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At that moment I would jump into a burning building for her.
Maybe Broderick was right.
But maybe I was too far gone to find salvation.
CHAPTER17
Willow
I’d rarely told someone I needed them, but I had no one else to turn to who could possibly understand the anxiety. My mind was filled with thoughts of violence, the images of everything I’d seen refusing to fade into the darkness. The moment I’d gotten the call regarding the tests, I’d doubled over in pain. I wasn’t as brave as I once believed.
I paced the parking lot, scanning the street for any sign of reporters. There’d been dozens of calls and I’d been stopped on the street more than once. I couldn’t stay in DC any longer. This wasn’t living, except in a glass house, soon to be shattered by the truth. When Santiago stormed into the parking lot, his tires screeching as soon as he braked, relief tore through me.
He’d no sooner stepped onto the pavement and I’d flown into his arms, wrapping mine tightly around his neck. “You’re here.”
“Of course I’m here. It’s okay. Everything will be okay, no matter the outcome,” Santiago whispered.
I laughed, fighting the tears as I pulled away, palming his chest as I looked into his eyes. His expression softened as his eyes bore into mine. “I’m not certain I can believe that.”
“I’ll be right by your side.”
“I know it’s risking your job.”
“No, it’s not. Besides, I wouldn’t give a damn if it was. You’re more important than any damn job.”
“I love you for that.” I blurted out the words, uncertain he wanted to hear them. “I mean…”
“I know you love me, Willow. And you know how I feel about you. Let’s get this over with. Then I’ll take you anywhere you’d like to go to talk. A drink. Whatever.”
I could tell he had something on his mind, but he’d keep it to himself until after I’d faced the news. He was tense but already shifting into his overprotective mode. He made me feel safe at a time when everything I thought I knew about my life and myself was in question.
“Okay.”
“Where are we going?” he asked as he led me to his vehicle.
“My parents’ house.”
He stopped short. “You’re opening the envelope there.”
I nodded because if I said anything, I knew I’d lose what control I’d managed to shackle together.
After we climbed inside, he pressed his hand on my knee, his long fingers digging into my skin. “I’m proud of you. Whatever you decide from here is entirely up to you, but this should give you at least some peace.”
“I hope so.”
He started the engine, throwing the gear into drive. Then he looked over. There were no words said, no need to in my mind. His eyes were expressive enough.
I gave him directions then stared out the passenger window, trying to remember what life was like several weeks before. Had I been happy? To a point. Fulfilled? Yes. Working with animals had pulled me from a shell I’d encased in cement. Healing fur babies was like the air I breathed, absolutely necessary.
“I passed the exams.”
Santiago almost jerked the vehicle to a stop. “You’re kidding? That’s fantastic.”
“Yes. They’re mailing my diploma to my old address. I don’t get to walk across the stage for graduation because it’s too late, but I’ll frame my diploma.” I knew it would take a few seconds for the information to sink in.
He rubbed his jaw, trying to concentrate on the road. “You’re going back.”
“I think it’s best for now. I need time to sort everything out. The psychiatrist I was convinced to talk to mentioned that I had to find my place of healing, or the kidnapping would haunt my nightmares for years to come. I realized that’s what you found building a house on Ni’ihau.”
