Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

LANDON

" W e can't initiate combat," Lex Hayes tells me on the phone.

I'm sitting in Grace's living room. She and her mom are in the bedroom, sleeping. My gun is on the table, and morning sunlight filters through the curtains. There's no sign of Damon or his cronies, not yet. I've called Hayes Securities, the top protection firm in the city.

"However, if we witness a crime, we're allowed to take reasonable steps, and of course, we can protect our client, sir."

"So you can protect me," I mutter. "If I happen to be across the street from a mob bar, and those mobsters happen to want to start something, you'll stick to your post?"

"The cost would increase steeply," Lex says, "but that is something we can accommodate."

I nod. "Then let's talk numbers."

For the next twenty minutes, we arrange for me to pay Lex and his men a quarter of my net worth for one week of protection. I'm not sure what I'll do after this week is over. I sent Ethan the video I took last night, and he's replied telling me two things: he'll get it to his police contacts, and the ladies have settled into their rooms.

I purposefully didn't ask any follow-up questions. I want to see Lily so bad, to hold her. My end already seemed so close because of the diagnosis, but last night, it could've happened at any moment. I've watched the video Grace took. She was only recording to stop them from doing anything stupid.

It shows me backing into the apartment, then throwing Damon out and slamming the door at the last second. Then I grab the camera and aim it through the small window. Damon gets close, slowly grinning like a horror movie villain.

"Have a good night, my friend. Enjoy it. Savor it."

Then he stares, his implication clear. Soon, I won't be able to savor anything.

He turns and gestures to his men, and they walk across the street.

I shut off the video, pick up my gun, toss it from hand to hand. Lex and his men are going to be here soon. They will set up a contingent in the street, around the bar, and at the rear of the apartment building. Lily and Vivian are in Ethan's penthouse, which has round-the-clock security. There's no way Damon would be stupid enough to attack anybody in a neighborhood that expensive.

I quickly tuck the gun under the table when the bedroom door whines open. Grace stands in the doorway, a terrified little girl trying so hard to be tough. It breaks my heart because I've seen that exact look before.

"Mom is still asleep." She shuts the door behind her. "Can I braid my hair, Mister Landon?"

"You don't have to ask, Grace."

She sits cross-legged on the floor, yawning. She has that demeanor that many kids in her position get in my experience. She can't imagine this not being her life. She's calm in the chaos like Lily was … or tried to be.

"Are they coming back?" she asks.

"I don't know," I tell her truthfully, "but I'm going to keep you and your mom safe."

"Are you going to keep the others safe, too?" She's looking at me in the reflection of the turned-off TV.

Maybe I should lie to her, tell her I can't be sure, but even if she's staring from a reflection, it's still a plea I can't ignore. She reminds me of why I spent so long doing pro bono work. "Yes," I bark. "I won't let anything happen to anyone in this building. Soon, those men will be gone, and that bar will disappear."

She turns to me, a big grin on her face. I smile at her, but deep down, I know I shouldn't have said that.

"Do you know the other one? Lily?"

"The other what?"

She blinks at me like it's obvious. "The other hero."

I shake my head. "I know Lily."

She giggles. "Then why did you do this, silly?" She shakes her head overdramatically, causing her braid to spin around her neck. "Oops."

Because I don't consider myself a hero, but that's depressing to say to a kid. I chuckle. That's the beautiful and magical thing about kids. No matter what, they can find a way to laugh and be happy about the small stuff.

"I know Lily," I tell her.

Grace lights up. "That's so cool. She was so nice. If I ever had a big sister, I'd want her to be like Lily. Lily said she's going to help me, too."

"She's the reason I'm here."

"Whoa. Really?"

"If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here," I say honestly. "I might've tried to get a case going, but I wouldn't have hired security. I wouldn't have done what I did last night. She's the reason I keep going. I inspired her to get into social work, but she inspires me ."

Grace laughs again. "Is Lily your girlfriend ?"

"I wish," I say, getting another laugh. "Do you want to watch TV?"

"Yeah. Can I choose?"

"Sure."

"They're sleeping right now," Ethan tells me thirty minutes later. I'm making myself some coffee in their little rundown kitchen. There are pill bottles in half the cupboards, some with pills, others for the trash. "I'm pretty sure they are, anyway. I can knock lightly if you want to talk to her?"

"No, don't do that. Let her sleep." I force myself to say this, but it's not easy. The urge to hear her voice is real. "How did she seem?"

"Shaken up, but she's strong. I can tell that. I might've said more than I should have."

"How so?"

"Vivian asked about your dating life. I think she was in mother-bear mode, you know. I told them the stuff you said to me once about never being able to find a lady."

"Until Lily," I growl. "Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe she'll know how special she is now."

"What are you doing, Landon? Exactly?"

"It's better if you don't know," I tell him. "Just try to get your cop buddies interested in that video. Somebody has to care."

"I've sent it to two friends from … the time before." He's talking about the apple tree. "But this is different. This is the mob."

"Just let me know what they say," I snap.

He sighs. "I will, but don't get your hopes up. I can't make any promises here."

"But she seemed okay?"

"Yeah, man. She did. Maybe you should call her."

"She can't be part of this," I snap. "It's too dangerous. As long as she's okay."

"Yes, Landon, she's okay."

I sense the sarcasm in his voice. I must've used the word okay about twenty goddamn times.

"Good."

"Just be careful, brother."

"Or what? I'm dead anyway."

"Jesus, Landon."

"I'm sorry. That was too much."

I hang up, feeling glum and way too ready for more violence. It's like my frantic energy comes from knowing that I have to handle Damon and his goons if I'm going to spend time with my Lily. My Lily? I don't care how it sounds, dammit. I'm going to think of her that way. It feels true. When she broke down last night, holding me, I felt closer to her than I ever have to anybody.

Ethan was right to tell her I'd sometimes look at the happy few married couples in public, on some level, wishing I could have the same. Though on another level, even more profound, I knew I never could. Something in me makes me cold, and Lily sees it. She accepts it.

Lex calls me when he's outside, as I requested. He's waiting for me outside his black jeep. Three men stand in a perimeter around the vehicle, all young with military-style haircuts. Lex is around my age with a Marine cut and the bearing of a soldier.

He approaches me and offers his hand. "Sir."

"Please, call me Landon. Let's go inside, Lex."

He motions to his men, whirling his hand around in a circle. His men immediately disperse and begin looking for places to watch, to wait. Lex follows me into the apartment. Grace has disappeared back into the bedroom.

"Coffee?" I offer.

"Sure, thank you."

"So," I go on, "how does this work?" I pour him a cup.

He narrows his eyes in confusion. I can see the businessman in him resisting the urge to say, We spoke about this on the phone , which is true. We did.

"What if I want to put the son of a bitch in the dirt myself?"

"Premeditated murder, Landon?" Lex says.

"You know the person we're talking about. You know what he was planning."

"Still," Lex says, shaking his head slowly, "it's more than I can officially discuss."

"Officially …" I step forward, looking at him in the eye, man to man. "You've most likely been places and done things I can't imagine doing, Lex. I'm the one who should be calling you, sir . The cold, ugly fact is that I've spent years shamelessly making as much money as possible. I'll give you another fifty percent if you agree to one simple thing."

He swallows and glances at the door like he thinks we'll be overheard, but I can see the second he decides. His eyes harden. I read his history online. I know he's served five tours. I know he's been in combat countless times and worked with politicians, some on the shady side.

"What would that be?" he asks.

"If a body needs disappearing, make it disappear. Make it so it can never be linked back to me. That's it. All it takes is a nod. I'll add the money as a performance bonus at the end of the week."

He internally debates it again but then nods at me in a small, decisive motion.

"Awesome." I grin. "Shall we discuss the protection area, then?"

He snaps back to professional mode. "Certainly, si—Landon."