Page 76 of Durango

Harding turns to Reed. “Yes. The man in this photo looks like someone we have identified who is working with a dangerous man who was likely involved in our last assignment.”

Reed sighs. “For God’s sake, please speak plainly.”

Harding glances at me and Samantha. “I’m afraid I can’t because they don’t have clearance.”

“We’ll leave,” I say as I stand.

She stares at me. “Are you Willow?”

Axel steps between us. “Yes. She’s staying at Durango’s. This is her friend, Samantha. Willow, this is Harding. She’s someone we work with.”

Well, that was a vague introduction.

Harding smiles. “He mentioned you.” She turns her attention back to Reed. “When did you last hear from Durango?”

I step forward. “He texted me just after four that he was walking back home.”

Harding gives me a nod. “Thank you. Now, if you two don’t mind leaving us alone…”

Samantha doesn’t move.

“Samantha, let’s go.”

“Fine.” She gets up, and we walk to Durango’s bedroom.

The truth is, if this is related to his work, it’s not something I can really help him with, and I certainly don’t want to get in the way.

The moment I step into his bedroom, I get a whiff of his cologne. I cling to that moment, closing my eyes. He’ll be fine. He will come back to me. He has to.

“Willow, they will find him,” Samantha says as she rubs my arm.

I nod because that’s all I can do right now. When that child answered Durango’s phone, my chest ached because I knew something was wrong.

Samantha goes to the door and opens it a crack. She leans near it, listening.

While I should give them privacy, this is about Durango. I need to know what’s going on, so I step up next to her.

“Dammit!” Harding says. “I spoke to him after four. He was walking home and thought he was being followed. I made him promise to call you, Reed. I had to go.”

“I’m sure he thought he could handle everything on his own,” Axel says. “You know how Durango is.”

“You are all his team, and he should have called one of you,” Harding says. “He told me no one was around. Obviously, you were because you are all here. Well, except for Moose.”

“I need to ask you about that later,” Reed says. “After you left, Moose stormed out of the office, saying he needed to clear his head.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I handled that as well as I could have,” Harding says.

“Okay, Trip has the footage from the bodega on the corner near where his phone was found,” Reed says.

I glance at Samantha. “Impressive,” she says. I lean back toward the door.

“There he is,” Axel says.

“Who is that woman?” Reed asks.

“Sorry, I don’t recognize her,” CT says.

“Let me see,” Harding says. “No, it couldn’t be.”

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