Chapter 12 #2
“Would be hard pressed to get anything past a man like him. He’s got people on his payroll that can do just about anything, including hunt down an IP address.”
“I’m so sorry, Billy. If I could take it back, I would.”
His expression softened as he stepped over to me and slipped his arms around my waist. As he pulled me close, he assured me, “We’ll figure it out.”
“But how? What are we going to do?”
Billy looked anxious as he told me, “First, I’ve gotta get in touch with Viper and let him know what’s going on.”
“Doc’s friend?” My throat tightened with worry as I asked, “The scary one?”
“Yeah, that’d be the one.”
“What does he have to do with all of this?”
“You know how DeLuca has people?” I nodded. “Well, I have them, too. And Viper is one of those people.”
“I see. So, he can help us?”
“I certainly hope so.”
I watched silently as Billy took out his cellphone and dialed Viper’s number. His face was void of expression as I stood there waiting for his friend to answer. After several moments, he finally said, “Yeah, this is Billy.”
There was a brief pause, and then he added, “Yeah, I know that’s the way it usually works, but today, it’s me needing something from you. Not the other way around.”
There was a brief pause before Billy continued, “We ran into some trouble last night.”
He paced back and forth as he listened to Viper’s response, then added, “Antonio sent some guys to the house. I’m pretty confident that they were looking for Everleigh.”
He grimaced as he listened to Viper’s response. “We both knew it was a possibility, but I have a pretty good idea how he figured it out.”
Billy glanced over at me, then explained, “Everleigh got into his financials and moved some money around. She did her best to cover her tracks and all that, but they found a way to connect it to her. If I had to guess, I’d say he used the IP address to track it to my house, but I can’t be sure.”
While I couldn’t make out what he was saying, I could hear Viper’s thunderous voice grow even louder.
Concerned that I might hear what he was saying, Billy gave me a half-hearted smile and walked out to the front porch.
Just before the door closed behind him, I heard Billy say, “Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m calling. I’m gonna need your help.”
As tempted as I was to eavesdrop, I decided it was best to give Billy his space and finished putting the rest of the groceries away.
He hadn’t bought much—just some basics for sandwiches and possibly a light dinner, so it didn’t take long for me to put it all away.
By the time I was done, the coffee was made, so I poured myself a cup and waited anxiously for Billy to come back inside. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long.
I’d only taken a few sips of my coffee when the door opened, and Billy stepped back inside. He was still on the phone as he said, “She’s supposed to be in Boston until the end of the week. When she gets back, we’ll need to keep her under close watch.”
Billy paused for a moment, then told him, “I appreciate this, Viper. I’ll definitely owe you one.”
He hung up the phone and immediately started over to the coffee pot. As he poured himself a cup, I asked, “How did it go?”
“Better than I expected. We’re going to look into some things and see what we can figure out.”
“That’s good.” Curiosity had gotten the best of me, so I asked, “And Kiersten is still in Boston?”
“Yeah.” He came over and sat down across from me as he said, “Of course, she’d be hundreds of miles from home at a time like this.”
“Well, she’ll probably be safer there than here with us.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Viper, too, but I’d feel better if she was closer to home.”
“I understand.”
He took another sip of coffee, then stood. “I’ve got a few things I need to take care of. After that, would you be interested in taking a ride? I could really use a break and some fresh air.”
“Yes, a ride sounds great.”
“Good deal. Just give me a bit, and then, we’ll head out.”
Billy took his cup of coffee to his bedroom and closed the door, leaving me to fend for myself. I figured he’d be a while, so I grabbed myself a muffin and poured myself another cup of coffee, then went out on the porch.
I went over and sat down on the swing, and it wasn’t long before my mind drifted to Billy. I’d known from the start that he was different from other men I’d known, but I didn’t realize how different he truly was until we made love.
When I was younger, I thought a good man was just a guy who had his shit together—had a good job, dressed well, and had a roof over his head. I thought if he had good friends and came from a good family, then he was set, but Billy had taught me that there was much more to it than that.
He’d made me see that a good man also makes you feel safe—not only physically but mentally. He has to be honest, even when it’s easier to stretch the truth or just flat-out lie. He listens without judgment. He’s present and attentive, and he simply allows you to be you. That was Billy.
He was all those things and more, which was why I was starting to have feelings for him. I knew I was setting myself up for a heartache, but then again, maybe a heartbreak was exactly what I needed—at least then, I would know I was still alive.
I’d spent the past five years feeling utterly numb.
I simply went through the motions, never feeling anything, but being with Billy made me realize I didn’t want to live like that anymore.
I wanted to take chances and feel things.
I wanted to live out my days to the fullest, but with DeLuca on our coattails, I feared my days were numbered.
But then again, no one was guaranteed tomorrow.
I had today, and I was determined to make the best of it.
As soon as Billy was done with his work, we made a couple of sandwiches, then put them in a cooler with some drinks and snacks.
Billy grabbed a blanket from the back closet, and then we were on our way.
I had no idea where we were going, and I didn’t care.
I was just excited to be getting out and about for a little while.
We hadn’t been driving long when Billy turned down an old gravel road.
It was lined with beautiful oak trees that created a tunnel of leaves and branches, shading us from the blaring sun.
The road ended right next to a small creek bed that was hidden beneath the trees.
The water rolled and babbled through the moss-covered rocks, beckoning anyone in its path to come to take a dip.
I was in complete awe of its beauty as I muttered, “Oh, Billy. It’s beautiful. ”
“I thought you might like it.”
“I love it!” I could feel my smile growing wider as I told him, “I haven’t been to a creek since I was a kid, and even then, it wasn’t nearly as amazing as this.”
“This has always been one of my favorite spots.”
“I can see why.”
The tomboy in me was itching to get my feet in the water, so I jumped out of the truck and raced over to the creek. I kicked off my shoes and socks, then stepped into the clearest water I’d ever seen. I looked back over at Billy as I smiled and said, “It’s freezing!”
“It stays cold all year long.” He motioned his hand above us as he explained, “I’m sure it has something to do with all the shade.”
“Probably so.”
“You ready for a bite to eat?”
“Sure.”
Billy grabbed our stuff from the back seat, then brought it over to the creek’s bank.
I’d hoped he might come and join me, but instead, he laid out the blanket and started unpacking the cooler.
I waded in the water a moment longer, then got out and made my way over to the blanket.
As I sat down, I asked, “Do you come out here often?”
“Not since Kiersten moved out.” He offered me a sandwich as he added, “She used to love to spend the day out here. She’d wade out in the water for hours trying to catch little blue gill with her bare hands, but as she got older, she wanted to spend time with her friends and lost interest in hanging out with her ol’ man. ”
“That tends to happen with girls.”
“Yeah, I know and I get it that she had to grow up, but it was tough to let go.” He chuckled as he admitted, “She’s graduated from college and has a career of her own, and it’s still tough.”
“Sounds like you two were pretty close.”
“We were when she was younger, but things changed after her mother died.” His expression grew somber as he explained, “I made some mistakes, and it really affected our relationship. I’ve been trying everything I can to make it up to her.”
“I’m sure it means a lot to her that you’re trying.”
“I think so. I still hate that I made such a mess of things.” He took a bite of his PB&J, then decided to completely change the subject by asking, “How about you? Have you thought about having kids?”
“Me?” His question caught me off guard, so I took a quick sip of my soda before answering, “Yeah, I’ve thought about it, and I want them. I just haven’t really had the opportunity.”
“No, you certainly haven’t.”
“I still have time... I just have to find a way to survive this whole thing with DeLuca first.”
“You will.” Billy’s expression grew intense as he assured me, “I’ll make sure of it.”
I don’t know what it was—the look in his eyes or the tone of his voice, but I believed him, and it was impossible not to feel grateful for all he was doing for me. I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re pretty great. You know that?”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
Billy was just being kind, but the way he spoke to me—the way he looked at me and encouraged me, lifted me up in ways I couldn’t describe. He had a way of making me feel more confident—like I was worth his time, and it meant more to me than he’d ever know.