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Willow is still in school when I roll in, but that’s probably for the best. There are a few things I need to adjust in her life to make sure she stays safe and secure, and she’s been jolted enough in the past few weeks. I won’t upset her with any new changes until everything is in place and the transitions can be made smoothly.
When I walk through the main house to the courtyard, I see Phase One is well underway.
Roxy is sipping on a Mai Tai, undoubtedly a peace offering given by Bambi to placate her demands for Clara. She and Bambi are deep in discussion, their heads bowed together as they flip through something on Bambi’s tablet screen.
The moment they hear me approaching, they both smoothly slide off their chairs and calmly walk over to me.
Roxy’s slap is alotharder than I expected.
“You son of a bitch,” she hisses at me. Bambi shoots her a warning glare and tries to guide her back, but she shakes my assistant off without looking away from me. “You were supposed to keep her safe! You were supposed toprotecther!”
These women are going to be the end of me. I’m supposed to be an immovable, unshakeable mob boss—but instead, I’m getting my ass handed to me by a five-foot-nothing lab tech.
And I’m not putting her in place. Because I deserve her wrath.
“I’m sorry?—”
“You’re sorry?!” Roxy laughs and nearly doubles over with exasperation. “You’resorry?! What the fuck kind of lame-ass excuse?—”
“Careful,” Bambi softly warns.
Roxy snorts. “Tellhimthat. All this power, all these resources, all these men, and you couldn’t keep my Clara from getting kidnapped? The fuck kind of operations do you have going on here?”
I glance at Bambi, who studiously flips through something on her tablet again.Kidnapped?That’s what she thinks? That would explain why Roxy only slapped me and isn’t currently trying to gauge my eyes out with a jagged spoon.
“We’re doing everything we can to track her down and bring her home.”
Bambi quickly glances up at me, and I don’t miss the swiftly-concealed look of surprise on her face.
Okay. Maybe I haven’t been the most proactive in that department.
But I mean what I said just now: we’re going to do everything we can to find Clara and bring her home.
Until then, I need Roxy’s help.
“The thing is,” I say as I turn to her, “I have a pretty good hunch that whoever took her doesn’t care about the well-being of kids. Now, think what you will of me, but I happen to love that little girl.” I point at Willow’s bedroom just to make things extra clear.
Roxy seems to hesitate in her rage against me. She even takes a step back when she sees who I’m talking about. “What do you need me to do?”
“Help Willow.”
“I’m all in, for sure, but…”
“But?”
She scoffs with a shrug. “I’m all tapped out, dude. You saw my place. I barely make enough to feed myself, let alone anyone else. I?—”
“You don’t have to worry about money,” I reassure her. “You’ll never have to worry about money when it comes to Willow. And neither will she, even after she’s grown.”
It’s a decision I came to the day after I lost Clara. All the cash from her sale feels cursed; I can’t rest while it burns in my own pocket, reminding me of my sins.
But giving it all to Willow means thatClarais the one taking care of her. It’sClarapaying for her education, her housing, her clothes, and one day, her career or a family of her own.
Right now, it’sClaramaking sure that no one can find Willow while I hunt down the fucker who has her.
Roxy’s brow nearly touches her hairline. “Do I want to know how? Or why?”
“No. But you need to take Willow and keep her in hiding until it’s safe.”
