Willow by Angelina Brown (romance book recommendations TXT) 📖

few times I thought of what could have happened if we hadn’t stopped this morning. If I had let myself lose control.

“Willow!” I hear my name being yelled from the front of the classroom.

“Yes, Mr. Thomas?” I look up and see Mr. Ditmore standing by the door. What’s going on?

“Your leaving.”

I gather my things and leave the room. There are two police officers waiting for me in the hallway. “What’s going on?”

“Willow, we need you to come down to the station.”

“Why?”

“We have a suspect.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Your mother is going to meet us there. We need to get going.”

“Then let’s go.”

My mom is waiting outside the station with another officer when we arrive. I saw the look on her face and knew something was wrong. I could feel it. “Mom, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know. We were waiting for you to get here.”

“Willow, Mrs. Elena.” A man I have never seen before comes up behind us. He doesn’t look like the other officers. Instead of a uniform, he wears a suit.

“Yes.” My mom and I reply in unison.

“I’m agent Russo. Why don’t you two come in so I can explain what’s going on.” He holds the door as we enter the station. “This way.” Russo leads us to a room at the back of the station.

Agent? What type of agent? Who the hell is this guy? Thought after thought ran through my mind. At least I am about to find out what’s going on.

“Please sit down.”

My mother and I both sit. “You said you are an agent.  Like a government agent?” I ask with curiosity and confusion.

“Yes, I work for the DEA branch of the FBI.”

   “The DEA.” My mother looks at the man shocked.

   “Yes the DEA.”

   “Mom, didn’t dad work the DEA?” She ignores the question.

   “What does a robbery have to do with the DEA?” She does her best to avoid eye contact.

   “The reason we are involved is because all the evidence we have points to a drug cartel we have been after for years.”

   “Why would someone from a drug cartel break into our house and only take a picture?” I want to know what’s going on.  

   “We think it has something to do with your father.”

   “What does this have to do with my husband?” I can hear the confusion in my mother’s voice.

   “Robert was undercover in the cartel before his accident.” Something in the way he talked, he’s lying about something I can feel it. “We think they figured out his true identity and are trying to get payback.”

   “Payback? How do they plan on getting payback?” I speak without thinking. I also think I know the answer.  

   “They plan on killing you, Willow.”

   “What?” My mom grabs my arm as if to protect me. “Are you sure? How do you know?” She starts to panic. I’m so shocked I can’t even speak. They want to kill me.

   “We know this because Willow has been targeted. They most likely broke in so they could confirm your relation to Robert and scare you.” He looks at me. “They’ve probably been watching you for weeks. They are probably still watching you. The call you got was a threat.”

   “A threat?” I can finally speak.

   “Yes, a threat. The call is there way of informing their victims that they have been targeted.” He answers my question without hesitation.

   “How serious is this threat?” My mom’s voice shook as she spoke.

   “Very.” His answer was blunt and uncaring.

   I can’t help it I have to ask him “What aren’t you telling us?”

   “What do you mean?” He defends himself.

   “You're lying about something, I can tell in the way you talk. Especially earlier when you talked about my father.” I speak with a forceful yet calm voice.

   “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Russo avoids eye contact.

   “It has to do with my dad doesn’t it. Every time I mention him you avoid eye contact.” This time he does not reply.

   “You both are going to be put in the witness protection program. It is the only way to keep you both safe.” He continues to avoids my question.

   “No.”

   “Willow, if it’s the only way to keep you safe we should do it.” I can tell by her voice that she is concerned.

   “Mom, I can’t. I don’t want to be running and hiding away for the rest of my life.”

   My mom looks over to agent Russo “Is there anything else you can do?”

   “I could try to get you both around the clock bodyguards.”

   “Fine, as long as I can stay here and continue to live my life.”  

   My mom and I wait outside the station as they assigned our body guards. I wish Shane was here. I really need him right now. I am still shocked by the situation.

   I pull out my phone to call Shane when someone pulls it from my hand “What the hell!” I don’t recognize the two guys but they are dressed similar to Russo. They must be agents.

   “You shouldn’t do that.” His voice is low and ruff.

   “And why not?” I stand up in front of the man crossing my arms.

   “Because they’ve probably tapped your phone.” He turns off my phone and sticks it in his pocket.

   “And how was I supposed to know that? How am I going to call people?”

   “This.” He hands me a black flip phone. “That’s a burner phone. You can’t use it any longer then three days.”

   “Why?”

   “Willow, do as he says.” My mom places her hands on my shoulder.

   “You must be Elena.” The agent sticks out his hand. “I’m agent Morgan with the DEA.” My mom shakes his hand in reply. “I’m going to be willows body guard. My partner agent Hanley will be yours.” Agent Hanley reaches over and shakes my mom’s hand.

   “So what now?” I interrupt to end the conversation. I want to leave. I want to go see Shane. I need to tell him what’s going on.

   “Now we get you home.” This time it was Hanley who answered. His voice was similar to agent Morgan’s but softer and more relaxed.

   “Can we stop by the hospital on the way home?” I ask hoping he says yes.

   “Sure why not.” Hanley looks at Morgan who gives him a hateful look.

   “Thank you.” I head to the car.

   My mom and I sit upfront with the government goons in the back. Do I need to tell them about the man in the elevator? Agent Russo said they probably have someone watching me. What if that was him? If I tell them they may not let me go back to the hospital. I want to see Shane. I can’t tell them.

   We arrive at the hospital. “Willow.” My mom walks over to me. “I’m have to go talk to someone but you and agent Morgan can go ahead to see Shane.”

   “Alright.”

   Agent Morgan and I head to the recovery floor. I hate this whole body guard thing. How am I going to get alone time with Shane now?

   “Shane,” I walk up and hug him.

   “What are doing here?” He hugs me back. “I thought you were at school.”

   “I was. It’s a long story.” I pull away from Shane.

   “Does it have to do with this guy who’s watching you like a hawk?” He motions towards agent Morgan.

    “Yeah.” I turn around and look at Morgan “Can you wait outside?”

   He hesitant to answer “fine, I’ll be right outside the door.”

   “Thank you.” I turn back to Shane. “Where’s your dad?”

   “They took him up to physical therapy. So what’s going on? Who is that guy?”

   “That’s agent Morgan.”

   “Agent?” Shane’s eyes widen.

   “Sit down and I will explain,” I close the door. Shane and I both sit on the bed; I tell him everything.

   “So let me clarify this. Your dad was a DEA agent, and the people he angered are now trying to kill you?” He looks at me with confusion and concern.

   “Yes.”

   “And now you have to be guarded twenty-four seven?”

   “Yes.”

   “How are you so calm right now?”

   “I guess because I’ve had longer to let it sink in.”

   Shane wraps me in a hug. We just sit there holding each other. “Shane, I love you.”

   “I love you too.” He wraps his arms tighter around my body.

   “Willow, Shane.” My mom knocks on the door.

   Shane and I pull away from each other at the same time. “Yeah?” We speak in unison.

   “Can I open the door?” I can hear a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

   “Of course.” Before she even has a chance to grab the knob I pull the door open.

   “We need to get going, it’s getting late. Shane your dad wants me to take you home. I told him you could stay with us, he said it was up to you.”

   “I guess I’ll stay with you guys.”

   “Alright, let’s get going.”

   I switched seats with agent Hanley so I could sit in the back with Shane. Unfortunately, that meant I would also be sitting in the back with agent Morgan. I really hate this guy. Why does he have to be my bodyguard? I hope this doesn’t last forever.

When we get home Shane and I walk over to his house. Luckily I convinced them to let us go by ourselves. I will finally get some alone time with Shane.

“Thank god.” I sigh in relief when we enter his room.

“What?” Shane wraps his arms around my waist.

“I’m finally away from the goon squad.”

“Oh.” He kisses me. “So what are you going to do during your few minutes of freedom?”

“This,” I kiss him back.

“Just that?” He smiles. “I think you could do little better.”

“Really, let’s see.” I kiss him again, but this time I don’t stop. I wrap my arms around his neck as we move towards the bed.

Shane picks me up and lays me with my back against the mattress facing him. He slides his right hand from my hip to the bottom of my thigh. “Tell me when you want me to stop” he whispers in my ear.

I whisper back “I never want you to stop”.  I groan as Shane kisses my neck.

He slips his hand beneath my shirt as he continues to kiss my neck. I take off my shirt, and in reply he does the same. When his skin touches mine it feels like fire. The same way it did the first time we touched.

I start to unbuckle his belt. Shane sits up on his knees and throws the belt across the room. I pull him back into a kiss. I’m not stopping this time, I can’t. I love him.

Before I know it I’m in just my bra and underwear, and Shane is in just his boxers. I groan as he kisses my stomach moving towards my legs. My body aches for his touch. He pulls my underwear off, then his own. He kisses my neck. I groan as I bury my face into his shoulder.

 Shane leans over and kisses my forehead as he pulls up his pants. "Did you hear that?"

“What?” I looked at Shane.

“I heard something from downstairs.”

“Shane, Willow,” we hear someone call for us.

“Here,” Shane tosses me my shirt.

We hear someone call for us again. “Upstairs,” I yell back.

“What’s taking you guys so long?” I meet agent Hanley in the hall.

“We were talking and lost track of time.”

“Is that why your shirts inside out and backwards.”

“What,” I look down and see the tag of my shirt. “You can’t tell my mom.”

“Don’t worry your secret is safe with me.”  

“Thank you,” the feeling of relief and embarrassment washes over me. I walk back into the room to get Shane and fix my shirt.

When we got home my mom was waiting for us. Luckily she bought our story about losing track of time. She has no idea of what we were really doing. Thank God.

“Shane I got you an air mattress from