Conceal

That makes me sit forward in my office chair. “And why is that?”

“I have a class at the gym.”

“Oh, you don’t say. So you plan to skip lunch and work out? That’s not very smart, Willow,” I playfully scold.

“Jeez. You’re like a dog with a bone.”

“I am, aren’t I? My brother says I’m annoying. But I like the way you say it better.”

When she doesn’t answer, I continue to press. “Come on. We’ll grab a quick bite, and then you can go to the gym.”

“Fine. But only because I’m hungry.”

“Great. Meet me at Fifty-Fourth and Lex. It’s called Estia.”

“What’s there?”

“The best Greek restaurant in the city. Noon.”

After we hang up, I go back to work on finding intel on a contractor Addison wants to hire. She needs to know if he’s mixed up in anything shady before she gives him the contract. The job is straightforward, and it doesn’t take long for me to realize she will have to find someone else.

The guy is shady as fuck with direct ties to the underworld. I can turn a blind eye to a lot, but this guy takes the cake. Drugs, women, there isn’t much he doesn’t have his hands in. No way will I allow Price Enterprise to become involved with this man’s company.

Once I’m done drafting an email and then sending it to my sister, I stand from my desk and head over to the restaurant.

When I see Willow standing in front of the door, she’s in her usual attire. Clothes that are too big for her slender frame, glasses I’m ninety percent sure have fake lenses, and brown contacts. Every time I’ve seen her in public, other than the poker game, she looks the same. She looks different from how she does at work. I wonder if she looks this way in front of Maggie, or if Maggie even understands why she does it.

When I walk over, she gives me a small smile, and then we walk inside. I don’t let her order when the waitress comes. Instead, I order everything in Greek.

“You know Greek.” It’s a statement more than a question, and the surprise is evident in her voice when she says it.

“I do.”

“Are you Greek?” She leans forward in her seat, placing her elbows on the table.

“I’m not.”

Her eyes go wide. “Wait, seriously . . . so then why do you know Greek?”

“I lived in Greece for a few years. College was never really for me. While everyone was studying, I traveled. I loved Greece and settled there for a bit.”

Her eyes are watching me intently. It’s as if she is truly interested in what I have to say, and I realize this is my in. By telling her about myself, she might open up to me. She might tell me something about herself too.

She’s obviously not going to come out and talk to me. I need her to trust me, so I’ll open up to her first.

Talking about myself is not something that comes naturally to me.

Usually, I make jokes and keep things on a superficial level. Normally, I don’t allow people to see the man behind the mask, but if this is what I need to do to get her to, I will.

Chapter Eighteen

Willow

Another day.

Another nightmare.

With each day that passes, my patience wears.

Growing up with an absent dad, I took care of myself. I’ve never been the type of person to sit and wait. I can’t be trapped in this house. This isn’t me. I don’t recognize this scared girl.

This isn’t living, it’s a cage.

He hasn’t found you yet . . .

So why are you so damn scared?

In order for me to get my life back on track, I need to rid myself of this fear that someone is looking for me.

The only way to do that is by pushing myself.

By stepping outside my comfort zone and leaving the safe confines of this apartment and neighborhood.

You have no comfort zones, Willow.

Remember when you and Maggie used to give each other dares? Nothing was off limits.

You mixed every soda on the machine and handed it to Maggie’s dad when he asked for a refill.

You placed Whoopie Cushions under all the seats in Mrs. Cromwell’s classroom.

You snuck into the haunted house and fell asleep on the master bed.

You are not a wimp.

I’ve left a few times. Working for one. But that doesn’t really count seeing as Cyrus Reed does have more security than the White House. I’ve also left to see Jaxson. The first time was an utter failure, but since then, I’ve been okay.

Maybe I can convince him to be my chaperone and keep me safe while I explore the city and get my bearings. We won’t be able to do much, seeing as I have no social security card and no ID, but I’m sure we can see some of the sites. The more I explore, the more comfortable I’ll be. The more comfortable I am, the less afraid.