Protected Pt. 10

WILLOW

"Greta, I need to see Dad. Is he in?" I asked as I strode towards Dad's office without slowing. Even if he wasn't in, Colt and I were waiting inside for him.

"He's in, but he's on the phone with Congressman--Willow! You can't go in there!" Greta called as I grabbed the doorknob, twisted, and shoved the door open.

Dad was leaned back in his chair, staring out of the window as Colt, then Greta, followed me into the office. I stopped just inside the door as he spun to see who'd come in, frowning at me as he continued to listen to the phone.

"Okay, that sounds good, but I want my lawyers to look it over before I endorse your bill. Yes, send it over and we'll get back to you. Thank you." He hung up the phone as he glared at me. "This had better be damned important for you to barge in here like this," he growled, his displeasure clear in his tone. I may be his daughter, but that didn't give me the right to be a bitch.

"We know who," I said as I held his gaze with my own.

After a moment, Dad's eyes flicked to Greta. "Thank you, Greta. If you'll excuse us."

"It's Aunt Pam," I said the moment the door clicked shut.

Dad stared at me for a long moment, his disbelief plain on his face as he paled. "Are you sure?" he finally asked.

"Someone broke into my house last night. They were armed and clearly looking for me. We have it on video."

Dad continued to watch me before he pulled a small amulet from around his neck, opened it, and shook a tiny pill into his hand before he popped it under his tongue.

"Dad! Are you okay?" I asked as I hurried around the desk.

He leaned backward in his chair, his head resting on the chair's tall back, saying nothing. I'd seen this enough times to know I needed to give him a moment, and after a pause, he nodded. After a longer moment he slowly sat forward again.

"Fucking Angina," he said, his voice a shadow of its normal self. "I could feel it coming on."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to upset you."

He sat a moment more, giving the pill a chance to work its magic, before rising out of his chair. "I'm upset, but not nearly as upset as Pam's about to be," he snarled as he marched toward the door.

We followed him as he strode down the hall and entered Aunt Pam's office suite. He stomped past Sarah without a word and into his sister's office. She was there with four men and a woman as they huddled over the small conference table littered with papers.

"All of you, get out. Now." The men and woman looked at Dad, then Aunt Pam, and then each other. "Are you fucking deaf! I said get out! Now!" he roared, and the five scrambled to be the first out the door, everyone but the woman leaving their papers on the table.

"Harris! What the hell's wrong with you?" Aunt Pam snapped as she stood beside her chair.

"How dare you! How fucking dare you!" he bellowed as Colt shut the door to the office.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't act innocent with me, Pamela. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'll fucking break you. I'll have your ass so far under the jail it'll take a fucking mining crew to find you." The fact that Dad was speaking softly was far more frightening that if he'd been yelling.

"Harris! Calm down! What are you talking about?"

"Willow, goddammit! Someone broke into her house last night and tried to kill her!"

Aunt Pam looked at us in confusion then her eyes widened as she paled. "You think I had something to do with that?" she gasped, her voice quivering.

"Only you knew she was staying at her house! Except she wasn't, she was staying at the Houstonian. She only told you that because we suspected it was you who was trying to have her killed."

"What?" Aunt Pam cried. "I'm not trying to have her killed! How can you say such a thing? She's like my own daughter!" Her eyes narrowed. "How do I know it wasn't you? They told me they thought it was you who was trying to have her killed."

"Because I knew they weren't staying at her house and were staying at the Houstonian."

Aunt Pam become even paler. "But I didn't do it!" She looked at me. "Willow! I didn't do it! I swear! I'd never hurt you!"

My confidence began to waver. Either Aunt Pam was an Oscar caliber actor, or she really didn't know what was going on.

"Did you tell anybody?" Colt asked, his voice firm but not full of the condemnation that Dad's voice had.

"No! Nobody!"

"Then how'd they know?" I asked.

Tears began to roll down Aunt Pam's cheeks as she collapsed into her chair. "I don't know! I swear! I didn't do it! I'd never hurt you!" she said, her voice begging.

"Tell me why, Pamela. Your own niece!" Dad snarled.

"I didn't!" she cried. "Willow, Harris, you have to believe me! I don't have anything to do with this!"

"Save it. You can tell it to the police," Dad growled as he turned toward her desk.

"Wait a minute," Colt said softly. "Ms. Larke, look at me. Did you tell anyone? Anyone at all, where Willow and I were staying?"

"No! I swear! I didn't tell a soul!"

Harris turned back to the phone.

"Wait!" Colt said again, his voice full of authority. "Pam, think. You didn't tell anyone?"

"What are you driving at?" I asked.

"Why three days? Why did it take three days to make the hit? Why risk us getting away again?" He looked at Aunt Pam. "If you told anyone, now's the time to tell us because otherwise you're going to jail."

She stared at each of us, one after other. "I didn't tell anybody," she whispered. "Only Alejandro."

Colt stiffened beside me. "Where have I heard that name before?" he asked.

"My husband," Aunt Pam said quietly. "I told him that someone had attacked you, and that you thought you knew who it was." She glanced at Dad.

"Did you tell him we were staying in her house?" Colt demanded.

"I don't know. I don't remember. Maybe."

"But you definitely told him we were back in town?" I asked, relief and hope pouring through me that my surrogate mother might not be trying to have me killed after all.

"Yes, why?" When nobody spoke, she realized what they were thinking. "Wait, you think Alejandro is doing this? Why? And how?"

"When did you tell him?" Colt asked.

"A couple of nights ago maybe. Maybe the night you told me you thought it was Harris, or maybe the next. I don't remember exactly."

"You told her you thought it was me?" Dad demanded as he looked at me, his face hard.

"Yes. We didn't stay at the Houstonian either, just in case. It could have been either of you, or both, and I wasn't taking any chances," Colt said, his voice hard. "You said to keep her safe," he continued, his tone daring Dad to challenge his decision.

Aunt Pam looked at Dad, the tiniest of smiles on her lips. "I told you he could do the job."

Dad glared at Colt, but finally nodded. "Fair enough."

"Do you often talk to him about work?" Colt asked Aunt Pam, dragging the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"He's my husband. I don't have secrets from him."

"Did you tell him about Willow sinking a well?"

"I don't know. I don't remember. Maybe. I remember telling him how excited she was, and how close she was getting to validating her software." The three of us glanced at each other. "I don't understand," she continued. "How would he know where that was? And why would he do such a thing?"

Colt tugged at his mouth, clearly trying to make sense of this new information. "I don't know. Does he have the password to your computer or phone?"

Aunt Pam nodded. "Yes. Both. Same as I have the passwords to his."

"Where is he now?" Colt asked.

"I don't know. Either at home or work probably, why?"

"Where does he work?"

"He's the Marketing Director at Lone Star Fitness."

Dad's gaze flicked looked between Aunt Pam and Colt. "You think it's him?"

"It's another link in the chain."

"What part of don't fucking tell anybody didn't you understand?" Dad growled at his sister.

"They said the leak was here! Alejandro doesn't work here!" She glared at her brother. "And you need to get off your fucking high horse. They suspected you as well."

"Cut that shit out," Colt snapped, cutting off Dad's response. "You can point fingers at each other when this is over." I guess he felt a bit of pity for Aunt Pam because after a moment he continued. "Remember, we told you not to tell anyone either," he said as he stared at Dad. "If you hadn't, she wouldn't have known, and then Alejandro couldn't have known. Remember that when you two start blaming each other."

Both Dad and Aunt Pam looked guilty as they glanced down, effectively ending the brewing argument, at least for the moment.

"I can't believe Alejandro would do such a thing. He wouldn't hurt a soul!" Aunt Pam finally said as she looked up, her voice soft. "Why don't I call him and ask him if he told anyone? I didn't tell him to keep it quiet because I didn't think it was necessary. Who would he tell and why would they care?"

"No, don't do that. That'll only tip him that we're onto him," Colt said, his voice thoughtful. He was quiet for a moment, clearly thinking, before he continued. "Okay, here's what I want you to do. When you get home tonight tell him someone made another attempt on Willow's life last night, but they missed. Tell him we were out and discovered the broken door when we returned, and that scared us. Explain to him we're leaving tomorrow for Rio Lago, and we'll be there only a couple of days, just long enough for me to get my affairs in order, then we're disappearing."

"And if the hit men show up in Rio Lago," I guessed.

"No. Then I want you to break his phone. Drop in the toilet or something, then leave. Have an emergency at work, anything that requires several hours at least, to give him a window to act."

"Act?" Aunt Pam asked.

"I want to try to make him contact somebody in person. I'll be watching. If he does, then we'll have the next link in the chain... but listen to me Pam... I need you to sell this. I need you to make him think he has one more chance to get her before we're gone forever."

"I don't know if I can do this."

"If you want to keep Willow safe, you have to do this, understand? If it wasn't you, and you told nobody but Alejandro, then it has to be him."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll try."

He nodded. "If he doesn't take the bait, I don't know what we'll do. We may have to actually disappear."

"Couldn't we go to Rio Lago, to see if they take another swipe at me there?"

"No! Absolutely not! They're not getting another shot at you."

"But how will we know otherwise?"

"We won't, but it's not important enough to risk your life."

"You said it yourself. I don't want to go around with a target on my back. If he doesn't take the bait, we may no have any choice but to give them another shot, but if we know when and where, we can be ready for them."

"It doesn't matter how ready we may be if twenty men with machine guns show up. Forget it," he said, making a slashing motion with his hand.

I pursed my lips but held my tongue. We weren't done discussing this. We'd continue it later, in private.

"Colt's right," Aunt Pam said. "Too dangerous. What do you need from Larke Oil?"

"Besides you to sell this? Willow's Jeep. When you get ready to leave, call me. I'll show up right after and watch to see where he goes. Willow, I want you to stay here and then go home with your dad."

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no. You want to use my Jeep, I'm going, too."

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am. Do you know what Alejandro looks like?"

"No, but--"

"I do. You need me."

"How many men do you think will be leaving Pam's house? Go home with your dad. You'll be safe there."

"I'll be safe with you if all you're going to do is follow him. You want to use my Jeep? I'm going."

Colt looked at Aunt Pam. "I also need a rent car."

"No! I'm going! How are you going to stay awake all night?"

"I'll figure something out," he said, his tone making it clear there would be no debate. I didn't say anything, but he only thought we were done discussing this.

.

.

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COLT

"Colt! Wake up! He's leaving!" Willow hissed, shaking me awake.

I sat up and lifted the setback from the reclined position. "What time is it?" I asked as I blinked myself awake.

"Almost ten."

"Shit," I muttered as I rubbed my face with both hands.

After the meeting in Pam's office, Willow and I had tense but soft argument in the parking lot over her sitting in the Jeep with me. I had no idea she had such a stubborn streak, but I'd discovered it yesterday. She'd started out picking holes in my plan, pointing out all the ways it could go wrong with only one person watching. After almost an hour or me saying 'no', and her saying 'yes,' I'd finally given in.

In hindsight, she'd been right. I expected Alejandro to bolt as soon as Pam left, but he hadn't. I didn't think Pam had confronted him because she left about nine and hadn't returned until almost two, following the plan we'd agreed upon. That meant she either hadn't sold the story, or there was something more going on I wasn't aware of... and I had no way to find out.

We changed places, so I was in the driver's seat, about midnight, and she'd dropped off and slept until the sun began peeking over the horizon about six. We'd changed placed again, and I'd dozed until now. Even if I'd managed to stay awake all night, I wouldn't be worth a shit now. I was still a little groggy, but getting four hours or so of sleep helped.

"Did Pam leave?"

She nodded as she started the Jeep. "About seven."

"Not too close," I muttered as she slipped the Jeep into gear and pulled away from the curb to follow the vibrant red Jaguar F-Type.

"Why didn't he leave last night before Aunt Pam came back, I wonder?"

I shrugged. "Afraid of getting caught, maybe?"

"Maybe... or maybe it isn't him."

"It's either him, your aunt, or he told somebody."

She squirmed in her seat. "I have to pee so bad."

Now that she mentioned it, so did I, but there was nothing for it now. We should have gone last night, after Pam returned home, but I didn't have to go then, and didn't think about it. We followed Alejandro until he stopped at Verizon. Lucky for us, Verizon shared a parking lot with a McDonalds.

"Park over there," I said pointing as our quarry walked into the store. "Go. I'll keep watch."

"What if he leaves?"

"Then I'll follow." She frowned at me. "Should I let him give us the slip?"

"I'll be fast," she said as she opened the door and almost trotted into the lobby. I moved over to the driver's side and settled into the seat. A moment later, she was back. "God, that's better. You need to go?"

I opened the door. "Yeah. If he leaves, follow. Call me when he stops and I'll catch an Uber or something."

She nodded and I hurried inside. I whipped my manhood out and shivered in relief as I emptied my bladder. As soon as I was done, I quickly washed my hands and hurried to the door, slowing to normal walk when I saw the Jeep sitting right where we left it.

-oOo-

"We should have gotten a McMuffin or something," she growled nearly two hours later. "How long does it take to buy a damn phone?"

I snickered. "You could have gone home with your dad."

"And miss all this fun?"

I was starting to nod when heard and felt the Jeep start. I jerked myself awake and watched as Alejandro walked to his car. She pulled out of the parking lot, having to punch a hole in traffic to the blare of a couple of horns as she made a left.

"Where the hell is he going?" she wondered as we followed him south and west as he proceeded out of town on I-69.

"Work?"

"Not unless he's working somewhere new."

He exited the interstate in Sugar Land. She followed as he weaved through town, once driving over curbs and stop blocks as she cut through a gas station parking lot to keep him in sight. I smiled to myself as I held on. I wouldn't want Willow after me because she was relentless. We continued to follow him, the houses getting larger and larger until he turned into a mansion, complete with a guesthouse.

"Drive on by," I urged, flicking my hand in a keep moving motion.

"What the hell is he doing here?" she asked as we reached the end of the block and turned around, parking well back but keeping the drive to the house in sight.

-oOo-

We'd been sitting in relative silence for almost an hour as we stared at the drive. "I think he's here for a while," I muttered, "so I think I'm going to sneak up there, have a snoop, and see if I can spot who he's talking to."

"I'm coming, too," she said as she opened her door.

"No. Stay here in case he leaves."

"And do what? Follow him? What good will that do me if you're not here? Besides, at the house, I can be a lookout."

"Yes, you follow him, then call and tell me where you are." She held my gaze, her mouth firmly set. It was the look I became very familiar with yesterday. "Fuck," I grunted. "Fine. You'd probably just follow me anyway."

She smiled. "You're learning."

We left the Jeep and strolled along the road hand in hand like we belonged there. After a quick check to make sure there were no cars approaching, we hurried up the drive. As we approached the house, I looked for security cameras, but saw nothing. I pulled her to the side, where we crouched next to the hedges to break up our shape.

I brought my lips close to her ear. "Keep an eye on the drive and let me know if someone shows up," I whispered.

While she watched, I peeked into a window but saw nobody. Hoping whoever lived here didn't have nosy neighbors, I moved down the side of the house, bypassing the small window that was probably a bath, and stopped at the next set of windows. The blinds were closed. Grimacing in frustration, I was debating going around to the other side of the house for another try when I heard a man's voice. Staying low, I crept up to the privacy fence and listened a moment before backing silently away.

I returned to where Willow was crouching and brought my lips close to her ear again. "Someone is in the back yard. A man. Come tell me if it's Alejandro's voice."

I silently led her to the gate. She crept close and listened a moment. The voice was low, and there was a female voice as well, the two voices muttering in Spanish. My Spanish was okay, but the voices were so faint I could only make out a word now and again, but from what words I could catch, it was obvious the man and woman were fucking.

She looked at me and shrugged. 'Maybe' she mouthed.

"¡Mierda! Tu coño se siente bien," Fuck! Your pussy feels good, the man muttered, his voice much clearer this time.

She touched my arm and nodded, but then brought her lips to my ear. "Now what?" she whispered.

"Now, we pay him a visit," I whispered in reply.

Using one hand, I took the pressure off the gate latch while I used my other to slowly release the catch. I opened the gate only enough to clear the latch, moving the gate slowly to try to prevent it from squeaking. Wrapping my fingers around the gate to hold it, I pulled my weapon with my free hand. I leaned toward her, and she crept in close so she could hear.

"Close the gate behind me." She nodded. 'On three,' I mouthed as I stood. 'One... two... three," I counted silently, shoving the gate open on the final number.

I stepped through the gate, and it wasn't until the gate clicked behind me that Alejandro looked up. He was in the pool with a hot Latino number, her large breasts flattened against the coping, his hands on her hips with his cock buried deep inside her as he took her from behind. He shoved himself back, both their eyes going wide as they stared at the gun.