Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lily
I didn’t expect Grayson to get back to me so soon. But he called and said one of his guys is coming to stay with me. His name is Tristan Langford. It’s a little odd after meeting my Tristan last night. Whoa. My Tristan? I don’t even know where that came from. I wish he was mine.
I hear a knock at the front door, I open it…
“Tristan?”
“Lily?”
“I’m pretty sure this is what the mama’s back home would say is fate.” Apollo whispers from behind Tristan.
“What are you doing here?” I ask him.
“You’re Lily Waterford?”
I nod, “And I’m guessing you’re Tristan Langford. This is crazy. But I thought you said you needed to head back home in a week?”
“I did. But Grayson is a good friend from high school. He asked me if I could help him out and I said yes. Now that I know it’s you? I’m even happier that I agreed to do this.”
I smile as I step back to let them all in.
“You’re lucky, you get five of us.” Apollo laughs.
“Do you have enough room for all of us?” Armando asks.
“I’m pretty sure I can find room. But some of you might be on the floor. Unless you want to share a bed. I have two extra bedrooms, Paisley and Cora have their stuff in them. I’ll call them to let them know you’ll be using the rooms. In case they need to get anything out of it first.”
I dread calling my besties. They’re going to be so mad that I didn’t tell them about what’s going on. Just as I’m about to text them, they come barging in the front door.
“Why is there a car in the drive—” Cora says as she sees the guys.
“Are you stalking Lily?” Paisley frowns as she pokes Tristan in the chest.
“He’s not stalking me…I need to tell you both something.”
“What the fuck happened?” Cora frowns at me.
“Okay. So last week I got a weird text. But it was only one and I just figured it was a wrong number.”
“Show us the text. And continue the story.”
“There’s really not much more. I got a few more texts on Friday and decided to call Lone Star Security.”
“Why didn’t you tell us? This is unacceptable.” Cora squints at me.
“I honestly thought it was a wrong number.”
“Yeah but after that first one, you should’ve called us. Just like you called that security company. We never would’ve left you this morning. And yes, now I’m mad at you. I’m going home to pack a suitcase.” Paisley says as Cora nods.
“You don’t need to stay here with me.” I say to them.
“Of course we do. You think we trust these Fabio-looking muscle men to take care of you?”
I laugh. “Well they’ve been assigned as my security, so they have to stay.”
“Well then they get the floor. Cause the bed is mine and I’m pretty sure it’s not big enough to share.” Cora sighs at them.
“Wait. You want us to sleep on the floor? Why? You know that sharing is caring, right?” Apollo says to her.
“Sharing is caring with people you know and love. I don’t know you, or love you.” Cora says as she sticks her tongue out at him.
“Ugh. That’s just wrong.” He glares at her.
“Maybe we can run to the store and get some air mattresses.” Armando chuckles.
“I do have a couch.” I say to them.
They all look at my tiny couch and laugh.
“We’ll be back. We need to do some shopping.” Eros chuckles as he leaves with Keegan.
“I’ll stay and do a perimeter check.” Apollo says.
“I’ll go with the two of you if you were serious about grabbing stuff to stay here.” Armando says to Paisley and Cora.
“Why? We’re not the ones getting weird texts.” Paisley rolls her eyes.
“Because whoever it is could go after the two of you.”
“Ugh. Lets go.” Cora grumbles.
After they all leave, I look at Tristan.
“Thank you for being here, I feel like Grayson is over reacting. I don’t think I need security for a few text messages.”
Tristan
I’m really happy that I get to spend more time with Lily. But the dilemma I’m having is that it’s hard to protect someone you’re with or want to be with. This is why the women in our family have bodyguards and none of them are their boyfriends or husbands.
“Those messages were threatening. What do you write? Are you an author?” I ask her.
“I’m not really an author. I’m a ghost writer.”
“What does that mean?”
“I write for authors. But I don’t publish the books.”
“So wait. You write and let them take credit for your words?”
“Well, they pay me to do this. I like what I do. I get to be creative, but I don’t have to put myself out there. I know it seems weird to some people. Paisley and Cora keep telling me to publish my own books. But I’m just not ready.”
I nod as I listen to her.
“Maybe one day you’ll be ready. So what do you write?”
“I write romance. But nothing really dark, the last book I did was about a military man who gets hurt and falls in love with his doctor. This current one is about an assassin that kills the wrong person. Then falls in love with the wife of the person he killed.”
“Does the author you write for tell you what they want and you write it?”
“Not really. They usually just tell me basic things. Like this time he said it’s an assassin that falls in love. He told me that I can do whatever I wanted with it. So I did.”
“I think that’s awesome. That you have that creativity to create these books.”
I love the color that blushes her cheeks.
I wanted to kiss her last night, but I didn’t want to push too fast. When Levi met Felicity, I told him he was crazy because of how fast they fell in love.
But I get it now. Lily makes me want to stay here in Valor Springs.
But at the same time, I know I can’t. Maybe she’ll consider moving to Lake Renegade with me?
I take her hand in mine. I want to tell her that she’s safe and nothing will ever touch her. But I know from personal experience that I can’t promise her that.
“I will do everything to keep you safe.”
“When I saw you at my door today, I felt a sense of relief. Like I knew having you here with me made me feel better about what’s going on.”
Fuck it. I’m taking the chance with Lily. One of the things I learned when my parents were alive was that I can’t take love for granted. I don’t know if she feels the same. But I need to take the chance.
I wrap her in my arms. I feel her lean into me and her arms wrap around me.
“Thank you.” She whispers.
I lean down and kiss her gently. We hear someone clear their voice behind us.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you.” Apollo smiles as he comes back into the house. “I think we can secure the house easily. There’s a fence around the whole house and it looks to be in good condition. We just need to get the camera’s up. I’ll get on that now.”
“I was also thinking maybe we can ask Francesco and Sebastiano to help us look into where the text messages are coming from” I say to him.
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“I’ll run it by Grayson, I don’t want to step on any toes.”
Apollo nods and heads back out to put up the security cameras.
“Do you really think those text messages could be that dangerous?” Lily asks.
“I’ve learned that anything can happen. And when we think that something is nothing? It’s usually something. So yes. I think whoever’s sending them could be dangerous.”
Lily sighs. “I’ve always said that I’m kind of boring. I go to work and write. I don’t go out and do things unless it’s with Paisley or Cora.”
“No boyfriends? Ex-boyfriends?” I ask as I watch her.
“I’ve only had one boyfriend. Carson Masters. But he disappeared two years ago.” She says softly.
I lead her over to the couch to sit down.
“What do you mean he disappeared?”
“He went to work one day and I never saw him again. I even hired a Private Investigator. They never found anything. It’s like he just stopped existing.”
“You need to tell me everything you know about him. I have brothers back in Lake Renegade that can help us. But first let me call Grayson and let him know all this.”
Lily nods and goes into her bedroom to grab some pictures and papers for me. I call Grayson.
“Hey Tristan, what’s up?”
I tell him what Lily told me about her ex.
“I wanted to ask if I can bring my family into this one. I know you have guys to do this. But I also know you’re all busy. I have brothers back in Lake Renegade that are really good at this stuff. But I didn’t want to just go to them. I wanted to make sure you were okay with it first.”
“That’s fine with me, I appreciate the help. Just please keep me in the loop.”
“Definitely. I’ll let you know what they find out. The camera’s should be online soon. Apollo’s putting them up now.”
“Thanks. I hope we’re over doing all of this and nothing comes of these text messages.”
“Me too. Talk soon.”
After Lily brings me the pictures and papers, I take pictures of all of it. Then I call home.
“Hey Tristan, how are things?” Sebastiano answers.
“It’s good. I ran into a high school buddy and he’s asked me to help him.”
I explain everything that’s going on and send him the pictures and papers.
“I’ll get on this now. I’ve never seen anyone just disappear without any trace of them. That’s weird. Franco and I will find something.”
“Thank you. Lily is important to me.” I say Sebastiano as I look at Lily. The smile that’s on her face tells me that she like’s what I’m saying.
“Really? Well then. I guess we’ll need to meet her. You know the mamas will expect you to bring her home sooner than later.”
I laugh.
“I know.”
“Okay we’ll call you as soon as we have something.”