“Fuck,” Ryker whispers.
“Okay, so hear me out,” Willow says, holding her hands up. “Don’t yell at me.”
“I never yell at you.”
“There’s a first time for everything. What if you went to see her?”
“I was given an order. It was made very clear to me that I’mnotto go near her. If I do, my family could be harmed.”
“That’s bullshit,” Ry says, shaking his head. “There’s no way.”
“She’s thepresident. She can do whatever she wants, and when you add mama bear to that, it’s scary. I’m not willing to risk either of you.Not ever. I’ve been in touch with Bishop, and I know she’s healing. She’s doing fine without me.”
“Or, you know, she’ssurvivingwithout you.”
I narrow my eyes at her as she bites her lip and looks like she regrets saying anything. “What do you know?”
Willow blows out a breath and leans on the counter. “Look, I’m not stupid enough tonottalk with her. She and I became good friends, and I love her. So I found her email address and I reached out about a month ago, and I’ve spoken to her once or twice.”
I swallow hard, my heart suddenly in my throat.
“Is she okay?”
Willow smiles softly. “She’s okay. She’s getting her stuff figured out.”
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said.” She shrugs. “Don’t give up, Gid.”
“It’s not giving up,” I insist. “I’m following orders.”
“You’re no longer an employee of the motherfucking government,” Ryker cuts in, his voice hard and full of anger. “You’re a man. You’re entitled to a goddamn life. Maybe more than the rest of us, given all you’ve done for this country. You’re the best man I know, and if the president can’t see that, and doesn’t think you’re good enough for her daughter, she’s a fucking idiot.”
“I really hope this house isn’t bugged,” I mutter. “She didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. Ididn’tprotect her. She was hurt on my watch.”
“I’m gonna call bullshit on this,” Willow says with a sigh. “First of all, why did it take the powers that be all that time to figure out what was going on? Come on, they should have figured it out before she was ever sent here. They weren’tlooking, Gideon. Because they had other fish to fry, and it was easier to tuck her away, safe and sound, in the boonies than it was to launch a full-scale attack, or whatever. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I. Didn’t. Follow. Protocol.”
“You’re a human being.”
Fuck.I’m so damn frustrated. I have to stand and pace the room.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m human. It doesn’t even matter if none of it was my fault. It’s over. She’s not coming back.”
My voice falters on that last word, and I have to clear my throat.
“And I’m reminded of her everywhere I turn. I can’t do it. I can’t stand to be haunted by the one thing in this world that I want more than anything, knowing that I can’t have her.”
Willow brushes a tear from her cheek.
“Maybe we do some remodeling.”
I shake my head.
“You’re not going anywhere.” This is from Ryker, who looks so fucking pissed off—I haven’t seen him like this in years. “We’re a family. You’re not leaving this ranch. We’ll tear that house down and build a new one if we have to, but you’re staying here.”
Before I can reply, there’s a knock on the door, and we all stare at each other before we make our way to the entrance.
