Forever Thrown: Forever Bluegrass #16

by Kathleen Brooks

  “He said you had an idea,” Willa told her as she came to stand next to her. Someone like Greer wouldn’t want to be coddled, but Willa wanted to hug her. Instead, she stood next to her as they looked out the window. “I’m torn, Greer.”

  “How so?” Greer asked.

  “I know I need the help, but if The Panther is after me, you all would be at risk. I don’t think I could do that to you all.”

  “It’s my job. The part I like to do. I like to help others,” Greer said as finally her voice changed from flat to animated.

  “Is that what’s bothering you? Not being able to do your job?” Willa asked.

  “Who said anything is bothering me?” Greer asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

  Willa sighed. “It’s clear as day, Greer. That doesn’t make you any less strong. Sometimes it takes another woman to understand the pressures we face in male dominated fields. Do you want to talk about it?”

  Willa waited as Greer looked out the window again. Finally she started talking. “I’ve been clawing my way to the top since I started. I’m now poised to take the lead, and I don’t want it. The politics, the red tape, the BS of it all takes away from why I joined the FBI.”

  “To save people,” Willa said with a nod of understanding.

  “Exactly,” Greer said, turning to her once again.

  “Find your passion, Greer. Then go after it. Just because your passions change doesn’t mean they aren’t valid and you shouldn’t go after them. It’s okay to change paths to continue to grow. A tree branches out as it grows, so do people,” Willa told her, and then they both turned back to the window as Greer processed it.

  “So, do you want me to be your groom?” Greer asked. “I’m more than capable.”

  “Your capability was never in question. I have a feeling you’re the most capable person I’ve ever met. Your safety is my concern.”

  “I don’t want to brag, but I’m kind of an expert at that,” Greer said with a little smirk.

  Willa laughed and smiled at Greer. “Then I’d love your help.”

  “Even though I really like you, I’ll still kill you if hurt Porter,” Greer said with the same sweet-as-pie smile on her face as she got while talking about things she loved.

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  Porter joined Willa and Greer after hanging up with Naylor. His blood pressure was sky high, but as soon as he put his arm around Willa, it was if his whole body felt at peace.

  “Naylor finally admitted you’re not a threat. Their security team has been trying to catch The Panther for years and can’t get close,” Porter told them.

  The elevator door opened and Kale rushed in. “Did I miss it?”

  “Sloane just started pushing,” Miss Lily told him as she handed a cookie to a nurse.

  “Phew,” Kale said as he looked around the room. When he saw Porter and Willa, he headed straight for them. “I’m Kale Mueez.”

  “He’s the computer genius?” Willa asked Greer, who nodded. “I work in tech and you don’t look like any computer guy I’ve ever met,” Willa said as she held out her hand. “Willa Aldridge.”

  Porter watched as Kale shook her hand and smiled just a bit. He might complain about working out with his father, but Kale wasn’t complaining about the increased appreciation he was getting from the ladies around town.

  “Thanks, but we have an issue,” Kale said, turning his phone around.

  Porter looked down at it and saw his name and all his personal information listed on it. “What’s this?”

  “I hacked a Russian assassin’s dark web account and found this. It’s from The Panther, identifying you as the person protecting the key. The key being Willa,” Kale explained. “He’s offering a million dollars to anyone who kills you.”

  “What about Willa? Won’t he want control of the key?” Porter asked.

  “Whoever kills you gets another million for delivering Willa. That country will also get first bid at the key. If they try to take the key for themselves, they’ll be eliminated and The Panther will destroy the country that betrays him.”

  Willa gasped and Porter cursed.

  “How can he do that?” Porter asked.

  “Take down their internet. Halt their shipping logistics. Take over their bombs. Turn their drones on them . . . My dad can take out a county’s leader in an hour the old school way. I can take out the entire country’s economy and then bomb it in an hour. The Panther is ten times better at this than I am.”

  “That’s horrifying,” Porter said as he thought of everything computers controlled as being hackable.

  “And now we have countries sending assassins after us.” Willa didn’t ask. It was a statement. A statement made with her so far beyond panic she said it as if it were no big deal.

  “Good thing you have me,” Greer said with a smile. “Oh, this is going to be fun. Let me call Jackson and get his crew in on this.”

  “Jackson?” Willa asked Porter as Greer stepped away with her phone. “Have I met this cousin yet?”

  “Not yet. He’s Ryan and Greer’s brother. He’s FBI Hostage Rescue, too. He and two guys, Lucas and Talon, have helped us out before,” Porter answered.

  “Us?” Willa asked.

  “Keeneston,” Porter said, waving at the roomful of people. “This isn’t the first time assassins have come after us and it won’t be the last.”

  “What do we do?” Willa asked.

  “We close ranks. Move you into Keeneston where we’ll have backup if we need it,” Porter told her. That was the plan he’d already come up with when he was talking to his father and the rest of the family.

  The double door burst open and Gabe Ali Rahman rushed out. Gone was the playboy smirk. Gone was the serious negotiator he’d turned into. Instead, there was a dopey smile on his face. “It’s a boy! Mother and baby are great. We’ll be out in a bit.”

  His parents, Dani and Mo, rushed forward and hugged him. His brother and his wife, Zain and Mila, were next and then his sister and her husband, Ariana and Jameson, were the last ones to hug him before he rushed back to Sloane and their son.

  “If someone wasn’t trying to kill us, this would be a very sweet moment,” Willa said, taking a deep breath. “Wait, what about Tilly?”

  “Tilly? What about her?” Porter asked.

  “If they’ve been studying me, they know I’m close to my father and Tilly. They are the two most important people in the world to me.”

  Porter nodded as he understood what she was saying.

  “I’ll go get her,” Greer said. “She can stay with me at the apartment.”

  Porter saw Willa take a deep breath and shiver as she let it out. The reality of the situation was hitting her hard. He put his arm around her and held her close to him. “Let me call your father and tell him what’s going on for you.”

  Willa sniffled as she tried not to cry. “You have to protect him, Porter. I don’t know what I’d do without my dad.”

  “We’ll work it out,” Porter promised as Willa unlocked her phone, pulled up her father’s number, and handed it to him.

  Greer came over and put her arm around Willa’s shoulders. “So, tell me about Tilly.”

  Porter walked away when Kale caught up to him. “I don’t want to go all fanboy, but Brian Aldridge is my hero. You all have Captain America or Superman. I have Brian Aldridge. If you want, he can stay with me and together we can work on finding The Panther.”

  “That does sound a little creepy fanboy-ish, but it’s a hell of an idea. I’ll run it past him,” Porter told his friend. Two geniuses were better than one.

  Porter called the number and Brian Aldridge answered at once. “Hello, honey. How is the show going?”

  “Hello, sir,” Porter said, intending to introduce himself, but Brian cut him off.

  “Who the hell are you and where is my daughter?”

  “Willa is safe. She’s standing across the room from me. I’m Porter Davies. I’m the independently contracted
CIA agent charged with protecting her and the skeleton key. There have been some developments you need to know about.”

  “Let me talk to my daughter,” Brian demanded.

  “One second,” Porter told him as he strode across the room and held out the phone. “Your dad wants to make sure you’re okay.”

  Willa took the phone, straightened her back, and pretended she hadn’t been scared out of her mind. “Hello, Dad. I’m fine. I’m safe. All thanks to Porter. Please listen to him, okay?” Willa paused and then laughed. “No, Dad. There’s no gun pointed at me. Please. It’s important you listen to Porter, okay?”

  Willa nodded and handed the phone back to Porter.

  “What’s going on?” Brian demanded.

  Porter filled him in as quickly and as detailed as he could.

  “The Panther. I should have known. He’s coming after you and you’re in danger,” Brian said.

  “We know. I have help here. So do you. Ever heard of Rahmi?” Porter asked about the small island country Ariana and her family were royalty.

  “Yes. I’ve done some work with the king. Why?” Brian asked.

  “You have an invitation to stay at their place in Keeneston so we can protect you. Also, a friend of mine is a bit of a computer genius. He suggested you two work together to help find The Panther,” Porter told him. “And, you’ll be close to your daughter.”

  “Every kid with a laptop thinks they’re a computer genius,” Brian muttered. “But I’ll be there. I’ll get on my plane right now.”

  “No, we’ll send one for you. And Kale isn’t some kid with a laptop. He’s going to be the kid putting you out of business in five years.”

  “Wait, Kale Mueez?” Brian said. “The kid who hacked the NSA when he was twelve?”

  Porter smiled at that memory. “Yeah, that’s him.”

  “You’re right. He’s not just some kid. I look forward to meeting him. He’s rather elusive in the tech world, but we all know his name.” Brian Aldridge paused for a second. “Willa had you call me?”

  “Yes. She wanted me to explain what was going on. She’s talking to my cousin right now about protection for her friend Tilly,” Porter said as he heard fingers typing on a keyboard.

  “Porter Jake Davies. Twenty-nine. Son of Cyland Davies and Gemma Perry. Wow, you’re a good rodeo rider. Highest earning rider for the last two years, thanks to your sponsorships. Ouch. I see why you retired,” Brian said as Porter just listened, smiling. This was a trademark move of every single one of the Davies dads.

  “You just bought out your brother’s share of what you two have owned. You’re actually financially stable, both on your own and via your parents. Hmm, interesting.”

  “Yes, I think I am rather interesting. Did you see the C-plus I got on that John Steinbeck paper in high school?” Porter asked.

  “I did, but I got a C-minus on my Steinbeck paper, too, so I wasn’t going to mention it. I do see your medical history, though. Lots of broken bones, but I don’t see any hidden children or wives.”

  “Nope. I’m not that kind of guy.”

  “What kind of guy are you, Porter Davies?” Brian Aldridge asked.

  “I’m the kind who doesn’t get intimidated. I’m the kind who will tell you what you ask even if it’s not what you want to know. I’m the kind who loves his friends and family and will do anything for them. I’m the kind of guy who will protect your daughter with his life.”

  “Are you the kind of guy to love her? Because, you look like you already do.”

  Porter paused. No one said anything about love. Like, sure. Love? Porter looked over at Willa as she talked to his family. As if sensing him, Willa glanced up and smiled at him. He was raised to tell the truth, ironic since his father had been a spy.

  “I see how you’re looking at her right now and how she’s looking at you.”

  Porter glanced around and saw the hospital security camera and gave it a little wave. “Then you don’t need me to answer the question.”

  “Oh, I think I do. I’m putting my daughter’s life in your hands. And no offense, but all I see on paper is a rodeo star. I don’t see how you’re qualified to protect her. If you care for her, that’s something else. I would literally do anything in this world to protect my daughter. Only someone who cares about her would do the same. I could hire an army to protect her. Why should I let you do it?”

  Porter kept his eyes on the camera. “I could love her. Let’s just say I’m on my way. As for protecting her, pull up the security footage for Landon’s on West Short Street from last night. Our friend did the security so it may take you a minute.”

  Porter waited as he heard Brian working on his computer. “Landon Davies owns the building.” Brian was quiet for a second. “He’s your cousin. You could have just given me the security password. He’s standing eight feet from you.”

  Porter grinned into the camera. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  Brian chuckled as his finger flew over the keyboard. “I forgot what it’s like to be challenged. Thanks for not sucking up to me.”

  “Not really my style, Mr. Aldridge,” Porter said as he waited for Brian to find the footage.

  It took him three minutes. “Jeez. Is that a spoon?”

  “One thing your computer will never tell you about is Davies family dinners. I can and I will protect Willa. I’ll see you soon. The plane is on the way. The man who is meeting you is named Nabi.”

  “Nabi what?” Brian asked.

  “Umm, yeah, it’s just easier to call him Nabi,” he said of Nabi’s very long and difficult to pronounce last name. “I look forward to meeting you, Mr. Aldridge.”

  Porter hung up and handed the phone back to Willa.

  “Is everything set with my dad? Was he upset?”

  “He’s just worried about you and he’ll be here shortly. He’ll stay with Kale and Kale’s parents, Ahmed and Bridget.”

  Willa nodded as the doors opened and Gabe wheeled his wife and newborn son out into the lobby filled with Keenestonites. Sloane was grinning from ear to ear as she looked down at the bundle in her arms. “Everyone, meet Xavier. Xavier, meet your family.”

  16

  Willa and Porter went back to the equestrian park, checked on their horses, and familiarized Greer with Willa’s employees and setup. Then they’d headed to Keeneston. The drive was pretty as they wound their way over the narrow country road, cutting through crop, cattle, and horse farms. When Willa had been looking for her farm, the realtor had driven while Willa had worked on her phone the full time. Now she could really enjoy the rolling hills of the Bluegrass State.

  They came around a turn and suddenly a small town appeared. “Welcome to Keeneston,” Porter told her. “That’s my cousin-in-law’s security company.”

  “Aiden Creed,” she read as they drove slowly by.

  “This is the best, and only, place to eat. You met the founders of the Blossom Café, the Rose sisters. Now their younger cousins, Poppy and Zinnia, run it and the bed and breakfast,” Porter explained.

  Willa watched the rest of the town fly by. It was only one street and a couple of blocks long, but she saw where the doctor’s office was, the library, the law firm, and his aunt’s boutique. Then they were back onto the country roads lined with farms.

  They turned into a lane and drove past a large farmhouse on the right. “That’s where my parents live,” Porter explained as they veered away from the house and continued driving. Soon there were only horse and cattle fields for as far as Willa could see.

  They crested a little hill and there was a cottage. “This is where I live. Parker and I used to live together, but he moved into the matching cottage on the other end of the back of the property.”

  Porter explained to her that the house had exploded when Riley was in danger and then rebuilt. However, over the years, both Riley and Reagan had gotten married. Reagan had moved out and over to Carter’s farm, and Riley and Matt had lived at that house for a while before recently buying a cou
ple acres from their parents and building a family-sized house on the side of the farm closest to town. It also had the benefit of having its own driveway so their mom and dad couldn’t monitor their comings and goings. Not that their dad hadn’t already installed hidden cameras everywhere, but it made Riley feel as if she had some privacy.

  “It’s beautiful. The grass is so green,” Willa said in wonder as she looked out over the rolling hills backing up to a heavily wooded area with a hill range that seemingly divided the land.

  “These are my barns. Would you like to see them?” Porter asked after he opened the door for her.

  “You know I do!” Willa couldn’t wait to see the horses Porter had told her so much about.

  The barns were a short walk from the house. There were training areas outside of them and the doors were open, letting the summer air flow through. Large fans circulated the air inside the clean barns and a couple of horses had fans on their stall doors as well to keep them extra cool. The barns were new and well made. They lacked the luxury touches that some of the elite show-jumping barns had, but the horses were well cared for and that’s all that mattered to her. Mahogany hand-carved ceiling panels didn’t matter if horses weren’t cared for.

  “I have state-of-the-art cushioning under the straw for them,” Porter said as he stopped at an empty stall. He used his boot to push back the bedding and Willa saw the rubber mats that the expensive show stalls had. “I grow my own hay. It’s all organic, fresh, and it’s fed with underground limestone water. It’s great for the horses,” Porter explained and Willa nodded.

  She loved seeing this side of Porter. He was relaxed and proud of what he’d built. “This is beautiful, Porter. The horses look so happy and healthy.”

  To be honest, it was a huge turn on. Callum would never think about the flooring for his horses. He had other people who did that. Seeing the care and love Porter had for his horses showed what kind of man he was under the spoon stabbing she’d seen the other night. And it even began to override the fact that he’d lied to her about the real reason he was in her life.