Chapter 9
CHAPTER
NINE
Haze
I can’t fucking sleep.
All that talk about Willow and those photos… I rest my folded arms over my face, trying to think.
Aside from staking out her apartment block and moving in right along with her, I don’t know what the fuck to do.
I roll over onto my front, almost crushing Crunch, my rabbit.
Yeah, I adopted a rabbit from Luna’s pet rescue, Faux Paws New Orleans.
The little guy was rescued from a meat factory.
I’m a meat eater myself, but something about that was just gross in my opinion.
The trouble is, he thinks he’s a fucking dog.
He will literally nip at my fingers when I stop petting him, roll onto his back for pets, and even greets me like a damn dog.
Sometimes I take him to work because I feel he’ll get lonely, and the girls love taking care of him.
I run my hand over his fur. “What am I gonna do, Crunchy?”
He makes a little whimpering sound and I pull him under my shoulder, holding him tighter.
He was timid at first after being mistreated, but after about twenty-four hours of me coaxing him with treats and a nice warm bed, the two of us became best friends.
Crunch has been healing for me in many ways, not that I took him under my wing to be anything more than a furry little companion, but I’ve grown used to his funny little ways.
It was clear early on Crunch was special.
I trained him to use a litter tray — it was a surprise to me when I learned rabbits are naturally clean animals and make great companions.
Except Crunch is different. He really is a dude.
I try to get back to sleep, but it won’t come. Instead, I roll out of bed, leaving Crunch to his own devices, take a leak and head to the fridge. I grab a cold bottle of water and try not to relive my conversation with Cameron, but it’s been playing like a loop in my head…
“What the fuck is this?”
“In layman’s terms? It’s a graphic death threat.”
Yeah, I can see that. The prick has gone to pretty extreme measures to piece this together. It’s all put together with magazine-like cutouts that look all kinds of wrong.
“Jesus Christ.”
“It’s not the only one, several of these were intercepted before they got to Willow.”
I glance up at him. “So she has no idea?”
“I have certain connections in the force—”
“And they’re so good they can’t find who’s doin’ this?”
“That’s proving difficult with nothing to go on.”
I look up at him. “Where do I come in? And what does Willow know exactly?” I palm the back of my head, uneasy that Willow doesn’t know she’s in danger.
“Where you come in is keeping her safe when I have to leave,” he says.
“She’s had a dozen threats against her over the years, it’s the life of a cop.
A good cop. But I kept this from her because she’ll never make a good captain knowing this is out there, lurking around the next corner.
She’ll only get one shot at this.” This is Cameron Sinclair, always thinking about the bottom line and ways his daughter can tarnish the family name. He makes me sick.
“That’s all this is about, isn’t it?”
“Watch your tone. I’m not one of your errand boys,” he snaps.
I lean forward, ready to drag him over this desk. “Neither am I.”
After a few moments of awkward silence, he says, “We’re going to find out who’s doing this, and I can’t have it getting out for Willow’s safety.”
“Like I asked before, the force can’t find shit on him? Not one single scrap of evidence?”
He looks grave. Acting like he gives a shit is one thing, but the way he goes about it? I want to punch him. “Some of the men I trust are working on it. This guy is thorough, whoever he is, but in the meantime—”
“You’re taking the law into your own hands?”
His stare penetrates mine. “Despite what you think of me, we have the same goal when it comes to keeping Willow safe. Not that I fully believe you won’t run in the other direction like you did the last time.”
“That wasn’t how it happened,” I start, but what’s the point? The man clearly hates me, and the feeling is mutual. Our only common interest here is Willow. “Just tell me what I need to do, aside from tail her ass, and I’ll do it.”
“She can’t ever be anywhere alone,” Cameron says. “Figured with your MC connections we can make that happen easily enough. From all the lowlifes I’ve talked to, you’re trusted in New Orleans. Plus, with Max in town, he can chaperone her until we can get some more leads.”
“I’m sure there’s a compliment in there somewhere,” I scoff. Asshole. “You’ve had the letters examined, and you still don’t have any leads on who this fuckface is?”
“Of course, this isn’t my first rodeo, Austin. And I’m gonna be frank with you, not everybody was pleased with how things went down in New Orleans. Men at the top are always threatened by a shift in power, the south is no different.”
I frown. “Here I was thinkin’ the streets were safe again, guess we can’t exactly hope for miracles now, can we?”
“Knock off the attitude,” he warns. “This just feels… Different. Personal.”
“And you don’t think Willow has a right to know her life is being threatened?”
“Like I just said, she has enough on her plate to deal with now she’s Captain.
” I don’t know about any of this. I don’t like the idea of keeping something this heavy from her.
While I’m partially on his side, even if I don’t like his approach — those letters are fucked up — It feels off.
Then again, I know Willow. Yes, she’s a very strong woman, outside and in.
But I know the heart of her. I understand how she works.
One thing I can admit is that Willow suffers behind closed doors. In a lot of ways, she wears a mask. She has to in her line of work. But I know she feels things deeply, even when she isn’t good at communicating them.
“I agree with you there, but I also might remind you that we’re separated and have been for quite some time.”
“But you’re still in her life. You’re not on completely bad terms,” he says, and I wonder for a second where he’s getting his information from. Willow wouldn’t tell him shit about us.
“Willow still lets you bat an innings. She won’t do that for me because I’m her overbearing father who doesn’t show enough affection, even when he’s trying to protect her life.”
“Yet here you are.” Let’s give the man a medal, or throw him a parade.
“It’s what a father does for his daughter. I’d do it for both my kids.”
I can’t say in the time I’ve known him he’s ever talked to me like this. I’m usually a blip, or a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. “Speakin’ of which, Max is back?”
“Let’s not get into it. I’ve got enough going on without adding Max into the mix. I also don’t know how long he’s in town for, plus he’s a wildcard. Max has a big heart, but he’s not reliable.”
And I am? I almost want to laugh at that one. “He doesn’t know?”
“No, he doesn’t. And I want to keep it that way.”
I point at him. “It’s a bad idea keepin’ the details from Willow, I just want that noted for when she finds out and kicks both our asses.”
“Don’t make me regret coming here.”
There he goes with his threats. Little does he know, they don’t mean anything anymore. “I know what I’m doing.”
But does he?
“Think about it. I can’t just get up in her business without her gettin’ suspicious,” I say. Okay, dearest Dad has no clue we’ve hooked up in the past, clearly, but that doesn’t mean I’m on Willow’s Christmas card list. “She’ll see right through it.”
He thinks for a second. “A protection order from the commissioner.”
Is that his fucking wildcard?
“Now I’m her bodyguard? Oh, she’s gonna love that.”
“Not a bodyguard. I’ll make sure the department hires the Nomad Brothers Security for an overhaul, including a new maintenance schedule for all their security cameras and surveillance, whatever you need, I’ll fund it.”
It’s laughable he still thinks I’m here for money. “So I’ll just ride shotgun whenever she has to go out?”
“The few people I trust will be watching her, but they can’t get inside and watch her every move. That’s where you come in.”
“I’ll need to know who those people are.” And I’ll also be implementing a team of my own, via the Rebels. Cameron doesn’t need to know about that, but the prospects are good for this kind of thing. From here on in, she will always have a Rebel watching her.
“So I can count on you, Austin?”
We stare at each other across the desk.
“You don’t ever have to ask me that question when it comes to Willow.”
“I’ll send the paperwork through.”
“I need that list of names,” I remind him when he stands. He nods. “And the ones I can’t trust,” I add.
“Just keep alert. If anything happens to her on your watch, I’ll make sure you’re buried for good this time. Mark my words.”
“Nothin’ is gonna happen on my watch, that I can assure you.”
“Good. I’ll be in touch.” His hand is on the door and he steps out, closing it behind him.
I stare at the door, an uneasy feeling washing over me. “Spoken like a true asshole,” I mutter.
I’m no closer to Willow, and now I have to make an excuse to be around her so she doesn’t get suspicious. She’ll smell a rat. Willow is smarter than all of it.
It’s gonna fail because it’s a ridiculous plan. And I know I can come up with a better one…