Cam:Locke has his kid. You need another bodyguard.
Every fibre of my belligerent soul wanted to argue. But he was right, and Willow’s safety trumped my ego.
Orla:Kk
I signalled to Locke that we had to wait.
He shot me a dry look.
I shut the car door, blocking him out, and turned to face Willow. “What are you doing here? You miss your dad?”
Willow raised her gaze from her phone, those big green eyes alight with surprise. “No one ever asks me that.”
“I’m asking you.”
“Why?”
“Because I know he missed you too.”
“You’re Orla, right?”
“I am.”
“Dad likes you. He said you’re funny.”
“Did he now?” I narrowed my gaze at the window. Locke was blowing smoke at the sky, his expression hidden by broad shoulders that were as tense as when he’d entered the chapel. Even his boring breakfast hadn’t cheered him up. “Well,he’spretty funny, just not on purpose.”
Willow laughed. “He likes Nash too.”
“Everyone likes Nash.”
“He punched that dude. Like, really hard.”
“Did that scare you?”
“No. Nash is on Dad’s list.”
“What list?”
“The list of people I can go to if I can’t find him.” Willow held up her hand and ticked off her fingers. “Folk, Nash, Rubi. It used to be Uncle Rocco, but he moved away.”
I wondered how many times my dad had told the same vague lie. How old Willow would be when she figured out a man she’d loved enough to callunclewas dead. But those thoughts made me feel like shit, so I focused on the fact that, like Liliana, Willow had been told to put her trust inRubi—a man she’d never met. “It’s outrageous that I’m not on that list.”
“He told me to find you if I wanted to cut someone’s dick off.”
Mischief danced in Willow’s gaze, confirming she was her father’s daughter. And that was fine by me. I didn’t have the body count of my merry band of brothers, but a little blood didn’t scare me. “Well, asunfunny as your dad is, he’s not wrong about any of those things. And hey, give me your phone.”
Willow passed it over.
I saved my number and gave it back. “I’m good at other things besides wiener amputation. Call me anytime.”
Willow took the phone as the chapel doors opened and brothers spilled out.
Most of them disappeared to do whatever.
Embry moved to his bike, saddled up, and rumbled to my car.
He tapped on my window. I opened it and he dipped his head low, his helmet still dangling from his handlebars. “Where are we going, sister?”
