Page 7 of Bad Business

“Yeah.” She shrugs. “Wait… did I call you away from work?”

“It’s not important. If I had been at work, I would have left to come for you. But no… I was actually headed out to handle something.” Glancing at the clock, I note how late it is now. “But it can wait until morning. Let’s get you home.”

“Can we not tell Griffyn about this? I really don’t want to hear his lecture.”

I laugh, knowing that’s exactly what our big brother will do when he finds out she was hanging out at the Viper’s Den. Griffyn might be our oldest sibling, but he acts like he’s our dad sometimes. Thinking about him makes my chest tighten with guilt. He still doesn’t know about the matter involving the Winstons… not entirely, anyway. He knows we have half-brothers, but what he doesn’t know is that he has a twin. One that he was ripped away from at birth. Ryker and I decided to wait and tell him about it once we had all the facts, but that got waylaid when Drake and I flew to Las Vegas to get Ryker out of a mess.

Now that we are back and that trouble has been rectified, we plan to tell him as soon as Drake and his brothers can come to Nashville for a meeting. There is no telling how he is going to take the news. Unlike him, Gage Winston was raised by a woman who wasn’t his mother. I imagine when he hears the news, it’s going to hit him harder than it will Griffyn.

I glance over at Danika, her head resting against the window, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. My heart aches for her, knowing that whatever happened tonight has shaken her to her core.

“Dani, you want to talk about it?”

She shakes her head, wiping her eyes. “Not right now. Just… let’s get home.”

I nod, focusing on the road ahead. The city lights blur past us, a stark contrast to the darkness we both feel. As I pull into the driveway of her home, I cut the engine and turn to her.

“We’re here. Let’s go inside and get you settled.”

Danika nods, and we make our way to the front door. The house is quiet as I lead her to the kitchen and make us both a drink, hoping it will help calm her nerves. She takes a seat at the table, staring into her cup as if it holds all the answers.

“Dani, you know you can tell me anything, right? We’ll figure it out together.”

She nods, but her silence speaks volumes. I sit across from her, giving her the space she needs. Eventually, she lets out a deep sigh.

“I just feel so lost, Dallas. Everything is changing, and I don’t know how to keep up. The woman I thought loved me turned out to be a liar. Why is everyone a liar?”

“I don’t know Dani. I wish I did.”

She looks up at me, her eyes mirroring my own confusion. We sit in silence for a while. The weight of the secrets we carry feels heavier than ever.

“You good? I’m going to head out now. Call me in the morning if you want to tell me what happened.”

“Thanks for coming for me, Dallas.”

“Of course, Danika. I love you, Squirt.” I pull her into a hug and head out, leaving her to sort through her emotions. It’s after midnight, which means showing up at Willow’s house is not going to happen. I’ll have to wait until she comes into work tomorrow and demand the truth, then.

Willow Rivers is hiding something… and I am determined to find out what.

3

WILLOW

After enduring what must be the world's most uncomfortable chair, we’re finally called back to a room. The harsh fluorescent lights flicker above us as we walk down the sterile, white hallway. Juniper’s fever reached an all-time high last night, making this trip unavoidable. Her flushed cheeks and glassy eyes make my heart ache. So far, we’ve stayed under the radar, which Brian, and the FBI agent assigned to our case, have insisted is crucial. The mere thought of taking Juniper to a doctor, let alone the emergency room where we find ourselves now, has terrified me. But a fever of 104 decided for me.

Brian assured me this visit wouldn’t pose any issues, yet a part of me can’t shake the feeling this could be the beginning of the end. Maybe I watch too much TV, but it always seems like people in hiding get caught when they do something as mundane as going to the doctor. The antiseptic smell of the hospital fills my nose, mingling with the quiet beeps of medical equipment and the hushed conversations of nurses and doctors. Every glance in our direction feels like a spotlight, every passing face a potential threat.

We aren’t in the room long before a woman in scrubs steps inside and closes the door with a soft click. “Hi, I’m Doctor Elizabeth Bradwell. The nurses said your daughter has been running a pretty high fever?”

“Yes.” I shake away my worry and motion to my niece, who is sleeping on the bed, her small body looking even more fragile under the harsh lights. “Despite giving her Tylenol and Motrin, her fever has been consistently 103 or 104. She hasn’t been this sick… ever.”

Doctor Bradwell gives me a reassuring smile as she moves to Juniper’s side, her movements calm and practiced.

“You did the right thing bringing her in. Let's look and see what’s going on.” She gently places her hand on Juniper’s forehead, checking her temperature, then listens to her breathing with a stethoscope.

“I don’t feew weww.” Juniper stirs beneath the cool metal as the doctor continues to examine her, probing her throat and shining a light into her mouth.

Doctor Bradwell’s expression shifts to one of concern as she examines Juniper. “I’m going to run some tests to be sure, but it looks like her tonsils are quite enlarged,” she says, her voice steady. “This could be the source of the fever. We’ll need to do a throat swab and some blood work to rule out any serious infections. I know it sounds daunting, but we need to understand what’s causing this to give her the right treatment.” Her reassuring smile returns, though her eyes remain serious. “We’ll take good care of her, I promise.”

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