by Vi Carter
My heart trips over itself, and I know that I trust him wholeheartedly. “Okay.”
Rian presses a kiss to my lips. “That’s my girl.” He takes a phone out of his pocket. “Make the call.”
I take the phone and hesitate briefly as I see Detective Lacy’s number already programmed in. I meet Rian’s gaze, and I want to tell him this isn't right.
“Trust me.” Rian reminds me.
I glance at the screen and hit the dial button.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
RIAN
“I’m calling in that favor, Dean.”
“When?” His irritation is obvious in his voice, and I grin.
I had gotten a punch or two in when we had met. He was one of the best snipers, but he had shot a woman, and this is the price he would pay for it, he owed me—a life for a life.
“Today. I’ll text you the address and your target.”
“Today?”
“Did I stutter?”
I can almost see him growl before he answers. “Okay.”
“ It’s important that no matter what, don’t let the target get away. I don’t care what you have to do to make that happen. Just make it happen.”
“I never miss,” he says smugly.
“I remember the last time you shot the wrong person.”
“That will never happen again.”
“Good because there will be a girl present with blonde hair, she’s important to me. If anything happens to her, I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself.”
I don’t wait for his answer before ending the call. I would kill him no matter what he said if anything happened to Willow. I text him the location and the target’s details before ringing Blitz.
“I need you to be at the airstrip today at two thirty. Be close to the fence line but out of sight.”
“No problem.” His willingness never surprised me.
“Tonight, I want you and Fox to come over for drinks.”
This time he pauses before answering. “Do I have to be there?”
“Yes. You do.”
“What do you want me to do at the fence line? What am I looking for?”
“I’ll be there too, so I’ll tell you then.”
“Okay.”
I hang up and return to my room. Willow is still asleep in my bed. Her bare back faces me, blonde hair fanned out along the pillow. She’s like an angel—the light to my dark.
I sit down on the side of bed, and she stirs. Her hands reach up and the blankets slip down, revealing her pink nipples. My cock grows hard in my pants.
“Good morning.”
She opens her eyes, and I’m waiting for her to withdraw like she normally does, but she rolls on her side so she’s facing me, and tucks the blankets around her small frame. I love the blush in her cheeks as she smiles sweetly at me.
“Good morning.” She rises. Her long blonde hair wraps itself around her shoulder. Her gaze searches my face before she kisses me. She has no idea the effect she has on me as her tongue slips into my mouth. It’s impossible to keep my hands off her.
“Get back in.” She speaks in-between kisses.
A knock at my door has me pulling away, and my father enters. The moment he sees Willow, he glances away but still stays in the room.
“I wanted a word with Willow.”
“You’ll have to give her a moment so she can get dressed.” I let her wrap the blanket around herself before getting off the bed. My father glances at me before his gaze falls on Willow.
“I need to understand what happened.”
“Of course. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” Willow's voice has softened, and her respect for my father makes me love her more.
My father nods. “I’ll let you get dressed. Maybe you could meet me in the conservatory?”
“I’ll just get dressed.” Willow tightens her hands on the blanket, and my cock remembers that she is naked under there. I’ll have to wait until later.
My father leaves, and Willow falls back on the bed. “I hope my answers help.” She gets up and swings her legs over the edge. She keeps the sheeting around her waist as she gathers up her clothes.
“I can go with you.”
She pauses and walks over to me on the tip of her toes before planting a kiss on my lips. “I’ll be okay.”
“In a few short hours, it will all be over,” I promise her.
She’s still doubtful about what will happen, I can’t tell her or she won’t take part, but I know it won’t be easy on her.
“I hope so.” She leans her forehead against mine. “I can’t lose you, Rian.”
“You won’t.” I take her face in my hands. “Ever. I’m yours.”
She smiles sweetly. “And I’m yours.”
“Even before you knew it,” I tell her. I’ve loved her longer than she will ever know.
“I had better get dressed.” She slips from my hands, and I hope her love is strong enough for me that she will forgive me for today.
***
I have no idea if the talk with my father helped. I haven’t seen him, and Catherine isn’t around. A part of me hopes he kicked her out. My father and Willow would be better off without her.
“I know I keep asking this, Rian, but are you sure?” Willow is fidgeting with the envelope in her hands that contains the tape of my confession.
“Yes. Just hand it over and walk away. That’s it.”
“Then what happens. You tackle him and get it back?”
“Don’t worry about the after.” I glance in the rear-view mirror before turning off onto the road that leads to the airstrip. “He said he would have the paperwork?” I ask again for the tenth time.
“Yes, and I know I need to look at it first before I hand over the tape.”
“Make sure it’s signed, or it’s not worth any more than the paper it’s written on.”
“I will.”
I glance at Willow as the barrier lifts, and she wrings her hands.
“Thank you for trusting me,” I say as we park.
She shakes her head but smiles. “Sometimes, I don’t get it.”
I turn off the car and face her. “Get what?” I check my phone for the time. We have twenty more minutes before this all goes down.
“Just the way you see me. The way you protect me.” She shakes her head again. “I just don’t get it.”
“I’ve always been drawn to you, Willow. No one could blame me.” I lean across and place a kiss on her lips. “You’re beautiful.”
She smiles into the kiss.
“Are you ready to do this?”
“No.”
I laugh at her answer.
“Yes.”
I press one final kiss to her lips. “That’s my girl.”
We get out, and I don’t look at her as she walks back to the barrier. I glance at the rooftop but can’t see anything. Dean better be in place, or I’ll hunt him down.
I text Blitz. “Are you ready?”
“Yes. I’m in position.”
“All you have to do is retrieve that envelope and his phone. That’s it. I’ll give you the signal when.”
I push the phone in my pocket. I hate walking so far away from Willow, but I can’t afford to have Lacy see me. When I stop, I can’t make out her features; she’s that far away. But she paces as she waits. I check my phone. It’s two thirty.
I glance up at the roof again and still can’t see anything. Dean wouldn’t have himself visible anyway. That’s where I let my mind rest on that thought. Lacy’s car drives down the road, and my stomach twists as it slows down close to Willow. He doesn’t get out, and that makes me nervous.
“Come on, get out.”
Willow doesn’t walk over to the car; instead, she seems to stand five feet away.
“Good girl.” She needed to make him come out.
They must be talking as Willow stands where she is. After a few tense moments, I curse him as Willow walks over to the car and leans in. She straightens with a large w
hite envelope that she opens and checks. I don’t think Dean could make a kill shot through a car window, and especially with Willow standing in the fucking way. She looks behind her, and I curse her for that. The car starts, and I can imagine Lacy is already suspicious. Willow hands in the brown envelope, and he takes it, but she’s still blocking him. I have no idea what is happening, but as he starts to drive slowly, Willow is walking fast alongside the car.
Her body language appears as if she’s trying to pull away but can’t.
The fucker. I’m moving as fast as my legs will allow. He can’t leave with that tape. Blitz springs from his position and tears after the car. Willow’s wild gaze shoots behind her, and the fear in them has me pushing harder. She’s searching for me, but through her haze of panic, she can’t seem to settle on anything. She’s trying to pull away, and I can hear her shouts. I can’t make them out.
The air crackles, and I know that feeling when something unnatural is ripping through the space around us.
Willow’s scream has dread pooling in my stomach. The car slows, and Willow slumps to the ground, her hand is handcuffed to Lacy’s, that dangles out the window.
I grab the chain link fence and pull myself over it before dropping on the asphalt. The car still drags Willow, and Blitz reaches it first; he jumps in the driver’s side and stops the car.
I pull Willow off the ground. Blood covers her face, and I have no idea where the wound is. Her hand comes free as Blitz uncuffs her from the inside, and I pull her into my chest before laying her out on the pavement. Blitz joins me.
“He’s dead.” He doesn’t ask if Willow is.
I wipe the blood off her face and don’t see anything, her chest rises and falls, but the blood soaks her cardigan. Pulling it down, she groans. The bullet tore right through her shoulder.
“Get me a car now!” I put pressure on the wound, and Willow cries out.
Blitz leaves, and I stare down at Willow. Her chest isn’t rising as fast now, and her skin has a gray hue about it.
The hum of a car in the distance has me pulling Willow off the ground. The moment Blitz joins us, I get her in the back seat.
“I have the tape and his phone,” Blitz speaks.
Once Willow is in, I grab him by his shirt. “Get rid of him and the car.” I push him away, and he starts to run to Lacy’s vehicle.
My phone rings in my pocket, and I pull it out. My hand is coated in blood as I climb into the car and drive.
“I couldn’t get a clear shot.” Dean’s voice has me looking up at the roof as I drive past.
“You’re a dead man.”
“Rian, if I didn’t take the shot, he would have gotten away; you told me to do what was necessary.”
“I told you not to hurt her.”
“She’ll survive; her shoulder was parallel to his head. I had to. I was following your orders.”
I close the phone as I turn onto the road. Right now, I couldn’t think about that.
“Willow. Can you hear me?” I rotate the mirror to try and see her. Her stillness has me stomping down on the pedal as I tear through the streets. I’ll never forgive myself for putting her in harm’s way.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
WILLOW
“Let me get that.”
“Mother, I’m fine.”
My mother ignores me and brings a glass of lemonade to me on the couch. She’s been fussing over me ever since I got shot. At first, it was kind of nice since I never had that. But after a few weeks, between the fussing and all the questions about what happened, I really had enough.
I stuck with my story that I didn’t see the attacker, and he had stolen my purse. I didn’t sound very convincing since no bullet could be found, but since I didn’t press charges, nothing was done about it.
I take the drink. My shoulder was still stiff, but I had been allowed to take it out of the sling.
Henry enters the room, and the air between him and mother is heavy. He still hasn’t forgiven her, and the only reason she’s allowed in, is to see me. I hate that they couldn’t work through it, but Henry couldn’t get over the lies.
“How are you feeling?” Henry doesn’t enter the room but lingers at the door.
“I’m good. I was just about to go for a walk if you want to keep my mother company.” I rise, and my mother narrows her eyes at me, but she doesn’t tell Henry not to stay. That gives me hope.
“I can’t. I have other commitments. I just wanted to see how you were.”
“I’m fine, Henry.” I can’t help the disappointment that enters my voice. My mother stands and plasters on a smile. I wish she wouldn’t do that. I wish she would let her pain show, and maybe, just maybe, Henry could move past this.
Henry leaves.
“You should try to talk to him,” I say.
“He doesn’t want to talk to me, and I don’t blame him.”
My mother had moved back into our old house. Aran had been living there all this time. Now I wonder if he had told her that he tried to run me over.
When the air grows heavy, I sit on the edge of the couch. “I won’t be staying here much longer.”
“Oh, things not going well with you and Rian?”
Why did she sound so joyful?
“No. Things are actually great.” My lips tug up when I picture him. “We are moving into a house that he renovated.” I’m picturing the indoor greenhouse. “It’s really beautiful.”
My mother forces a smile and stands. “Must be really nice to have everything laid at your feet.”
The dig I feel at her words is like an actual elbow to the ribs. “I think I finally deserve some happiness.”
She picks up her clutch. “I better get back. I’m sure Aran is waiting for me.”
This is her first time mentioning him. “Do you know he tried to run me down?” I’m feeling angry with her bitter tone. I wish my mother could just be happy for me.
“Yes. I don’t know where you both got your murderous gene from.” She sounds so flippant about what she’s saying. Like she’s referring to our hair or eye color.
My stomach twists. “Maybe it’s too much bottled up anger.”
My mother’s smile is carved sharp at the ends. Her vicious tongue getting ready to sprout more hurtful words.
“Catherine.” Rian smiles at my mother, it’s more of a grin, but I pretend not to notice how much he seems to gloat when he walks to me and places a kiss on my lips.
“Were you just leaving?” He wraps a strong arm around my waist as he faces my mother.
“I was. But I wanted to invite both of you to a family dinner at my home.”
My mother regards Rian before her gaze moves to me. Why had she not said this to me before?
“Will Aran be there?”
A short laugh bursts from my mother’s mouth. “Of course, he’s family.”
“We will let you know.” Rian answers for both of us, and I’m happy with his answer. Maybe my mother was trying to mend things, or maybe she was just fighting for control. Either way, I knew I had to get on with my life, especially this life with Rian. I didn’t think I would ever get the chance again at happiness.
My mother tightens her long fingers around her clutch. “I’ll be off.”
I see her to the door, but she doesn’t say anything else. I didn’t think any mother and daughter relationship was perfect, so I was most certainly not the exception to the rule. I had, after all, taken my father’s life. Things would always be strained. I just had to learn to live with that. As far as Aran trying to kill, maybe it was in our genes.
“You look lost in thought.” Rian steps up behind me and wraps an arm around my waist. I inhale the unique scent that is Rian.
“I was just thinking about my relationship with my mother.”
Rian spins me around so I’m facing him. “I think she really likes me.”
I’m ready to swipe at him because of the cheeky grin he wears.
“My mother would rather eat a shoe, then say she li
kes you.” I can’t stop the laughter in my words as I picture her eating a shoe.
“Well, I will be the bigger person and say she’s bearable under all that crazy.”
“What a compliment.”
Rian pulls me tighter. “I’ve lots of compliments for you.” He presses a kiss to my lips.
“Rian.” Blitz is in the hallway, and I detangle myself from Rian. He just nods at Rian and walks off. I don’t ask. I never do. I accept that a life with Rian will come with many secrets.
“I’ll be gone for a few hours, but when I get back…” He presses another kiss to my lips, and I can taste the promise on his tongue.
“What will you do?” I tighten my legs at the thought of having Rian; I can’t get enough of him.
“You’ll have to wait and see.” He plants one final kiss on my lips before disappearing down the hall and out of sight.
I smile at the empty space. Now I had Rian, and I know everything will be okay. He had freed me from all the chains that weighed me down. I know I have so much more to figure out about myself. Too many years of suppressing who I truly am didn’t make this easy, but with Rian, I knew I would come to terms with my life and everything in it.
RIAN
Blitz stands beside me as I stare down at Fox. For weeks I’ve had him locked up in this room but he won’t break. That’s why he was my right-hand man. But nobody is unbreakable or untouchable.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that you are a heavy hitter within the Rat Pack. Heavy enough that no one has stolen from us since we captured you.”
Fox turns his head away from me, and Blitz steps in, landing him a solid punch to the jaw. I didn’t want Fox beaten to death; I wanted a confession. I wanted the fucker to look me in the eyes and tell me how he betrayed me and, most importantly, why. There was always a why.
Fox spits blood out onto the floor. “I heard you got Willow shot?”
Irritation flows through my veins. “She’s doing great. For a smart man you aren't very careful with your words.” I would never forgive myself for putting Willow in harm's way, but I knew I had instructed Dean to do whatever it took to take Lacy out. Willow’s injury was on me.