“But why?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to me either, but it’s all I’ve got at the moment. Nothing happened the entire week we were in Rio Lago, but literally the day after you arrive back in Houston, the cartel takes another shot at you.” He held my gaze. “You tell me.”
I couldn’t argue with his logic. “But why?” I asked.
“I wish I knew.”
“Yeah. Me too.” I kissed him as gently as possible on the lips. “Thank you. I owe you my life… again,” I whispered as our lips parted.
He touched me on the face. “Call your dad. Let him know what happened, and that you’re safe, but don’t tell him where you are.”
“You surely don’t think it’s Dad?”
“Unlikely, but let’s not take any chances. I’m so fucked up right now that I can’t do shit to protect you.”
I nodded slowly before I kissed him again. I pulled away and moved to the phone. I was ashamed I had to think a moment before I could recall Dad’s phone number. I quickly read the directions on the phone and then grimaced. “This phone only calls the front desk, room service, and 911.”
“You’re kidding.”
“It says it right here on the phone.”
“Fuck.”
I dialed zero, and after two rings, someone answered. “Front desk. How may I help you?”
“I need to make a call.”
“Yes ma’am. Our room phones are room service and emergency use only.”
“Yes, I see… but… uh… my cell phone is dead.”
“Yes ma’am. In that case, we have courtesy phones here in the front lobby.”
“Okay, thank you.” I hung up. “I have to go to the lobby.”
He was quiet a moment. “Okay. It’ll probably be okay, but keep an eye out. If you see anything that looks out of the ordinary, don’t worry about coming back here. Just get out the there and find someplace to hide.”
I kissed him softly. “I’ll be careful.”
I left the room and hurried to the lobby. “I called about the courtesy phone?” I said when the desk attendant looked up.
“Yes ma’am. Right down the hall, on your right,” she said, pointing past the desk.
Just off the lobby was a door labeled ‘Guest Courtesy Phones.’ I peeked through the narrow window in the door to see six more doors in a line down a narrow hallway. I opened the door to the hall and then entered the first tiny room, closing and locking the door behind me. The room was less than two meters square, and contained nothing but a chair tucked under a small wall mounted desk with the phone and a pad and pen on top. After taking a deep breath for strength, I dialed Dad’s number.
“Hello?”
I instantly wanted to cry. “Dad?”
“Willow? What’s wrong? Where are you calling from?”
“Dad… someone tried to kill me again tonight,” I whimpered, gripping the phone tight.
“What?” he roared.
“I’m okay. Colt, he saved me, but we had to run.”
“Tell me where you are! I’ll come get you right now!”
I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. “We’re okay, but I can’t tell you where I am. I–”
“Why not?” he demanded.
“Because I can’t.” I made up a lie. “Colt thinks that maybe your phone is tapped. I’m okay, but–”
“That’s bullshit! My fucking phone isn’t bugged! Just tell me where you are!”
I shook my head again. “I can’t. I can’t explain it to you now, but I can’t. I’m safe, and you’re just going to have to trust me.”
“Willow, dammit, tell me where you are. Or… you remember where you used to like to go as a kid? The museum? You remember we used to go there? I’ll meet you there.”
“Dad, I can’t. You have to trust me. Colt is with me, and I’m safe. I’ll call you in a day or two, okay? I love you.”
“Willow, tell me what’s going on.”
“I will, but not tonight… and not on the phone, okay? I love you, but I have to go.”
He was quiet for a long moment. “You’re safe?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Call me when you can. I’ll have the office phones checked. Call me on my private office line.”
“I will. I love you.”
“I love you too, Baby Girl.”
I slowly placed the phone back in the cradle. “Fuck.”
I sat in the uncomfortable chair a moment until I was sure I wasn’t going to cry again, and then rose. In the hall outside the small phone rooms, I opened the outer door a crack and peeked out. There was nobody around. I stepped out and hurried past the desk, nodding my thanks to the woman. When I arrived back at our room, I swiped the key card and let myself in. Colt was already in bed with a pillow tucked between his knees. My life was spiraling out of control, and the only thing keeping me together was Colt. He was the rock I was clinging to. I felt tears threatening again, but I forced them away.
“How’d it go?” he grumbled.
“Okay. He wanted me to tell him where we were.”
“Did you?”
“No. I told him I was afraid his phone was bugged.”
“Did he believe you?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“You saw nothing suspicious?”
“Nobody but the front desk clerk.”
He nodded. “Good.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“I hurt.”
“Can you stand to hold me… or should I sleep in the other bed?”
His face twisting with his aches and pains, he slowly removed the pillow from between his knees and rolled to his back before patting the bed beside him.
I again struggled not to cry.
I had no toothbrush, no fresh clothes for tomorrow, nothing except the clothes I was wearing, but I had Colt to hold me… and that was all I needed.