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The creases in his beautiful brown skin softened.
“We have your back. Whatever you need, we’ll be here for you. We’ll find the guy,” he said, reassuring me.
Leaving me, Claude returned to his truck. With him watching the road, I secured the money in my closet and checked in on Hil. I wasn’t sure how to interpret what I saw in him. He wasn’t nearly as concerned as I was.
Was it that he trusted me to handle it? I hoped so. But it might have been that he was frustrated. About what? I was doing everything I could to keep him safe. Would his father have done more?
When Cage arrived, I explained the situation again. He acted like the sheriff my brothers and I thought he would be.
“I can drive up to the site and take a look around. Maybe there’s something there that could give us a clue to where he is,” he explained. “I really think we should call someone, though. Someone set a bomb. This is a matter for the FBI.”
“You can’t,” Hil said from behind me on the couch.
“That’s not an option,” I told Cage. “We have to handle this.”
“A lot of things could go bad if we take care of this ourselves,” Cage told me.
“Those things have already gone bad. Someone tried to kill us. Someone ran my mother off the road. We need to stop him. If you’re not willing to do what’s necessary, tell me. I will. You just find him, and I’ll take care of the rest,” I said staring into his eyes.
Seeing that I was serious, Cage didn’t object. He nodded and then exited for his truck.
“Cali,” Hil said, drawing my attention.
There was sadness in his eyes. It hurt to see. I needed him to know that everything was going to be alright. He was going to be alright. How could I get him to see that?
“Hil, you don’t have to worry,” I explained to him. “I will take care of you,” I told him, slipping his hands in mine.
Hil’s eyes dipped.
“What is it?”
“Nothing,” he told me again.
There was something about the way he was acting that made me uneasy.
“If there’s something wrong, you have to tell me. I can’t take care of it if you don’t tell me,” I insisted.
Hil looked up into my eyes. He looked so vulnerable. It broke my heart.
“I love you, Cali,” he told me.
Warmth rippled through my body.
“I love you too, Hil. And, don’t worry. I have you,” I reassured him again.
Cage’s visit was followed by Bill from the diner, Marcus, and eventually Titus. Everyone was there to do whatever they could. Marcus agreed to exchange shifts with Claude while Bill and Titus patrolled the town.
Titus also agreed to recruit others. People like Glen would be able to keep watch from where they worked. My brother said he would get the whole town involved if necessary.
By the time night fell, I felt confident that we had this. There was still no way I would let down my guard, but we were going to be able to keep Hil safe. I was sure of it.
Chapter 13
Hil
Rolling over in bed, I reached for Cali. He wasn’t there. I had become so used to feeling him next to me, his absence woke me up.
Opening my eyes, I looked around. I was in his bedroom, and it was dark. The clock on the night stand said it was 3:00 AM. Where was he?
