Willow

by Raven J. Spencer

  Willow

  Raven J. Spencer

  Copyright © 2017 by Raven J. Spencer

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales are purely coincidental.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Chapter One

  Kat didn’t have any psychic abilities, yet that morning she was reluctant to get to work, somehow anticipating that the day might bring unwelcome surprises. She used every opportunity to stall, spent too much time in the shower and had an unusually relaxed breakfast with a bagel, and a café au lait from the recently purchased coffeemaker.

  She had no reason to be worried. Her business was doing well, and she was getting bigger clients every month. At the beginning of the year, she had moved into the house overlooking the bay, small because of the location, but with killer views.

  She shivered at the metaphor. No reason. She was being paranoid. Maybe it came from a few restless nights. Again, there was no reason. A careful person by nature, Kat went around the house making sure the windows were closed and every electric device was turned off—like every morning. Those little rituals never failed to make her feel better. Except today. Today was different.

  She checked the alarm system one more time and locked the door behind her. It was a twenty minute drive, mostly on the scenic road along the coast. That, together with the music from her radio, calmed her nerves. Kat had planned for a slow day in the office, catching up on paperwork, emails and calls. It might be what was making her this antsy—she loved working out in the sun, getting her hands dirty, turning chaos into beautiful gardens. That was her talent.

  She couldn’t cut it as a psychic.

  Except…

  Kat unlocked the front door and walked into the office, her heart jumping into her throat and her hand going to her hip instinctively, even though there was no gun. Fortunately, she didn’t need one. Annoyed with herself and with the man sitting behind her desk, she slammed the door shut.

  “Go home, Franklin. I don’t want to talk to you.”

  “Tough luck. I need to talk to you.”

  Kat noticed he had made himself at home, made some coffee and helped himself to the cream from the fridge. That was just like him. She had indulged him at a time when there wasn’t much of a choice. She had that choice now.

  “No,” she simply said.

  “Come on. For old times’ sake?”

  “You saw that sign in the window? I do landscaping now. Unless you want me to overhaul your backyard, leave.”

  Just like that, the trap fell shut.

  “That’s exactly what I’m here for,” Franklin said.

  Even though she’d had coffee less than half an hour ago, Kat poured herself another cup, again, stalling. She didn’t believe for a minute that he was here to hire her for a landscaping job. He had come to collect. He wanted to hire her all right, draw her back into a life she’d long left behind. No way. No fucking way.

  “Right.”

  “It’s the truth. I have no time to take care of this, or even check for someone who would. The guy who used to cut the grass every once in a while, moved away, and it’s a bit of a mess now. When I heard you were in the business, I said a prayer in gratitude…too much?” he asked when she couldn’t hide the amused smile.

  “Way too much. Look, I have work to do here. Unless you tell me the truth, I’m not listening to you. I’m not even here, so don’t bother. Move. I need my chair.”

  Kat turned to the file cabinets and started taking out client files.

  “Okay, okay. Sit down. The truth, I promise.”

  Against better judgment, she halted, intrigued.

  “I do need you to take care of that mess in the backyard—”

  “Franklin,” she warned.

  “And you will do it,” he continued. “You know it and I know it. You owe me, and I’m sure you already figured out that this will be it. You’re getting off easy though. You have three months, and I’ll pay you more than this little business of yours is worth.”

  Three months probably weren’t an exaggeration. While she’d never seen his estate, Franklin was loaded, and if his outdoor space needed work, it wouldn’t be done in a few days. Curiosity had always been her weakness. She sat back down, watched him take a photograph out of his wallet. He sighed before he laid it on the desk.

  It was the portrait of an attractive younger woman who would have caught Kat’s eye right away. Franklin’s next words, however, served as the equivalent of a cold shower.

  “That’s my daughter Willow.”

  “Wow. Someone went through a hippie phase,” she joked to make up for a split-second of inappropriate thoughts. That happened when you were single for too long.

  Franklin ignored her.

  “It’s complicated. I only found out about her about ten years ago. Her mother and I…were estranged.”

  “I am not surprised.”

  “That is not the point here. Willow got divorced last year, and she came to live with me after that, which I don’t mind at all. The problem is I have to go away for some time.”

  “Three months,” Kat concluded.

  “Exactly. I have a bad feeling.”

  You and me both, my friend. “The mission could be compromised? Are you in danger?” Stop! she told herself. It’s none of your business. Not anymore.

  “My cover is solid, I see no problem there. It’s Willow I’m concerned about. I’d feel better if someone looked after for her.”

  Kat wanted to scream in frustration, yell at him, or have a childish tantrum, anything to avoid the inevitable. She didn’t want to be an overpaid bodyguard to a pampered princess—those stories hardly ever worked out. She had a whole new life. Her business made enough for her to get by nicely. She didn’t want Franklin or his daughter to mess with any of it, yet there was no way she could tell him no. Oh well, she’d tried. That had to be enough for her dignity.

  “When do I start?” she asked.

  “Now we’re talking.” Franklin seemed relieved, as if she didn’t owe him her life, as if she’d ever had a choice in the matter. “I want you to come over to dinner tonight. I already told Willow that I was going to hire somebody to redesign the backyard, so she’s not going to be surprised.”

  “She won’t be surprised that person is going to live in the house?”

  “I’ll have the story ready, I promise. While you’re there, you can also familiarize yourself with the security system, and we can work out an emergency plan.”

  Her head was already spinning.

  “That bad?”

  “I won’t leave anything to chance where my daughter’s life or yours is concerned. Contrary to what you think, I care about you.”

  Kat laughed wryly. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to bring out the big guns. I always knew that this was too good to be true, and you’d be back someday. All right. Three months, and you’ll be out of my hair. Forever.” She didn’t like the hesitation on his part. “Forever, right? You’re not going to pull some philosophical shit on me, like now I owe you for the rest of my life?”

  He drank a sip of his coffee, not in a hurry. “You were one of the best, Kat, and you know it. It’s selfish and petty of you to run away and hide in this stupid little company that will never give you the rewards of the job.”

  “Oh, wow, you’re lucky I can’t really say no to you.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  In Kat’s opinion, this was a severe distortion of the truth, though Franklin didn’t see it that way. He didn’t need any of this—he had grown up with the f
ortune his father and grandfather had built, but he loved the thrill and the secrecy, scoring a win for the good guys. Kat had often enough felt like she didn’t know any longer who the good guys were. She had known then it was time to leave.

  “The job messed us up, and it nearly killed me. I have no intention of ever going back. I am happy here, with what I do.”

  “Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” he scoffed.

  “Don’t worry, I will. I’ll come to dinner tonight, but I will need some time to delegate my business, hire a few more people. This is non-negotiable. I don’t want to come back to bankruptcy. I don’t care how much you’re going to pay me,” Kat added when she sensed he was going to protest. “Now, tell me about Willow.”

  “You’re going to meet her tonight. I told you all…”

  She gave him a long look, and he relented.

  “Okay, it’s not like you aren’t going to find out. I am worried about her…not just because of some nasty people that could come after her. I thought she was going to stay for a little while, until she was back on her feet, but she’s been off. Willow started her own business too, slowing down a bit after she got married, but she always meant to go back in. That never happened. Her employees are mostly taking care of it. Sometimes it seems to me like she gave up after the divorce. She hangs out by the pool pretty much all day, and doesn’t take well to anyone asking her about it. I understand she’s disappointed. Then again, she doesn’t talk to me all that much.”

  Kat groaned. “So not only do you want me to be her bodyguard, but her therapist too? You better write me a big check. I mean it.”

  “I was thinking more of a friend, someone to help her see she could make better life choices.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “Maybe you could help each other.”

  “You didn’t just say that. You know I still have the option to either go underground or kill myself.”

  “The person I know would never talk like that,” he countered, and Kat blushed hotly, feeling guilty instantly.

  “Okay, you’re right. Going underground still sounds good to me.”

  “You’re being ridiculous. You get to do your job, the one you say you love, for a much better pay than you’ll get from anyone else, and all you have to do in addition is to listen to her. That can’t be so hard, can it?”

  “Listen and occasionally fight off a few bad guys, got it. What about the ex-husband?”

  “What about him?” Franklin asked, frowning.

  Men could be surprisingly short-sighted when it came to other men.

  “What’s he like, a good guy, a jerk, why do you think they got divorced in the first place?”

  “I’m not sure.” Franklin, the man she’d seen face danger unflinchingly, who maintained a calm under fire that was both admirable and eerie, was actually uncomfortable. Kat was curious about Willow, even though she knew she had to curb part of that curiosity. “This is private, too, not part of your job.”

  “Your daughter is my job now. Nothing’s private.”

  “Well, yeah, you need to ask her about it. They were married for less than a year. Willow didn’t say much, just that they had their differences. I didn’t get to know Simon well, but he seemed like an upstanding guy. No blemishes in the background check.”

  Kat almost laughed. Of course Franklin had run a background check on his former son-in-law.

  She’d need more information on the sinister folk that might or might not come by for a visit in Franklin’s absence. Since she’d already said yes, and he’d known that the moment he broke into her office, this could wait until later tonight. She knew he’d have files ready for her to study, and the occasional familiar name might pop up. She’d find out more about Simon, too.

  First of all, she had to take care of her company. When Gabby came in this morning, she’d be in for a surprise as well.

  “All right then. You’ll understand I’ll be very busy today, so I’d appreciate it if you leave me alone now. What time is dinner?”

  “Come around 5:30 for cocktails, and wear something pretty.”

  Kat snorted.

  She’d be on time. There were some things that even Franklin Garrett couldn’t buy.

  * * * *

  Gabby had been working for Kat almost from the beginning. She was blessedly unaware of Kat’s other life in a darker alternate reality. Even so, she realized right away something was out of the ordinary when Kat started to lay out the plans for the next few months for her.

  “Three months is a long time,” she observed.

  Tell me about it.

  “True, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. We have our people working on every project, and you’ll let me know when I need to meet with clients in person. I’ll still do that, of course, and the rest...We might need some temp workers. You can do interviews and let me know how it goes. You’ll be fine.” Kat hesitated, since she hadn’t seen a number yet. Franklin didn’t make empty promises, so she was probably fine.

  “Don’t worry, I’m aware you’re overdue for a pay raise. I’ll give it to you at the end of the month.”

  Kat made a mental note to include that in the contract Franklin would make her sign tonight. Obviously she’d been easy prey, but it was still somewhat of a surprise that he would come to her for this particular task—a man with his power and financial background had other options. Maybe this was about principles. She wondered how Willow would like being the subject of an old debt being paid to her father—or would she care at all?

  The Internet provided her with some information on Willow and her ex-husband. They had enough money so that important people invited them to parties, and they had ended up on the society pages often enough.

  They were an attractive couple, Kat noticed, though there was little chemistry between them. Wishful thinking? It didn’t matter what she thought or wished for. Willow was into guys, pretty guys apparently. If Kat needed to get laid, Franklin’s daughter was the last person on earth who would or should help her with that. She had asked for a few days to take care of business…That should include hitting the bars for a night or two. She needed a clear head for her assignment, and for that, it would be better to get pretty Willow out of her system before she met her.

  “I need your signature for some purchases we made for the Barton home…”

  Kat closed her laptop quickly as if Gabby had caught her doing something wrong, and took the papers from her.

  “Yes, sure,” she muttered, fulfilling the task with enough vehemence that the ball pen nearly pierced the paper.

  Damn Franklin for disturbing the peace she’d clung to, successfully for almost six years. He had left the photograph on her desk, every bit the clever manipulator she had known. Willow was smiling into the camera, her hair falling to her shoulders in auburn waves. Kat had always had a thing for redheads. She’d have to keep it under control, because otherwise, Franklin might kill her.

  Not a joke.

  Chapter Two

  Kat left the building at 4:45. It was a near miracle that she had managed to make all the calls and finish the paperwork which had been on her list for the day, even with the unwelcome interruption.

  Shower. Change.

  At 5:08, she stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom, critically taking in her image. She wasn’t going to doll up for Franklin or whoever might be at the dinner table with them tonight, but she didn’t want to stand out too much either. The long pants with the wide leg, the top, sandals with an inch of heels, this had to do. She wasn’t dressing to impress her charge either. In fact, it didn’t matter what Willow thought of her. She’d go in, do the job, take home her pay, and that would be it.

  She was on time, but just barely, because she had underestimated how long it would take her to get from the gate to Franklin’s mansion. Marble columns, the staircase, the fountain in front, someone had spared no expense. She could see that the up-keeping of the front yard had lapsed some, though it wasn’t as dramatic as Franklin want
ed to make her believe. Kat imagined it would be similar in the back. Willow had to be extremely unassuming not to suspect anything. Maybe she was. Maybe she had her own problems. People often said that it took two people to ruin a marriage, but in Kat’s experience, one could do the job all by themselves. Her father certainly had. She was curious about Willow’s story.

  Franklin greeted her at the door.

  “Kat, it’s so nice to see you,” he said, as if he hadn’t sought her out this morning to blackmail her.

  “You too. Thanks for the invitation.”

  “Of course. A Martini for you? Three olives?”

  Franklin led her into the grand hall where an impressive staircase led to the upper floor. The walls were decorated with original art, throughout the property, Kat assumed.

  “Sure.”

  “Let’s take this to the den. You finished up the things you had to do? Then we have all the time in the world.”

  Kat laughed nervously. “Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of.”

  “Nonsense. You’re not afraid of anything.”

  She let that comment stand, because it looked better on her than the truth, and followed him into the spacious den where he started to prepare drinks for both of them. Kat took in the surroundings, the number of doors, the view out on the lake through the floor to ceiling windows. She cringed. Unless Franklin had installed cameras everywhere, it would be ridiculously easy to breach security.

  He had followed her gaze. “Those are bullet-proof,” he said. “What kind of amateur do you think I am?”

  “Oh, wow. It seems like our former bosses have provided better for some than for others.”

  “I provide for myself, as you know, and they are generous with operatives who don’t run out on them.”

  “I didn’t—” Kat broke off her irritated response as she heard footsteps, turning around to finally meet Willow in person.

  “Hi Dad. Oh…I didn’t know we had guests tonight.”

  That had to mean she dressed up like this for dinner every night? She had to be bored. Every spiteful thought vanished quickly when Kat realized that she’d been staring at the other woman. She was wearing a powder blue dress, the hem stopping just above her knees, the plunging neckline…not somewhere Kat’s gaze should have gone at all. She cleared her throat, trying her best to deny the heat coursing through her body, heading south. There was too damn much gin in that Martini.