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“They came into my life a short while ago.”
“They are beautiful,” he says.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, buddy.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Where will you be staying tonight?” I ask before letting him go for the night. “You said you’re sleeping in your car. I could give you some money. An advance.”
“Nah, you can pay me tomorrow, it’s alright. I’m seeing a lady friend tonight. One of the waitresses at the diner. Once she found out that I’m workin’ for you, she wasn’t so prickly no more,” Randy laughs. “Goodnight, boss, I’ll see you in the mornin’!”
I close the passenger door and carefully make my way across the snow to collect Miley and Annie before they get all wet and mushy in their house slippers. Randy’s car lingers in the front for a while as I scoop the girls up and throw them both over my shoulders like sacks of potatoes.
“Get over here, you little rascals!” I quip.
“Fallon!” Miley laughs. “You’re late!”
“You late!” Annie agrees, though she loves being carried like this. Her giggles reverberate through my ribcage, and the sound fills my heart with warmth and joy. “Late, late, late!”
“I know, but I’m only a few minutes late!” I reply.
I hear Randy’s car pulling out onto the road, but somehow, I can still feel his eyes on us. There must be a part of him that wonders what life would’ve been like if he hadn’t lost that belle of his. He probably never would’ve made his way up to Nebraska, searching for something better. I can’t fathom losing a good woman like he did. I know that Avery awaits inside, and that someday, I could lose her. But that’s not today.
I don’t want to end up like Randy, thinking about her in the darkness of a cold winter night. At least he’s going to have warm company in another woman’s bed tonight. And that sure beats sleeping in the back seat of a car while a blizzard is raging outside.
18
Avery
Iwould like nothing more than to fully relax into this small corner of Heaven. And that is exactly what this place is, Heaven. I am surrounded by guardian angels beyond Kellan, Fallon, and Luke. Helen, Marcus, and every other member of the staff, including the two hundred operatives currently employed by Wolfhound Security—all highly skilled and trained to protect veterans of the United States Navy, Army, or Marines—are also my guardian angels. We are never alone, and the girls and I love being in the company of so many strong men and women. The female operatives are absolute bad asses, and I’m pretty sure Miley dreams of becoming just like them when she grows up. Recently, she’s been spending more time around the gym when the female operatives come in, if only to watch them as they train.
Their strength is inspiring. I only wish I’d taken a couple of self-defense classes myself. Maybe I would’ve avoided the violent conflicts that ultimately pushed me to run away from Daniel. Still not knowing where he is more than two months later is becoming a problem.
“He couldn’t have just completely disappeared,” I say to Kellan at one point during dinner.
Annie and Miley are sound asleep in their beds upstairs, and I’m spending the rest of my evening with my three men. Kellan and Luke have just returned from an out-of-state trip, part of their investigation into Daniel’s whereabouts. But their search has yet to give us a clue regarding that bastard’s location. It’s making me feel uneasy.
Fallon pours more wine into my glass. “He didn’t disappear, but he is remarkably good at keeping a low profile.”
“He could be wearing a disguise,” Luke suggests, absent-mindedly scratching his short, blonde beard. “I mean, it doesn’t take much to make yourself look like a completely different person.”
“Or just enough to fool the cameras,” Kellan agrees. “You’re right. We might have to work on some computer portraits with hair color and length variations. Hats, sunglasses…”
“Facial hair, too,” Fallon says.
That would make sense, but it also means that the cops and the Wolfhound Security operatives need to widen their visual search net. I’ve learned enough about their investigative methods and resources to understand the amplitude of such a mission, and it’s quite troublesome—especially considering that they’re all just trying to protect me and my baby girls. It makes me feel awful, and like a burden.
“What’s wrong?” Kellan asks me, noticing my inability to look up from my plate. “I thought you liked my pepper-coated roast beef.”
“Oh, it’s delicious,” I reply with a soft smile. “It’s not the food, Kellan. It’s Daniel. I just don’t feel comfortable with the thought of him still being out there. I honestly thought he would have been caught by now.”
“I know, and I’m sorry it’s taking so long,” Kellan replies. “We’re doing the best we can within the confines of the law.”
Fallon scoffs, shaking his head. “I could always call my other guy.”
“No. We said we’d do this by the book,” Kellan insists, his brow furrowing slightly. “We need the law on our side when we do catch the fucker. Otherwise, whatever case we try to build against him will crumble in court.”
“What other guy?” I ask, suddenly curious. My own desperation must be getting the better of me because I wouldn’t normally ask such things. I’d simply leave the entire operation in their capable hands. But I’m tired of constantly looking over my shoulder everywhere I go, tired of constantly worrying about the safety of my girls.
