Chapter 14 Willow
WILLOW
My hand grips the scrubbing brush too tight as I scour the pan, getting off the crusted egg and bacon fat. I run the brush over the pan until my forearm hurts.
My brother is in danger, and I’m flirting with the one man who can help find him. What the hell is wrong with me?
I should be helping him search for Tyler, not distracting him with whatever the hell that was.
I have never in my life been hand-fed by a man, and Hudson is not just any man.
He’s sculpted out of muscles, his eyes make me forget where I am, and he freaking just hand fed me bacon.
He’s not a mere mortal; he’s been sent by the gods to distract me and make me do outrageous things, like suck his finger in the kitchen of the cabin where we’re meant to be hiding.
A smile tugs at my lips at the memory of a few moments ago. He was not expecting me to suck the grease off his finger, and I love surprising Hudson. It’s my new favorite hobby.
I don’t know what came over me, but I sure as hell liked the reaction. To bring a man like Hudson to his knees with just his finger in my mouth. Imagine what I could do to him if I had something else in my mouth.
Down on my knees, with his generous package before me…
The water suddenly feels too hot, and I pull the thoroughly scrubbed pan out of the water and rinse it off before laying it on the rack.
I pull the plug and wipe the perspiration off my forehead as the water gurgles down the drain.
Hudson has retreated to the table under the loft with his laptop out. I long to ask him if there’s any news, but I need to cool off first.
“I need some air.”
I fling the door open, but the fresh air does nothing to cool the fire inside me.
I reach for my jacket, and Hudson is there. His broad chest takes up all the space in the small area by the door, making my heartbeat speed up a notch.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m coming with you.” He takes his jacket off the hook as if we’re heading out for a winter stroll.
“You don’t even know where I’m going.”
He shrugs his jacket on. “Doesn’t matter. You can’t wander around on your own. It might not be safe.”
He’s taking this protection thing way too seriously. I’m pretty sure there’s no way for the Street Kings to trace us here, but it makes me hesitate.
If he’s strolling around with me, then he’s not looking for Tyler. I slip my jacket off.
“It’s all good. I’ll stay inside.”
“Make up your damn mind, woman.” He pushes his fingers into his forehead as if I give him a headache, and I hope I do. I want to affect him in every way possible.
As he shrugs off his coat, I wander to the shelf behind the couch, eyeing the stack of books and board games and running my finger along the titles.
Nothing grabs my attention, and I try the next shelf.
“I got you something.” Hudson holds one of the bags from the grocery store in his hands. He thrusts is toward me, and for the first time, he seems awkward.
“What is it?” I take the bag and pull out a long rectangular item. “You got me a sketchpad.”
“And crayons,” he mumbles. “They didn’t have any paints. And they’re kind of for kids, but I thought you might like them.”
I pull out the box of crayons, which is decorated with a cartoon elephant. Flipping the lip of the box open, I find twelve bright crayons and the scent of wax.
It’s the most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me, and a rush of heat floods my eyes. I blink quickly, not wanting him to see how his gift affects me.
Since Mom passed and Dad ended up in jail, no one has bought me anything. Tyler stole flowers for my birthday once, picked from the best gardens in the neighborhood. But it’s been years since anyone gave me anything but the stolen flowers.
I pull out a deep blue, and my fingers itch to get drawing.
“Thank you.”
When I glance up, he’s watching me closely, and his stormy eyes have settled to a calm, steady gray.
“I want to sit on the chair outside and draw. But I won’t go anywhere else.”
He nods his head. “Okay.”
That was easier than I thought. Hudson heads back to the table, but he looks up as he sits down and says, “I have sensors around the perimeter. I’ll know if you go farther than a few feet.”
I chuckle. Of course, he has sensors. Hudson is not the hard-ass I thought he was.
Not only is he thoughtful, compassionate, a good cook, and the owner of the best ass I’ve ever seen, but he also knows how to keep me safe.
He’s the steady, reliable influence that’s been missing from my life.
And if we stay here much longer, I’m in danger of falling for Captain America.
The banging of the cabin door startles me, and I spin around to find Hudson shutting it behind him.
I don’t know how long I’ve been out here, but my mind is calm, and my body is no longer flushed with heat.
On my lap is the sketchpad, the page covered with a colorful scene of the looming pines surrounding us.
In the center front is the cabin, smaller in scale than in reality, and a smudge of a figure stands out front.
The forest closes in around the person and the cabin.
The trees, vibrant green on the outside, shift to dark, looming shapes that lean in and block out the sky.
The black crayon is worn to halfway down, and I set it down and stretch out the cramp in my fingers, noticing they’re white with cold.
“I found something,” Hudson says. “I thought you’d want to know.”
Hope lifts me out of my seat, and my sketchbook falls to the ground. “Did you find him?”
“Come and take a look.”
I pick up the sketchpad and follow him inside to the table where he has two laptops set up and his burner phone plugged in to charge.
He takes a seat, and I pull the other chair up next to him.
“You told me you believed he took a Greyhound from the Charlotte bus station on Monday the 4th, sometime between zero eleven hundred hours and midnight.”
He taps a few keys, and I press my hands together, impatient for the news.
“There were fifty-nine buses passing through the station during that time, and we narrowed the search to domestic buses going out of state.”
“That sounds right.”
“Which narrows it down to thirteen. Marcus’s teams ran facial recognition software at the most probable locations, and we’ve got a match.”
How Marcus and his team have access to such things is beyond me, but it’s best not to ask those questions. I’m just glad they do.
Hudson hits the keyboard, and a grainy photo appears. It’s taken from up high and is zoomed in on a face I’d recognize anywhere. I note my brother’s high cheekbones and spiky hair.
“That’s him.”
I clap my hands together, and flecks of black crayon fly off them and onto the laptop. Hudson scowls at the flakes, and I quickly turn the keyboard upside down and shake them off.
“You know where he is?” The flakes land on the table, and if it were my own place, I’d probably leave it at that. But cleanliness seems to be a big deal to Hudson, so I grab a cloth from the kitchen and wipe them up.
“We know he disembarked at Staunton, Virginia.”
“Virginia?” That can’t be right. “It’s only the next state over. He must have transferred from there.”
“There’s no footage of him getting back on the bus. We believe this was his final stop.”
Why didn’t he go farther? When we planned for him to get away, we talked about the other side of the country, not one state over. It’s a little too close for my liking. But on the other hand, it’s not too far to get to him.
I dump the cloth in the sink and grab my daypack, which is propped up against the sofa, all zipped up with my sweater neatly folded on top of it. I don’t remember leaving my things neat like that, so it must be Hudson being thoughtful again. But I don’t have time to dwell on that.
“Let’s go.”
Hudson stands up slowly. “Not so fast. He could be anywhere in Staunton. We need more intel before we go on a wild goose chase.”
I thump my palm on the back of the chair in frustration. “But what if the Street Kings get there first? We can’t sit around and do nothing.”
He puts his hands on my shoulders, steadying me.
“We’re not doing nothing. The team is scouring every CCTV camera in the town. They’re pulling every contact they have in the area. Let them do their job. And when they do find him, it’ll be better if you stay out of the way. We’ll be here for a few days yet.”
He’s right. I’m already on the hook for breaking parole. If I go driving around and get caught, I’ll be no good to Tyler.
But I can’t help feeling like I should be doing more.
“I feel useless here doing nothing.”
He squeezes my shoulders. “I know. But trust me, this is the best way.”
Looking into his eyes, I let out a long sigh. “You’re right.” I slide my pack off my shoulders, and it drops to the floor with a thud. The anxiety knots my stomach, and I push it down, like I’m good at doing, and look for another distraction. The biggest one stands right in front of me.
My gaze darts to his lips, remembering the kiss we almost had this morning. It’s tempting to lean into Hudson, to push my body against his and whisper in his ear until he kisses me.
But if I’m doing that, then he’s not tracking Tyler, and with the latest breakthrough, I want him helping Marcus.
I swallow back my indecent thoughts and try to still my racing pulse.
“I’ll go finish my drawing.”
Hudson smiles, and I try to muster some of the carefree feeling from earlier, but as I pull open the door to outside an icy wind sends a chill to my bones.