Page 61 of The Disputed Legacy

“It’s an option that I will run by her,” I added. I would. But first, I had to actually talk to her and get her to consider trusting me after whatever made her so jaded and guarded in her past, a past I knew nothing about.

It was stupid to only focus on the present with her. Or to look forward to the future too soon.

“But I won’t leave her alone. I’ll talk with Hugo and get him to look into how someone could’ve known I was here.” I’d gone straight from the diner to her apartment. That was the only time someone could’ve traced me here.

“Good. Whatever we need. Because this news that we got earlier, it’s not something we can dismiss in light of all of this.”

I shrugged, heading out of the stairwell to go back to Willow. As far as I was concerned, it could wait. With one last agreement to stay in touch with Maxim, and another instruction for the security to stay undercover here, I hung up and knocked on Willow’s door.

“It’s me,” I told her.

The lock was opened. Then a narrow gap showed as she pulled on the door. Once she saw it was just me, she opened the door more and let me in.

I stepped in, hugging her as I reached back and closed the door to lock it. Keeping her close in my embrace, I kissed the top of her red, wavy hair and sighed.

I closed my eyes and took a breath to brace myself before risking this important question.

“Willow, what if I asked you to bring Oscar with you and relocate to a safer place?”

Thatwhat ifgame had started as a sexy challenge for us to both enjoy. My current wording wasn’t another part of a game. It was a direct question that could help me protect her.

Regardless of what her story was and how much she’d fight to hide it from me.

25

WILLOW

Iwas still reeling from the shock of a cop showing up at my door that I didn’t hear Saul’s question fully. That officer coming here was the most direct personification of my worst fear realized that I was lagging to react. I was paralyzed with panic, unable to move much at all after Saul stepped into the hallway to handle the situation.

He couldn’t possibly begin to understand what this situation could be.

There were no damn noises for any neighbor to call in and report. Most of the others on this floor were still at work. And even if someone had heard my loud shouts and cries when Saul and I had sex on the couch, that was hours ago, before our nap.

That cop knocking on my door wasn’t because of any noise complaint.

But everything I felt, from the fear and need to flee, pointed at how likely that official visit was because of something else.

Because of someone else.

Someone who’d never stop looking for me and expecting me back.

Hashefound me?

Did someone at the diner mention me to the cops who came to look at that shooting damage?

“Willow?”

I blinked, trying to recenter and pay attention to what Saul said. He’d come back slightly out of breath, but he hadn’t offered any explanation yet. I was eager to know what that cop asked him so I could determine my next step. I had to analyze what was said between them to better guess whether Oscar would be under another, even worse, threat.

But I was still trapped in the panic. For now, merely feeling him hold me was all that could keep me together.

My cheek was smushed against his chest, but he didn’t try to part from me. This proximity skewed my vision. With one lid partly closed and the other faced with the fabric of his dirty suit jacket in too close of focus, I zoned out, unseeing.

Feeling him here with me kept me from falling apart. He’d been here when I faced the door and opened it. He’d come back to embrace me afterward.

Saul was here.

Any other time I’d ever tried to convince myself that a man’s presence would be a good thing, I dismissed that as a fleeting blip of idiocy. Of stupidity I couldn’t afford.