Page 31 of Bad Business

Griffyn regards me for a moment, then surprises me further when he wraps his arms around me and squeezes me tight.

“We will all be here for you, Willow. And the outcome is going to be Juniper coming home and us getting to spoil our niece. Because that’s what she will be. My brother doesn’t settle for half-measures. When he finds something he wants, he takes it one hundred percent. I predict you’ll be our sister soon.”

Dallas appears beside us. “Time to give up my girl, Griff. Go find your own.”

Suddenly, Griffyn’s eyes go wide, and I laugh despite the situation. Sofia Bianchi stands behind him, her hand firmly resting on his shoulder. Her thick Italian accent washes over us as she speaks.

“No need to look far for a woman. I’d love to take you for a test ride after this.” Her thick accent makes her words sound even dirtier than they are.

Drake barks a laugh from behind him, but we all notice how Griffyn pales from her words.

“Um… I’ll have to pass. But thank you.” He scurries ahead into the storage unit, leaving us staring after him.

“Is your brother not into women?” Sofia arches a brow at Dallas. “He is single, yes?”

“He is very single and definitely into the ladies. I suspect you scared the shit out of him, though. He isn’t used to a woman like you.”

“A woman like me?” She narrows her eyes at Dallas.

“Yes. A woman who could murder him with her pinky.” Dallas tugs me forward. “Let’s get this over with. Come on, Sofia, let’s go harass my brother some more while we search for this fucking bear.”

We dive into the sea of boxes, each labeled with what’s inside. Everyone in the room starts opening them, one by one, the contents spilling out in a cascade of memories and forgotten items. Dallas takes the lead, his broad shoulders and strong hands making quick work of the boxes. He’s determined, almost frantic, as if finding this bear is a matter of life and death.

After what feels like an eternity, Roland lets out a triumphant shout. "Got it!"

We all turn to see him holding the bear aloft, a small, unassuming thing, its fur matted and one of its button eyes slightly loose. Relief washes over me, and for a moment, I let myself hope.

“This looks like a regular bear. Not the nanny kind we have at home.” His face scrunched in confusion.

Sofia steps forward, her expression dangerous, her dark eyes hiding a thousand secrets. I can’t stifle the gasp when she whips out a blade I had no idea she was carrying. Without a word, she takes the bear from Roland and, with a swift motion, slices it open. I gasp, unable to look away as she guts it, the stuffing spilling out onto the concrete floor.

And then, among the white fluff, something stands out among the cotton intestines. She kicks the plastic bag, the tiny contents catching the light inside and sparkling like spilled glitter.

Diamonds.

A small bag of uncut diamonds falls out, scattering across the floor like a handful of stars. For a moment, none of us move, the shock rendering us all speechless.

Sofia crouches down, gathering the diamonds with a practiced hand. "Well," she says, her voice calm and steady, "I think we found what we were looking for."

"Why would someone hide these in a teddy bear?" Ryker mumbles, confusion marring his expression.

"It's brilliant, actually," Drake replies, his eyes still fixed on the diamonds. "Who would think to look there?"

“What do we do now?” I ask, my voice trembling.

"We need to figure out who these belong to," Sofia says, standing up and pocketing the diamonds. She sheathes her knife and looks at us, her expression unreadable. "We need to be careful," she says. "This changes everything."

The storage unit feels even more oppressive, the walls closing in on us. As we leave, I can't shake the feeling that we've just crossed a line and stepped into a world I don't fully understand. Thankfully, the people driving us away from the storage unit know exactly how to deal with the mess I find myself in.

“Dallas.” I turn to face him. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I need to call Brian. He needs to know what’s going on, and I owe it to him to let him know I’m okay.”

Dallas looks at me, his jaw tightening. I can see the conflict in his eyes, the mix of emotions he’s trying to process.

“Willow, you know how I feel about involving him,” he replies, his voice tinged with frustration.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. " Dallas, Brian is the one handling the original murder investigation. He’s the reason I’m still alive today."

“It’s hard for me to forget you two have a past that was more than professional.”

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