first thing I did was call the guys on the radio and let them know what was going on. Within an hour, they were gathered in my living room with their wives. I love that we have such a support team around us. Willow gives them a much shorter version of the story of what happened with her uncle and how he called while she was out yesterday.
The girls jump up and instantly surround her, offering her support, comfort, and protection. Watching these girls circle around my wife and give her this kind of friendship, something which I know she’s never had before, makes me a bit choked up.
Once they all sit down again, Hope tells her story of how her mom had kidnapped both her and Jana and how we guys went in and saved them. After the guys each give their girls a kiss, they join me on the other side of the room.
‘So, what’s the plan?’ Axel asks as he crosses his arms and stares at me.
‘Honestly, I don’t know. As far as we know. Her uncle is still in Chicago, but now he knows she’s lives here. There’s no telling if he’ll actually come out here or not. Maybe with any luck, he’ll think that Montana is far enough away and he’ll let it be,’ I say hopefully.
‘My experience with guys like that is that they won’t give up. They want to make sure that there’s nothing or no one that can ruin their reputation,’ Phoenix says, and his wife Jenna agrees. Since they both came from high society background before they settled on the mountain, they have the most experience with people like Willow’s uncle.
‘I brought a bunch of my brothers’ cameras and tracking equipment. I think we should set them up around your house. Though we’ll have to make sure that we’re continuously monitoring them so we can catch the first signs of anything out of place,’ Cash says.
His brother was extremely paranoid about the government coming after him for some of his ideas. In fact, he was so terrified that when he was diagnosed with cancer, he refused treatment and died several months ago. Shortly after, Cash met Hope and used all of his brother’s equipment to help protect her.
‘If you see any signs of someone being here you call me,’ Cole says.
He’s a man of few words, but we do know he’s prior military and one hell of a tracker. When Hope and Jane were taken, he’s the one that tracked them down and helped us save them. Also, that’s how he met Jana and the two have been inseparable since.
‘All right, let’s get anything that we can set up. The better I can protect her, the better I’ll feel. Though I hesitate about leaving the girls alone inside the house, even if we’re just outside. Thankfully, Axel seems to pick up on it.
‘I’ll stay inside with them,’ he says.
The rest of us nod before we head out. It’s nice to have guys that understand how protective we are of our women. Men that I can trust, and I know will protect her if the time comes.
Going around the outside of my house, we set up several cameras to watch the house. Then we place several more from the woods, watching entry points like the driveway and even the back of the house in case they try to come in from the other side of my property.
‘I think we should set up a few down by the road. This road isn’t well traveled, so anyone out here would have a reason to be on it, and you know your neighbors, right?’ Cole asks.
‘Yeah, there’s just one guy at the end of the road, and there’s a few abandoned cabins. But no one ever visits them anymore, so anything outside of my neighbor would be enough of a red flag to check it out,’ I say.
Then we get to work. Cash and Phoenix go down to the road and set up some hunting cameras there while we work near the house. Cash sets up a driveway alarm, so we’ll have at least a little notice when anyone comes up the driveway in a vehicle, anyway.
We install some extra locks on the doors of not just the house but the outbuildings as well. That way, if she happens to be outside and needs to get somewhere safe, it doesn’t have to be the house.
Everything that we have to do and consider makes my mind spin. But if it means keeping her safe, then it’s not even a question whether we do it or not. After several hours, we get everything set up. When we finally come back inside, I can see the relief in Willow’s eyes. It looks like she doesn’t like being away from me any more than I like being away from her.
‘Just stay alert and vigilant, and we’ll see you guys in a couple of days when we meet at Jack’s shop,’ Axel says and they head out.
Now, Willow refuses to leave my side. If I’m going outside, so does she. I’m completely okay with that because at least if she’s with me and I have eyes on her, I know she’s all right. Though I’m glad she went in and had lunch with the girls when she did because there’s no way I’d be able to allow her to go into town now by herself. I don’t think she’d want to either.
Willow
Ever since I told him the story about my uncle Bennett has been comforting me. I’m relieved that he’s been fine with me attached at his side. The thought of him being out of my sight scares me and I can’t stand it. Even though the guys went through so much trouble to make the house extra safe, that bubble of safety I had just last week has gone. But I so desperately want it back.
Today we’re heading into town to see the guys at Jack’s shop. Also, we’ll be dropping off some of our stuff for sale, including my first quilt to see how they do in the shop. Ben has made it very clear that it doesn’t matter if the quilts sell. Even if they don’t, I can keep making them to give away as presents or donate them to people in need. He says if quilting makes me happy, then I should keep doing it. One way or another, it doesn’t matter what happens with the quilts. That right there means everything to me. Even in the midst of all this, he’s so set on my happiness.
We are one of the first ones to the shop, so Jack checks over my quilt. Then we talk about the cost of materials versus what we would need to make in order for all of us to make a profit. Finally, we land on a price that we decide to try. After inputting into his system and pricing it, he puts it on the floor.
By that time, the other couples are coming in and dropping their stuff off. The guys ask how things have been up at the house and if we’ve had any problems. But it’s been quiet, not that my nerves have understood because they’re still in full force.
Since Jack is a lawyer, we tells him about what’s going on and if he has any advice.
‘These are the exact type of people that I did not want to work for and that I wanted to protect people against. They are the ones that abuse and manipulate the system to get what they want. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to do some research and see what I can come up with,’ Jack says.
I agree and give him everything I know and can about my uncle, from his address to the phone number that he left for Bennett. I include my aunt’s name and the police station where I filed the report.
Before we even leave, my quilt sells. We all stand there in shock as the customer gushes over it and how hard it is to find handmade quilts nowadays, but she loves the local fabrics that were used in the construction of it. When she leaves, the girls all turn to me and Jack laughs.
‘It looks like we underpriced ourselves. I’m willing to bet we could price it at another hundred dollars and they’d still sell. So, I’ll take as many as you can make.’
‘Would you be willing to teach us how to quilt?’ Hope asks.
‘I’d love to! Let’s get together in the afternoons and quilt and talk. Though it would have to be after this hunting trip the guys had been talking about,’ I say and they all agree.
‘You ready to go sweetheart? Cash and Cole are going to follow us home and make sure everything is still okay.
And just like that my nerves that had started to go away talking to the girls flare and are back in full force.
We get into the truck to go home and are followed by Cash and Cole in their trucks. But the closer we get to the house, the stronger the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach gets.
‘I have a bad feeling,’ I whisper because I’m a worried that giving it words is going to make it come true. Then Bennett grips my hand a little tighter and glances at me for just a moment before his eyes are back on the road.
‘So do I,’ he says and we’re both quiet the rest of the drive.
Once we pull into the driveway, nothing looks out of place. After Bennett checks the house, everything is still secure and the way we left it.
Bennett turns to me. “Stay here while we go check outside.’
‘I’m not leaving your side.’ If I have to, I’m not above begging. Thankfully, he takes one look at me, nods and I follow him outside to meet up with the men. Their wives are waiting in the car both with a gun on their lap and I’m pretty sure the car doors are locked as well.
We walk around the house and then to the tree line around the driveway before we meet back up with Cash and Cole who were checking some cameras.
‘Someone’s definitely been here,’ Cole says. ‘From the looks of it, they didn’t even step out of the tree line. I almost wonder if they saw one of the cameras and then left. There’s no face shot or really any good shot at all.’
My body goes cold because in my gut I have an idea of who it is. Though I don’t want to believe that he’s actually here in Montana and that he would go this far. I’m praying against all reason that it’s just some hiker that got lost.
Almost like Bennett knows where my mind is going, he wraps an arm around my waist.
‘Let’s get you inside.’ Without waiting for me to move, he simply swoops down, picks me up and carries me inside.
