Madness Ends by Beth D. Carter

There wasn’t another soul on Earth he trusted, although something inside told him that he could trust Kaiya. What was more, he wanted to include her in his life. Simple fucking wasn’t the same thing as sharing everything, and he’d reached that point where he wanted an old lady.
    But would she still want him once she learned what he’d done? Gabby looked at his hands. He’d stained with blood, and not the blood from those who actually deserved to die. No, his shame came from the death of innocent men.
    The door to the room opened, and he glanced over to see Boone carrying both saddlebags. He reached for his and nodded his thanks.
    “We’ll be heading out in a few minutes,” Boone murmured.
    “Yeah,” he said.
    “It’s only going to take us about an hour to get to Omaha. Figured we’ll eat when we hit the city limits.”
    “Fine.”
    “Going to be monosyllabic now?”
    “Maybe.”
    Boone snorted. “She didn’t know what she was saying.”
    “Yeah.” He sighed. “I want to tell her.”
    Boone frowned. “Everything?”
    Gabby nodded. “I think we could build a life with her.”
    “Me too,” Boone said softly. “She’s a good woman. Smart. Sexy. Compassionate. She’d understand, Gordon.”
    “I hate it when you use my real name.”
    “I use your real name when you need reminding that what happened then doesn’t define who you are now.”
    Gabby rubbed the back of his neck and gave a one-shoulder shrug. He may pretend like he didn’t care, but Boone saw through his tough-guy act. The care and acceptance pouring from him was almost enough to bring tears in his eyes. Luckily, he was saved from showing too much emotion when the second door opened, and Kaiya emerged, wearing her brand new leather jacket. He smelled the leather aroma all the way to his bike.
    She smiled tentatively at them, and Gabby’s heart thumped excitedly in his chest. She may have stated some things without thought, but he’d never hold that against her. Kaiya had no clue to his military history and he needed to tell her about it if they were to have a future together. He’d never had such a lingering reaction to a woman, and it was more than just the fantastic sex. There was something about her that called to him on a primitive level. He wanted to protect her. Love her. Give her everything she wanted.
    “Come on,” Boone said, though he faced her so she could read his lips. “We’ll have breakfast in Omaha.”
     

Chapter Eleven
     
     
     
    It only took an hour to reach Omaha, and by the time they stopped at a diner for breakfast, the sun had defeated the lingering chill of the night air. Boone took hold of Kaiya’s hand as they made their way into the cozy warmth of the small restaurant, where the smell of eggs, bacon and coffee had her belly rumbling. She kept looking toward Gabby, but either he couldn’t hear the mental S.O.S. she threw his way, or he was avoiding her.
    They sat in a booth with Boone sliding in next to her while Gabby sat across. The waitress smiled in greeting, but the tired lines around her eyes hinted she’d been working too many long hours.
    “Howdy, folks,” she said, setting down three small glasses of water. “My name is Wanda. What’s your poison?”
    “Definitely coffee,” Boone replied. “For all three of us.”
    She winked at him. “Coming right up. Menus are behind the napkin holder.”
    Kaiya grabbed one and grimaced as her fingers encountered a sticky mess on one side. She wiped her fingers, using the water from the glass to help clean them. By the time Wanda came back with three coffees and a bowl of creamers, Kaiya decided against the pancakes. One sticky go-round a day was enough.
    They ordered their meals, and Wanda hurried away, sticking the ticket on the rotating cylinder in the kitchen window before moving onto the next table. Gabby and Boone both took their coffee black, but she added creamer after creamer, until the liquid was flush against the rim of her mug. Then