Chapter 12
WILLOW
Jamie takes slow sips from the boba tea I brought for him. The circles around his eyes are fading, and there’s a bit more color in his cheeks.
“How are you feeling?” I ask him.
“Much better, thank you,” Jamie replies with a weak smile, then holds up his tea glass. “This is just what I needed. Do I smell donuts?”
I point to the pink paper bag on the table next to his bed. “Cronuts, to be specific. Your favorites, too, with the pistachio and white chocolate glaze, from Bear’s.”
“Oh, Willow, you are an angel in disguise.”
“More like an angel of death,” I grumble and lower my gaze in shame. “I almost got you killed, Jamie.”
“No, oh, no, we’re not doing that useless guilt trip, honey,” he shoots back. “Some psycho almost got me killed when he tried to kill you, and that’s just because I got greedy over stupid shrimp!”
Still I reach out and take his hand in mine. “I’m sorry.”
“Will, it’s not your fault. Geez. I’m just glad you’re okay. I’m also glad Terrence got so wasted and put on that deplorable show for long enough to distract me from eating the rest of the shrimp.”
“Oh, God.” I want to laugh, but it would be inappropriate.
Jamie senses my discomfort and chuckles first. “Imagine that. I was so stunned and unable to look away from that bumbling idiot and his embarrassed bride—not to mention his mother, because honey, I wasn’t the only one frothing at the mouth, I’ll tell you that much!”
And now, we’re both doubling over.
As the laughter dies down, however, the gravity of the situation returns. It makes my stomach feel heavy, queasiness working its way up my throat. Jamie is the first to notice.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s just the stress, the shock. I think it’s all crashing down on me now,” I say, “the seriousness of what you endured, of what almost happened. I just can’t understand who would do such a thing.”
Jamie snorts. “I’m pretty sure it’s got something to do with you and the Morgan brothers.”
“Seriously?”
“What else makes sense to you? What if there’s some angry, jealous ex out there who orchestrated this?”
“It’s insane,” I mutter. “I never hurt anyone.”
“But it was targeted, Will. The only reason you’re still alive is because I ate your frickin’ shrimp, and the only reason I’m still alive is because Terrence distracted me with his drunken foolishness long enough for the poison I’d already ingested to start kicking in.”
Chills travel through my whole body, though I’ve yet to fully wrap my head around the whole thing. All I can do is shudder and shake the thoughts away as I share a cronut with my best friend.
“I’m just glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”
“Me and you both, sister. I’m just happy to be home,” he says. “We’ve got some damage control to do.”
“I bet Sheila is loving the bad press,” I scoff.
“Regardless of her intention, she did throw her son’s wedding our way, and we did nail it. You said Morgan Enterprises’ PR department is hard at work to keep our agency from kicking the bucket in the public eye, right?”
“They are, yes.”
“That’s really helpful.” He exhales sharply. “I’ll whip up a video of us for social media once I get the official statement from the Morgans.”
“That should be in your inbox already, but for the love of God, Jamie, just sit back and rest for now, will you? There’s enough time for everything else.”
“We need to hire a taste tester for you going forward, or have you come with your own home-cooked meal to any future business lunch. Oh, and covers for your drinks, too. You never know.”
“I’m not sure if I should laugh or cry at this point.”
There’s a knock at the door, and I get up to see who it is. I find the Morgan brothers standing on the other side. My eyes light up as soon as I see them, and I rush to open the door and hug all three with much warmth and relief.
They follow me back to Jamie’s room and greet him.
“How are you, Jamie?” Cole asks.
“Better than yesterday, for sure,” Jamie replies with a cool grin.
Toby nods. “The cops cleared the catering company, too, so there’s a high probability that the shrimp was poisoned in Thornwood Manor’s kitchen while they were prepping the plates.”
“Did they find that guy yet? Brett whatever?” I ask.
Asher frowns slightly. “No, and he used a fake ID, by the way. The catering company provided all his documentation. NYPD couldn’t find a Social Security number for the guy or anything.
They’re interviewing their HR manager as we speak, and they’re also going through Thornwood’s security footage again to try and get a lead on him; retrace his steps maybe. ”
“That’s just mind-boggling,” I mumble.
“One thing is still very much a certainty at this point, though,” Cole says to me. “You were the intended target, Willow, which is why, at least while the investigation is ongoing, you’ll be staying with us.”
For a moment, I’m speechless. The information doesn’t quite click right away. I stare at the Morgan brothers for what feels like a rather awkward eternity, equal parts fawning over their handsome features and wondering what this means for us, for me, in particular.
“Wait, what?” I manage eventually, then glance at Jamie, who’s wide-eyed and trying not to laugh while stuffing the rest of a cronut into his mouth. “What do you mean I’m staying with you?”
“At my penthouse,” Cole replies. “The four of us can comfortably stay there for a while. There’s plenty of space and everything is provided for, including extra building security, which I’ve already requested from the building manager.”
“Cole, hold on. I’ve got my own place.”
“And you can go back to it when this whole thing is over, if you insist,” he replies, shaking his head. “But until then, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“Neither are we,” Asher adds with a stern look on his face.
“But I don’t need protection. I mean, whatever that guy tried, it failed. He wouldn’t be foolish enough to try it again, not when the cops are looking for him, right?”
Jamie gives a heavy, dramatic sigh. “You know what, Will, I’ve had enough of your independent lady act. Did you ever tell these tall drinks of water about the messages you received since you took over the wedding planning?”
The air in the room shifts in a most uncomfortable manner.
All eyes are on me, and I can feel my cheeks burning with a mixture of guilt and shame.
I told Jamie about those messages in confidence, but I can’t exactly blame him for bringing them up now.
The possibility of a connection between them and the poisoning did cross my mind more than once.
I just didn’t have the bandwidth to address it.
“Willow?” Cole asks, his voice low.
I swallow before I answer. “So, there were these text messages…”
“Let me see,” Toby replies and puts his hand out.
I hand him my phone.
“Yes, so, as I was saying,” Cole decrees after reading the texts. “You’re moving in with us.”
“But I—”
“No buts. End of discussion.”
Jamie giggles, prompting a smile from me.
His humor is infectious, even in the most inappropriate settings.
I’ve been on my own for so long, fighting my own battles, not having to rely on anyone, especially the man next to me, before the Morgan brothers came along, that I’ve genuinely forgotten what it’s like.
As much as I hate to admit it, staying close to Cole, Asher, and Toby might very well be the only way forward for me. Whether it’s temporary or permanent all depends on whether I survive, because deep down, even I know the poisoning could merely be the beginning of something much worse.