Page 21 of Bad Business

Drake chuckles. "I've been digging into her background, and it turns out she was involved with some pretty bad men. Men who wouldn't hesitate to hurt her—or anyone close to her—if they felt betrayed."

"What exactly are we dealing with here, Drake?"

Drake leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Willow's sister, Ivy, got tangled up with a man involved with a criminal organization. From what I’ve gathered, she had no idea who he was—not at first, anyway. It's not just a matter of bad company… from what my guys were able to dig up, she was likely there during some of their private meetings."

I feel a chill run down my spine. "Meetings? What kind of meetings?"

"Drug trafficking, money laundering, you name it. These guys are dangerous, Willow. And they think she took something from them… something you have."

Dallas looks at me, his eyes filled with concern. "Willow, you need to tell us everything. Why did you pick up your life and run?"

I bite my lip, hesitating for a moment.

“I was threatened back in Reno. My boyfriend at the time, who is also the lead investigator, thought it was a good idea if I left town. He called a friend who works for your uncle.” I give Dallas a sad smile. “Since then, I've received several text messages demanding that I give them what belongs to them. I assumed they meant Juniper."

Drake shakes his head. "It's possible, but there's another angle we need to consider. What if Ivy took something valuable from them? Something they desperately want back?"

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. "You mean they might be after more than just Juniper? They might want something Ivy stole from them?"

Drake nods. "Exactly. And until we figure out what that is…"

Juniper looks up from her dolls and smiles at me. "Auntie Wiwwow, can I has juice?"

Her innocent request momentarily lightens the heavy atmosphere. I manage a small smile.

“Of course, sweetheart.” I move to stand, but Dallas stops me.

“I’ll get it.” Dallas stands and heads to the kitchen.

I turn back to Drake. "So, what do we do now?"

Drake runs a hand through his hair. "First, we need to make sure you're all safe. I have some contacts who can help with that. Second, we need to figure out what Ivy may have taken and why these men are so desperate to get it back. We have to keep in mind that she might not even realize she took it."

Dallas returns with a juice box for Juniper and hands it to her. "Here you go, kiddo." He ruffles her hair lovingly before sitting down next to me.

"Willow, do you have any idea what Ivy might have taken? Is there something she brought home that sticks out in your memory?"

I shake my head.

Drake pulls out his phone and starts making calls, coordinating with his contacts. “Alright, I’m going to have one of my guys shadow you until we figure some things out.”

“How am I supposed to pay you?” I clench my hands together. “I’m barely getting by now. Moving here wiped out my savings, and closing my business down set me back considerably.” I glance at Dallas. “Don’t get me wrong… you pay me well, but I doubt I can afford private security.”

Drake laughs and claps Dallas on the shoulder. “She doesn’t know?”

“No.” He closes his eyes and sighs. “Willow, you don’t need to worry about the cost. I’ll be paying for it.”

“What?” I gasp. “No… you can’t do that, Dallas. I mean… I get you own the club and probably have enough money, but this is a lot to take on. We’re not even?—”

“Not even what?” he cuts my words off.

“Well…” Drake clears his throat. “I’ll let you two work this out, but, Dallas, I’m not charging you. We’re family, after all. It’s time we figure out how to accept that and move forward.” He pulls open the door. “I’ll call you when I get someone out here.”

The door snicks shut, but my eyes are firmly locked on Dallas.

“Care to explain what that means? What don’t I know?”

“Let’s go sit down. I’m getting kind of hungry, and I bet it's close to nap time for Little Bit.” He walks past me toward the kitchen.

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