Conceal

“What’s going on?” I ask, pushing past her and walking into her apartment to make sure she is okay.

“Mouse,” she croaks out.

“There is a mouse in your apartment?”

“Mice.”

“There are mice in your apartment?” I shake my head, not understanding. That’s why she freaked out, why she was screaming? A mouse?

“You don’t understand.”

Tears form in her eyes, and she takes my hand in hers, pulling me with her to the living room.

There on the floor in front of a pullout couch are two dead mice.

I can only imagine that when she went to step off the bed, she found them. I also now see why she didn’t answer my phone calls. She must have dropped her phone when she saw them, because there lying next to the bodies is a shattered disposable cell phone.

She is shaking now and pointing down. “Do you think . . . ?”

“Do I think what?”

“I have always been scared of mice.” She hiccups. “Do you think he found me?” she whispers.

And now the realization hits for why she is freaking out. She thinks this was a message. She thinks her husband found her. That he left this as proof that she is no longer safe.

I pull her toward me and lead her toward the exit.

“I’m not sure, but I’m not taking any chances. Let’s go.”

“But Maggie?”

“Where is she?” I ask.

“I’m not sure.” She shakes.

“Come with me, and we’ll call her from my phone.”

“Okay,” she whispers, her voice weak.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Promise?”

“I do.” With Willow in tow, I pull her back out of the apartment, and then we leave the building. Once on the street, I hail a cab and rattle off the address of my office.

I still have work to do, so I guess Willow will have to come with me.

After seeing the setup, I have no intention of letting her sleep on the couch again, but I don’t tell her that as I lead her to my office once we arrive. Instead, I hold her close to me and take her up the elevator and into my office, then gesture for her to sit on the couch. I’m standing and about to walk to my desk when the door to my office swings open yet again, and I’m face-to-face with my brother.

“Another impromptu visit,” I say.

“Yes, unfortunately, since you refused to come into work in a timely manner, Nicole called me.” He grunts.

“I was here.”

“Funny. When I showed up to the office, you weren’t, and here you are now, with what, your—Who are you?” he says to Willow, and then he turns to me. “And what is she doing here?”

“First things first,” I start to say, but Willow is standing up already, walking toward Grayson.

Gone is the scared woman from the apartment and in her place is a strong and assertive woman who isn’t afraid of anything or anybody.

“Do not talk to your brother that way,” she says fiercely. I look from her to Grayson and see that his eyes are wide in shock.

“And who are you?” he asks.

“It doesn’t matter who I am. All that matters is you come into your brother’s office and disrespect him.”

“Not that I have to defend myself to you since this is none of your business.”

“It is my business when I was the reason he wasn’t here.” That makes Grayson look at me. I’m about to speak when Willow starts up again.

“You know who I am? I’m the girl who needed your brother, and he ran to help me. If you have anyone to blame, it’s me. Not him.” She points at me. “Your brother deserves your respect. He is a good man. Honestly, the best man I have ever met. He’s the man who will help anyone, not because he wants them to pay him back, but out of the kindness of his heart. He is the man who would help a stranger. And for what reason? Because he doesn’t want to see anyone get hurt. That’s the man he is. But the better question is not what type of man he is, but what type of man you are. And the only answer I can come up with is blind because only a blind man wouldn’t see who he is.”

I swear my mouth hangs open at her tirade, and from the look on my brother’s face, so does his. He looks shell-shocked by her. I know I am.

Without another word or objection, my brother turns on his heel and leaves, but not before I see something on his face that sure appears to look like a smirk.

Once he’s out the door, I turn to her.

“You are incredible.”

“No, I’m not. I’m speaking the truth. It’s a shame he doesn’t know that.”

I look at this woman. This woman lost everything, and here she is, defending me. Not even my own family will do that. Willow has no idea why my brother was mad, but it didn’t matter to her. I was worth speaking up for.