Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Willow

Durango has been staring at his phone a lot since lunch. Yet he hasn't said a word. I suspect he's caught up in something work and not Tyler-related. We're currently watching another movie, and I don't think he has a clue what's going on with it. As a test, I pause the movie but continue to stare at the screen.

He continues typing away. How do you not notice the room go silent?

I can't take it anymore and need to know if he's learned anything. I turn to face him. "What's going on?"

He glances up and notices the movie has been paused. "I'm sorry. I was getting information on Tyler. Then some new information on my last assignment came in, and I'm trying to deal with it all."

"What information on Tyler?"

He sets his phone on the coffee table. "I asked a colleague to look into him, and his record is clean. But he has an uncle who is in prison. Do you know anything about that?"

I laugh, then stop myself. "No, I only recently found out he had any family. And his real name."

Durango winces. "Oh yeah, you mentioned the name thing. Well, he comes from a very wealthy family and is part of the family business. I found out his uncle is in prison for white-collar crime. His dad was accused of similar crimes but never charged."

"Of course, Tyler's record is clean. He's apparently great at covering his tracks."

"You were with him for six years?" Durango asks.

"Yes. It was way too long."

"What did you guys do for the holidays? Thanksgiving or Christmas?"

I sigh. "Every Thanksgiving, he left early and said he was volunteering at the local church. He said all his coworkers were. For the first couple of years, I would cook us a turkey dinner. But he'd come home and say he ate at the church and wasn't hungry." I stand up and walk to the kitchen as it all slowly hits me. "That son of a bitch wasn't at a church. He went home to his family. He did the same thing on Christmas."

Durango walks up behind me. "Did you ever go back to Montana?"

"I never did for Thanksgiving. My first two years with him, I did fly home for Christmas. The third year, he had grown much more controlling and suggested I stay home so we could spend time together." I shake my head at the memory. "He wasn't even home."

"And the fourth year?"

Tears well in my eyes, and I stare out the window. "By then, I didn't have a car, phone, or any way to contact anyone."

He wraps his arms around me, and I sink back into his chest. "I'm so sorry you went through all of that. But what about your family? They must have been worried about you."

"Tyler sent them a letter and signed my name. It basically said I was happy where I was and wouldn't be coming home again."

Durango takes a step back. "There is no way they believed that. Did they try to see you? They must have known the letter was fake."

The anger I'd felt all those years ago seeps back in. "They didn't. Because I found out later that wasn't the first letter Tyler had written to them. We're working on things now, but I'm still bitter that they didn't try harder to check on me."

"Had you written letters to them before you were with Tyler?"

I nod. "Before I went to college in Virginia, I worked one winter in Montana with search and rescue. Since I had climbing skills, I was stationed out in the backcountry. I began writing letters home to keep me busy during my downtime."

"You worked search and rescue?"

I grin. "I did. I've got some great survival skills." The ridiculousness of my statement hits me, and my smile drops. "Not that they helped me any when it came to my ex."

"Hey," he turns me around to face him. "He held you captive. That is a completely different thing."

I nod, not really wanting to get into those details. Instead, I go back to my parents. "Anyway, my parents were busy helping my brothers at the time. They both had their first child one month apart. I'm sure my parents stayed with them in California."

He frowns. "Do your brothers live together?"

I shake my head. "Charles lives in some fancy beach house. Grant lives about twenty minutes away from him. My parents love their wives. They both have picture-perfect families." I try not to sound bitter, but it still comes through.

"I'm sure they aren't perfect," he says.

"Well, they aren't monsters like my ex," I say.

"Hey, you guys talking about Tyler?" Samantha asks.

I jump in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you," she says.

"It's fine. I'm just jumpy right now," I say.

She sits in one of the kitchen chairs. "I've been thinking about it, and I don't think going to the police is the way to go. His family will just buy him freedom."

I sit across from her. "You have an idea?"

She nods. "I do, but let me chew on it a bit. I'm not sure if it's a good one."

Durango grabs his phone from his pocket, frowns, and types furiously. Finally, he groans. "I hate to say this, but I have to go to the office. Samantha, I don't know what you are chewing on, but don't do anything without talking to me first, got it?"

Samantha's brow shoots up. "Who put you in charge?"

Durango crosses his arms. "I work security for a living. I've dealt with dangerous men for years. Can you say the same?"

Samantha stares at him but doesn't respond. I can't say I've seen her rendered speechless before.

Durango turns his attention back to his phone. "I'm going to see if Axel can come over and stay with you guys."

"We don't need?—"

"Who's Axel?" Samantha cuts me off to ask. "Is he hot?"

Durango laughs. "He's single, and now I'm definitely calling him."

He steps out of the room, and Samantha moves next to me. "Seriously, is he hot?"

"You'll like him, yes," I say.

Thirty minutes later, Axel arrives, and Samantha is all smiles. Durango leaves with a promise to be as quick as he can.

I grab my laptop to check on work. My boss was great and approved my time off request for a few days, which allowed me to go with Samantha to Oregon. But now, with my life up in the air, it's probably a good idea to catch up on anything I can while I have time on my hands.

Samantha and Axel are talking in the kitchen. I'm trying not to listen in, but it's hard because they are only a few feet away.

"I need to check on something. I'll be a few minutes," Samantha says.

I don't look up, but I hear footsteps approaching.

"Willow, I'm sorry you have a crappy ex," Axel says as he walks into the living room.

"Yeah, me too. Thanks for coming by on short notice, but I don't think it was necessary. There's no way Tyler would ever find me here."

Axel nods. "Well, I plan to stick around just in case. What's the deal with your friend?" He nods toward the kitchen, where Samantha is talking on her phone.

"She's a good friend who didn't hesitate to help me when I asked. And she's currently single."

Axel grins. "Good to know. Are you trying to work?" He glances at my laptop.

"I thought I'd try to get some work done while I can."

"Well, I won't keep you." He heads back into the kitchen.

I check emails, and that's when I notice Durango's keys on the coffee table. He might need those. I grab my phone and decide to FaceTime him.

I smile. Yes, I want to see his face again already.

"Hey, something wrong?" he answers. His brow is furrowed.

"I'm fine, but you forgot your keys." I hold it up so he can see it.

He stops walking. "Oh, crap. How did I do that?"

"You left in a rush."

He runs his hand through his hair. "Yeah, but I never forget anything. I'm coming back to grab them." As he's talking to me, he turns around and begins to walk back. "How are things with Axel there? All right?"

A man is walking behind him, and I can't tell if it's the phone camera or not, but he seems to be too close.

"Why is that man so close behind you?" I ask.

There is a click sound, and I think Durango took a photo. Based on the motion of the camera, it appears he's jogging.

"Is everything all right? I can get Axel," I say as I stand and walk to the kitchen.

Axel must have heard me say his name because he's beside me in an instant. "What's going on?" he asks.

"I think someone is following me. He was on camera when I was talking to Willow. I snapped a photo. But he appears to be gone. I'm going to pop into a restaurant, and I'll send you the photo."

The ding of a bell above a door comes through, and we can see tables and chairs through his phone camera.

"What's your location?" Axel asks.

"No, you stay there. I can handle this."

A notification comes through on my phone. I pull up the photo.

"Recognize him?" he asks us.

"No," we both say.

"Okay, I'm going to call Harding and see if there are any loose ends with our last assignment."

He ends the call. "Wait! Where are you?" I yell, but it's too late. "We have to go find him."

Axel shakes his head. "No, he knows how to deal with this sort of thing. And it could be a ruse to get me to leave you alone. I'll call the office and see if one of the guys can walk this way to look for him."

Axel steps away to make his call. I sink into the couch, feeling helpless. But Axel is right; if Tyler figured out where I was, he would try to get me alone. But for Tyler to have figured out following Durango would lead to Axel's leaving here is a stretch.

As soon as Axel ends the call, he turns to me. "Thunder is going to walk his route and check for him. He's calling him, too. Hopefully, Durango stays in that restaurant."

But what if he doesn't? These men all seem to think they're immortal. I don't even know why someone would be after him. He's been on several assignments since I've been in New York, and he doesn't talk about any of them. I never ask questions because most of it is confidential.

But not knowing could put his life in danger.

Axel's phone rings, and he answers. "Okay, thanks." He ends the call. "Thunder found him, and they are heading to RHS together."

Relief washes over me. At least Durango is safe for now. If someone is watching him, they will know where he works and might follow him home. I grab my phone and send him a text message asking him to promise me he won't walk home alone.

I get a response an hour later that he will be careful. I roll my eyes. Of course he won't ask someone to walk him home. He's trained for this. I keep telling myself that over and over.

After a few times, I feel a little better. I grab my laptop and get back to work. I'm fortunate that, as a computer programmer, I can work from any remote location. I spend the rest of the day catching up on work.

Durango sends me a message when he leaves work. I'm thankful for that. That means he'll be here soon. And if he's not, I'm going to insist Axel go out and look for him.