“Can you tell me the cross streets where you found the phone?”
She rattles them off, and I write them down on the pad of paper in the kitchen.
“Oh wait, there’s a tall, muscular guy looking around and coming this way.”
“It might be Axel.”
“Axel?” the woman asks. “Yes, that’s him.”
“I’m Axel, what’s going on?”
“The woman on this phone asked for you. Here, we need to go.”
“Hello?”
“Axel, it’s Willow. The boy answered Durango’s phone and said he found the phone around there. But the woman didn’t see any man.”
“Shit, this is Durango’s phone? Okay, I’m going to call Reed. Call me immediately if he shows up.”
“I will.”
I set my phone down, and my body breaks out in a sweat as I imagine what Tyler has done with Durango.
“What happened?” Samantha asks.
“Some kid found Durango’s phone. Axel has it now. But there’s no sign of Durango anywhere.”
She wraps her arms around me. “He’s a big guy who can defend himself. Maybe he chose to run and dropped his phone. And you know him. He wouldn’t run and lead anyone back here. I’m sure he’ll walk through that door as soon as he can.”
I nod, wanting her to be right. The alternative is too awful.
I turn around to face Samantha. “I swear, if Tyler hurts him, I’ll?—”
“Why would Tyler go after Durango? If he knows where you are, he’ll come now that you are alone, essentially.”
“Tyler likes control. Getting rid of Durango would be one way to control me.” The idea of anyone getting rid of Durango is too much.
“Stop it. First of all, I doubt Tyler knows you’re here. But if, somehow, he was able to follow us, he’d come here for you. He’s angry about the videos. And why would he go after Durango? If he were watching the house, he’d have seen both Durango and Axel here. Both huge men who could crush him.”
Deep down, I know she’s right, but it’s hard to think logically.
My phone rings. “It’s Axel.”
Durango made sure we all had each other’s numbers before he left for the office.
“Hello?”
“I’m on my way back. My boss, Reed, and another colleague will be with me. They want to see the photo of the guy following Durango earlier.”
“I can send it to you.”
“My boss also has questions for you.”
He ends the call, and I wait with Samantha, lost in my thoughts. Finally, there is a knock. I verify it’s Axel and open the door. An older man follows him inside. The man has a mix of brown and silver hair.
Behind him is a guy closer to Durango’s age.
“Willow, Samantha, this is Reed, our boss, and CT. He works with Stormy’s other group but is passing through today. Guys, this is Willow and her friend, Samantha.”
