other seems too private to witness, and I pull my eyes off them, but it doesn’t help any. I’m right across from Olivia. She’s the maid of honor and also the girlfriend of my friend, Jason. Instead of watching the bride and groom, her eyes are on Jason, who’s standing right next to me. It’s obvious to everyone they are in love. I gave Jason some shit earlier because as Davis' best man, I’m supposed to dance with the maid of honor. When I told him the song we’re dancing to is eight minutes long, I was pretty sure he was going to throat punch me.
The ceremony is fast, and when it’s over, I escort Olivia down the aisle, but as soon as we’re to the end, she’s leaving me for Jason. “Sorry, Kanan.”
I laugh and shake my head. “It’s fine. Trust me, the last thing we need is Jason losing his cool, and I think he will if I have you on my arm much longer.” I point at him. “Look, he’s so mad.”
Olivia laughs, and Jason turns to us. He may not be able to see, but he is one hundred percent attuned with anything Olivia.
She walks over to him, and I watch as Jason opens his arms to her, the lucky son of a gun. I let out a deep breath. All I have to do is make it through the reception with a smile plastered to my face, and then I can go back to my little cabin, have a beer, and do my best to not think about the past.
I walk over to the edge of the room and lean against the wall. Everyone is laughing and talking around me, but I might as well be alone. The reception hall is next door, and guests are leaving the church to walk over. I know I should go be with the rest of the bridal party, but I need a few minutes to try and collect myself. Socializing is hard, and I think I’ve done more of it today than I have in the last two years put together.
I try to take it all in. I never would have believed this was possible for any of us. My friends and I were on a mission, and our friend was killed, leaving the rest of us injured in one way or another. We shouldn’t have even survived that day, but here we are.
Davis is now married.
I’m pretty sure Jason and Olivia will be next.
Jason hollers for me, and my time to reflect is over. I make my way back over to the crowd, and it’s time for more pictures. I smile, and we all do as we’re told because none of us want to upset an excited Abby.
As soon as the photographer dismisses the bridal party but keeps the bride and groom, we make our getaway.
As the bride and groom smile for more pictures, I walk toward the reception area. I find the guys there, all of them standing against the wall, each of them with a beer already in their hands.
“You doing okay?” Elias asks.
He gestures to my arm, and I realize that I’m rubbing the knots out of my forearm with my other hand. I grimace and force myself to let go. “Yeah, sure, I’m good. You okay?”
Elias nods once and then turns away. He looks about as happy as I am to be here. Elias hates being out in public more than any of us. He’s extremely self-conscious with the scars on his face, and it’s obvious he doesn’t want to be here, but just like the rest of us, he’s here for our friend. “You know the pain may not be as bad if you didn’t bench so heavy. You lift weights like you have something to prove.”
I just shrug. Elias is right. I know he is. The doctor has said the same thing. I’m pushing the muscles in my arm too hard too fast, but for a year, I couldn’t do anything with my arm. Once I was able to do something, I took it to the limits. Yeah, sometimes my arm goes numb, and it freaks me out when it happens, but I’m not going to stop.
“How long?” Colter asks.
I turn to the man on the other side of me. He never says much. He suffered from a traumatic brain injury in the incident two years ago, and when he talks too much, he stutters. “How long do we have to stay here?” I ask him, making sure I understand what he’s asking me.
He nods without looking at me.
I shrug and look around the room. There’s a buffet, a cake table, and a dance floor. The party could go on for hours. “I don’t know. Maybe until after the toasts at least. Right?”
The men around me all grunt their agreement. “Yeah, okay. So an hour… or two tops.”
Colter’s frown deepens, and I can’t say I blame him.
It’s only minutes, but it seems longer when the bride and groom finally come through the doors and everyone starts cheering.
“Fuck,” I grunt.
Elias slaps me on the back. “You’re up.”
I feel in my pocket for the folded-up paper and pull it out. “Yep. I’ll be back.”
I get just a few steps and Colter calls out to stop me.
“Yeah?”
He laughs. “Break a leg.”
It’s automatic, and I don’t even think about it. I raise my middle finger at him. “Fuck you, man.”
All the guys laugh, and I shake my head as I make my way to the front.
Olivia is at the front, and I gesture to her. “Ladies first.”
She doesn’t have to read off a paper. She speaks from the heart, and Abby’s wiping tears as Olivia reminisces about their past. She talks about some book club and Abby finally getting her happily ever after.
When it’s my turn, I suck in a breath. I’ve been dreading this for a while now, but I knew I had to do it. No matter how uncomfortable I am, I owe Davis—and the rest of these guys—my life. Surely, I can make it through a small speech.
I start to read, but it doesn’t feel right. I raise my eyes and look out to the crowd and then force myself to look at Davis. Just talk to him. It’s just you and the guys, I tell myself. I fold up the paper and stuff it in my pocket and start again.
“Davis. You of anyone knows I’m not good at these things, but here I am. So here it goes. Two years ago, me, you, the guys—” I gesture to where the other band of mercenaries are all standing against the wall. “None of us thought we would be here. We couldn’t imagine anything past THAT day. It took us awhile to get where we’re at, but we’re here, living for the future, believing in love and forever. Seeing you and Abby and little Alexis”—I gesture to Abby’s daughter—“together is a sight to see. The love you have for each other has healed parts of us that we thought would never heal. Davis, you deserve this. You deserve to be happy and loved. And Abby, I know we’re not much to look at, but I hope you know that we consider you and Alexis our family now. Anytime you need anything, we’re here for you.” I take a deep breath and clear my throat. “So, congratulations,” I end gruffly and turn before I lift my beer to drink.
I don’t get far, though, because Abby has caught up to me. “Kanan, wait.”
I stop and suck in a breath, forcing a smile to my face. I hate the attention, and I can feel all eyes on me. “Yeah?”
Davis is standing over her shoulder with a smirk on his face.
Abby hugs me, and I have no choice but to hug her back. It’s not that I don’t care to hug her; it’s just that I’m not really a huggy person. She pulls back but doesn’t let me go. “I’m honored, Kanan.”
My forehead creases in confusion, and she smiles. “I’m honored to call you guys my family.”
I nod, and she pats me on the shoulder and then Davis hugs me. Emotion wells, and I go over to where the guys are all standing. They all just give me nods, and I know they are all thinking the same thing I am. We’ll never forget that day two years ago.
I’m about to grab another beer when Walker walks up to us. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I’m surprised to be singled
We get to the edge of the room, and he gestures toward Davis and Abby. “You got any other duties as best man tonight?”
I look at him strangely. “No, sir. Just a dance, but I’m pretty sure Jason wasn’t going to let that happen anyway.”
He nods, running his hand through his beard. “Emerson is here.”
I swear I stop breathing. I put my hand on the wall, afraid I’m going to fall over. I look around the room, but I don’t see her. “Where is she?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “She’s at the compound, and she’s asking for you. One of the guys is there with her.”
I inhale sharply, thinking the worst. “Is she okay?”
Walker nods. “Yeah, Logan said she was fine.”
When he mentions the medical doctor at the compound, it gives me some relief. I cross my arms over my chest. “What is she doing here?”
Walker shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
I look around the room. “I need to go to her.”
Walker clasps me on the shoulder. “I know you do. Go. I’ll cover for you here. Let me know if I need to know anything.”
I nod and run to the nearest exit. By the time I get to my truck, every thought possible has gone through my head. Emerson is the daughter of my dead best friend. Randall, her father, was the only member of our team that was killed in that mission two years ago, and there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think about what happened to him.
She’s supposed to be in Texas.
She’s supposed to be in school.
She’s not supposed to be here in Whiskey Run, looking for me.
CHAPTER 2
EMERSON
I reach into my backpack and pull out my sweatshirt. The conference room is cold or maybe I’m just nervous. I don’t know why I’m so nervous, but I am.
I run my fingers through my hair and try to untangle the mess. I know I look tired and rumpled, but I have been on a bus for 25 hours. I lean back in my seat, arms crossed over my chest. I feel like I’ve been sitting here forever, but it’s only been around twenty minutes.
The man at the front was not happy with me interrupting whatever he was doing on his phone, but as soon as he heard my last name, he did a complete one-eighty. He was on the phone a few different times, and some doctor came to check me out, even though I refused treatment. I mean I’m tired, not hurt or sick—not physically anyway—so I didn’t need a doctor. They gave me a pillow and a blanket, planted me on the couch in the conference room with the promise Kanan would be here soon, and I’ve been waiting ever since.
I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I must have fallen asleep because when I wake up, Kanan is crouched down beside me, brushing the hair off my face with a concerned look in his eyes.
I blink at him, taking him all in. I thought I was ready to see Kanan again, but I guess I’m not. My heart starts to race, my palms start to sweat, and I can barely form a thought in my head. He’s talking, and I try to focus on what he’s saying to me instead of the way his eyes are a darker blue than I remember.
I recognize that look. It’s the same one he gave me when he saved me all those years ago.
“Emerson, Bug, are you okay? Talk to me.”
I clench my eyes shut. Bug. As soon as he calls me the nickname from my childhood, I know he’ll never ever think of me as anything other than the little kid that used to dig in the backyard. Trust me when I tell you I regret carrying around a little habitat of bugs with me because I’ll never shake the name.
I sit up and stretch my arms over my head. I’m not sure how long I was sleeping, but I sure needed it. When I open my eyes mid-stretch, Kanan averts his eyes from me. He grabs a rolling chair, pulls it over toward the couch, and sits down in it.
It’s then I notice the suit he’s wearing. “Oh shoot, Kanan, you were busy. You didn’t have to come.” And then a sick thought comes to mind. “Where were you?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Wedding.”
I hold my breath. “Who got married?” Surely he’s not the one that got married. He wouldn’t be here if he did, but if he tells me he did, I’m leaving. There’s no way I can stay here and see him with a woman. I know my dreams are ridiculous and it will never happen between me and Kanan, but I’m not going to torture myself either.
Kanan’s lips turn up in a smile. “Davis got married.”
There’s no holding back my surprise. “Davis?” He’s another one of my dad’s old friends. He’s grumpy and set in his ways. I never would have thought of him settling down.
He laughs and nods. “Yep. Trust me, we’re all a little surprised. But Abby is great, and he’s happy.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m sorry for taking you away. I wouldn’t have bothered you if I’d known. You should go back.”
I’m starting to ramble, and he reaches for me, wrapping his hand around one of mine. “Stop. Emmy, what’s going on?”
I shake my head. “I shouldn’t have come.”
I start to get up, but he puts his hands on my shoulders, holding me where I’m at. He’s rolled his chair toward me, and my legs are fitted between his thighs. I’m not small by any means, but being this close to Kanan makes me feel like I am. “Stop. Talk to me. What’s going on? Why are you not in school? Does your mom know you’re here?”
I scrunch my nose up at him. “Kanan, I’m twenty-four years old.”
He nods, not the least bit surprised by the news. “I know exactly how old you are. Answer my questions.”
I jut my chin at him. “Listen, this was a mistake. I didn’t know where else to go, but—”
He cuts me off. “You’re not fuckin’ leaving.”
His eyes widen, and I think he’s as surprised as I am at what he just said. He pushes his chair back and jumps up. He strips off his jacket and tosses it onto the back of a chair. While he walks back and forth, all I can do is watch him as he undoes his tie and tosses it and then undoes the top buttons of his shirt. He looks as if he’s about to undo the buttons on his sleeves but thinks twice about it and stops. I’m not surprised. I know he doesn’t let people see his arm.
I have no idea what it looks like. I heard people whispering at my dad’s funeral that it was mangled, but he’s only worn long-sleeve shirts when I have seen him.
He seems to calm himself. “Look, Bug…”
“Don’t call me that. I’m not a little girl anymore, Kanan. And you can’t tell me what to do. This was a mistake coming here. I should have…” But my voice trails off because I don’t know what I should have done. I don’t have many choices. Maybe I should have had them call Walker and his wife, Brooklyn, instead of Kanan.
He holds his hands up, and his voice is softer. “I’m sorry, okay? You’re right. You’re not a child anymore. I know you’re not. Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on, and we can figure it out. Why are you not at school?”
I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “I got kicked out.”
I try to hide the embarrassment I feel about this by staring straight into his eyes, but he sees it. He sees everything. Kanan has always been super observant and in tune with people.
His hands fist at his sides. “Why did they kick you out? It’s your last year. You’re an honors student. You’ve been on the dean's list every semester since your first year.”
I shake my head in wonder. “How did you know that?”
“Why did they kick you out, Emerson?”
I cross my arms over my chest. I’m feeling every emotion right now, and I’m struggling to stay on top of any of them. “Because my tuition and boarding payment came back insufficient funds.”
