Briar Valley: The Complete Duet

20. Zach

CHAPTER 20

ZACH

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE – LAbrINTH

Spread across our kitchen table, the newspapers are all open to yesterday’s leading story in the trashy gossip section. Ryder brought them back from a trip into town for supplies.

A photograph of Dimitri Sanchez at his most recent charity ball is splashed for the world to see.

Sanchez: I’m not an abuser.

Real estate tycoon at centre of divorce battle.

Missing mother speaks up.

Nursing her morning coffee, Willow stares at the newspaper with a blank look on her face. I close the nearest one, hiding Sanchez’s ugly mug from sight. I really hate that motherfucker.

He’s released his own statement, disputing all of Willow’s claims and labelling her as a psychotic, unhinged mother on the run with his precious angel. It’s a steaming pile of crap, obviously.

But that didn’t stop it from triggering Willow and sending her spiralling over the news last night. She went to bed a sobbing wreck, needing all three of us to hold her until she eventually dropped off.

“Enough,” I scold her. “Stop reading them.”

“I need to know what’s going on, Zach.”

“You’ve been staring at them all morning. Let’s get out and do something to take your mind off it.”

“Like what?”

I snap my fingers. “We could carry on clearing Lola’s cabin. I’m not moving in there if it’s full of those creepy stuffed animals and fine china?—”

“We’re not moving into her cabin, period,” she cuts me off. “We’ve discussed this already.”

“No, we suggested it last week, and you shot us down. That isn’t a discussion in my books.”

Sighing, Willow swallows another mouthful of coffee. “Why would we want to live in her cabin? We have two perfect homes.”

“You’ve answered your own question. Two homes. That isn’t going to work once the baby arrives.”

She tugs at her bottom lip, seeming to consider my words, before moving to the sink to wash her empty cup. “Maybe you’re right.”

I almost fall over. “Wait, what?”

“I said maybe you’re right.”

“Just like that?”

“What is with you?” she laughs. “I hadn’t thought of it like that. I just didn’t like the idea of washing the memory of Lola away.”

“Jesus, we’re in trouble if you’re gonna start agreeing with me all the time. I’m a bit freaked out right now.”

Willow flips me the bird. “Screw you, Zach.”

“Love you too, babe.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“So what are we doing today?” I flip all of the newspapers shut. “Not reading these, that’s for sure.”

Willow creases her brows, deep in thought. “What about shopping? Arianna needs some lighter stuff for the spring.”

Her eyes stray back to the newspapers, full of that asshole’s vicious lies. Willow is the most dedicated, incredible mother to Arianna, making all of this even more difficult to swallow.

“Let’s go shopping.”

“Not a chance.” Killian speaks from his perch on the sofa, nursing a headache. “My head is killing me.”

“You weren’t invited, oaf.” I narrow my eyes on him. “It’s just me and Willow. We’ll take the cheerful twins for protection.”

“Cheerful?” she chuckles.

“He’s talking about Tara and Hyland.” Killian snorts to himself. “They hate Zach so fucking much.”

“I don’t know why.” I sigh dramatically. “All I tried to do was tell some jokes to break the ice.”

“What kind of jokes?”

“Dad jokes,” Killian replies for me.

“There’s nothing wrong with my dad jokes!” I defend. “They’re the best kind. The cheerful twins just have no sense of humour.”

“Or your sense of humour sucks.”

I lay a hand over my heart. “You wound me!”

Killian rolls his eyes. “And you give me a headache. Shut your big mouth, and go shopping already.”

Willow moves outside to let Tara and Hyland know about our plan. The moment she’s gone, I get hit with a typical Killian lecture about safety. Like I’m not capable of looking after our girl.

By the time she returns, he’s chewed my ear off, and I’m ready to run at full speed out of Briar Valley for some peace and quiet. We grab our jackets and Willow kisses Killian goodbye.

“Be safe,” he commands sternly.

She pecks his cheek. “Yes, boss.”

“I mean it, princess. Don’t make me regret letting the pair of you out. Stick with the security, and watch each other’s backs.”

“We’ll be fine, Kill.”

All piling into Hyland’s huge, blacked-out SUV, I rattle off the instructions to Highbridge. The pair are as stony-faced as usual and on high alert after the public statement was released.

“I don’t like this,” Hyland complains.

“I still need some freedom,” Willow combats, refusing to be intimidated. “I can’t hide away up here forever.”

Harrumphing, he tightens his grip on the steering wheel and focuses straight ahead. Tara gifts us both a tight smile in the rearview mirror. She’s a little friendlier than her counterpart.

The drive into Highbridge is tense, but we make it in good time. Now that it’s almost spring and the snow has thawed, the drive down Mount Helena is smoother.

People mill about the quiet town, the day in full swing. Shops are open, letting in the first whispers of almost-warm air while customers drink hot beverages outside cafes.

Hyland parks up in a tight space and lets us climb out before locking the SUV. Both he and Tara look out of place in their smart black clothing and concealed holsters that only we can spot.

“Go and get a coffee.” Willow points towards a shop across the road. “We’ll be in there.”

“Not a chance,” Tara snips.

Hyland crosses his arms. “Seconded.”

With a sigh, Willow takes my hand. “Come on. Let’s just pretend we’re alone.”

After fighting so hard for protection, it seems she’s as exasperated as the rest of us are by the constant shadows following us. It’s been exhausting since the novelty wore off.

Inside the small clothing store, I’m hit by a wave of déjà vu. It’s the same store that we shopped in when they first arrived in Briar Valley, over one tumultuous year ago.

“Let’s do this.” I pick up a sparkly pink dress and hold it to my body. “How does this look? Reckon I can pull it off?”

Willow giggles. “You look handsome.”

“Pink is definitely my colour, right?”

“Sure, princess.”

I blow her a kiss. “Thanks, babe.”

Placing the dress back on the rack, I opt for a knitted, flower-spotted cardigan next, eliciting another laugh when I struggle to fit my wrist inside. Even Tara manages a small smile.

Willow shakes her head at my antics. “You’re insane.”

“The best kind of insane.” I drop a kiss on her cheek. “Insanely in love.”

“Christ. How long have you been working on that line?”

“Only the past three hours. Did I do good?”

“Terrible.”

“Ouch, babe. That hurts.”

Bypassing my grabby hands, Willow stops to select some short-sleeved t-shirts and lighter dresses. Once spring hits, the heat in the mountains will quickly follow.

It’s my favourite time of year, when the snow thaws and everything comes back to life. Wildflowers bloom throughout the valley in every shade imaginable.

“Arianna’s been a lot better since we came home.” Willow adds the clothes to the basket in my hands. “I think she really missed Briar Valley and her routine.”

“She’s a good kid. Living in that apartment for twenty-four hours a day must’ve been hard on her.”

“Temper tantrums had never been an issue before then,” Willow admits. “But she hasn’t had one in a while. I think Demon helps her keep her calm and manage her anxiety.”

“Don’t tell Killian. He’s already gunning for the boyfriend of the year award, and we don’t want to give him anymore ammo.”

Grabbing some striped white and pink tights, Willow rolls her eyes. “You guys are the worst.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment.”

“You really shouldn’t.”

Moving to the back of the store with our silent guards in tow, Willow searches through a pile of glitter-covered sandals as I survey the store. The hair on the back of my neck is standing on end.

It’s just being out in public again. We’ve been keeping ourselves even more secluded than usual since the accident. It scared the shit out of us all. Apparently, even I wasn’t ready for the outside world so soon.

But maybe the threat is always there. Hidden. Ticking away in the background. I have no way of mitigating something I can’t even see. That’s Sanchez’s real power over us.

“Zach?” Willow holds up a pair of shoes. “What do you think?”

“Not really my style, babe.”

“Jackass,” she mutters. “For Arianna, obviously.”

“Doesn’t she have enough shoes? And clothes, for that matter?”

Willow shrugs. “I like spoiling my little girl.”

“Lord. We’re gonna have the world’s most pampered kid, aren’t we?”

Glancing around, she checks that neither Hyland nor Tara can hear us and gives me a sweet smile.

“You bet we are. This baby’s going to have everything they’ll ever need, living in Briar Valley.”

“The whole town is going to freak out and spoil our kid when they find out you’re pregnant. Rachel and Miranda will lose their shit.”

“Aalia too,” Willow chimes in.

Metal hangers clang against the railing as she roots through the clothing, searching for her next find. Tara and Hyland chat in low murmurs nearby.

“When are we going to tell them?”

“Soon,” she says vaguely.

“We agreed twelve weeks. That isn’t far away now.”

“Maybe we should have a party or something. That’ll be a good excuse. But we need to tell Arianna first.”

“Yeah, of course. Do you think she’ll be happy?”

Willow hesitates over a pair of denim dungarees. “I don’t know. I thought so, but I’m worried she’ll feel threatened by the idea of another child around.”

“It’s normal for kids to feel that way. She’ll be fine once the baby is here, though.”

“You think?”

Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I peck her cheek. “Definitely. Don’t worry about Ari, we’ll make sure she’s okay with everything.”

“Do you know how much I appreciate you guys treating her like she’s your own?” Willow beams up at me. “I just realised that I never told you that.”

Ignoring the store around us, we share a tender kiss. I stroke her lips with mine, needing her to know that the pleasure is all mine. Arianna has brightened all of our lives.

Willow finishes the kiss with a final peck. “I love you, Zachariah.”

“Ditto, babe.”

Stealing the dungarees from her hands, I chuck them in the basket. There’s plenty in there, but we keep shopping for another hour, buying too much and goofing around.

“God, this feels good.” Willow sighs happily as we check out. “I didn’t realise how stir-crazy I was starting to feel in town.”

“We needed to get out for sure.”

“I just wish we could do it without looking over our shoulders the whole time.”

Before she can pay, I snatch the purse from her hands and tuck it under my arm where she can’t steal it back. The cashier takes my bank card instead.

“Hey!” Willow protests, adorable with her scrunched nose and pout.

“No arguments. This is my treat.”

“Zach, you can’t just do that.”

“Why the hell not? You’re mine. I can treat you and Arianna any damn time I please, and I will.”

Clutching my arm, she manages to wrestle the purse back. “You don’t need to pay for us all the time.”

“I want to. End of discussion.”

Willow snorts in derision. “Who isn’t open to discussion now, huh?”

Tucking loose black hair behind her ear, I bop her nose for good measure. “Touché, baby girl.”

With the clothes paid for, I chuck them at Hyland to carry. He looks less than impressed but doesn’t complain as he takes the bags.

“Asshole,” he whispers just loud enough for me to hear.

“Careful,” I warn with a sweet smile. “Your boss is fucking my best friend. I’d hate to put in a bad word against you.”

That immediately causes his back to stiffen as he plasters on a false smile. “Shall we head out?”

Trying hard not to laugh, Willow and Tara take the lead as we exit the shop. We’ve just stepped onto the pavement outside when our peaceful morning trip shatters spectacularly.

The flash of cameras almost blinds me from the small team of reporters clustered outside the store. They swarm us until we’re surrounded on all sides with no way of escaping.

“Willow Sanchez! Over here!”

“Zach,” she gasps in horror.

Stepping in front of Willow, I attempt to shield her from the hum of reporters with their cameras. Tara is yelling at Hyland to bring the car around as she takes Willow’s other side for protection.

“Is it true that you kidnapped your daughter?”

“Why would you lie about Dimitri Sanchez and the abuse?”

“Did he rape you?”

“Enough,” I scream at them. “Back the fuck up before we have a problem. I have zero qualms about breaking your goddamn faces.”

One asshole snaps a photo up close of me. I grab the camera from his hands and smash it so hard against the pavement, shards of glass go flying into the air.

“Hey!” he barks. “I’ll sue you for that.”

“Go ahead. I ain’t worth shit, mate.”

“Asshole!”

Grinding the remaining pieces beneath my shoe to piss him off even more, I let Willow curl into my side to hide from them. She’s trembling all over, a hand pressed protectively over her belly.

“Babe,” I grind out in warning. “Careful.”

It takes her a moment to realise what she’s doing. The last thing we want is for her piece of shit ex to realise she’s pregnant with our baby.

Quickly dropping her hand, Willow squares her shoulders and faces the cameras. “I’m telling the truth. Dimitri Sanchez is an abuser.”

The camera flashes intensify.

“Is that why you fled?” a female reporter asks, somewhat more kindly. “To escape the violence and abuse?”

“I left Mexico to protect my daughter. I didn’t want to see her get hurt anymore.”

“Are you saying he abused his daughter too?”

“I’m saying he isn’t the person the world thinks he is. You should be asking him these questions, not me.”

With a roaring engine, Hyland jumps the curb and brings the car to a halt. Tara yells at the top of her lungs for the reporters to move aside as she bundles us through the madness unscathed.

We fall into the back of the car, and I quickly buckle Willow in before Hyland can floor it and send her flying. At the last moment, she rolls her window down to shout out a final comment.

“Watch yourself, Dimitri,” she warns in a cold, hard voice. “The past is going to catch up to you, sooner rather than later.”

Closing her window, Willow instructs Hyland to get us out of here. We take off with another throaty purr and merge back into traffic, leaving the chaos behind us.

“How the hell did they find us?” Tara asks.

“They must’ve traced me back to Briar Valley, and they’ve been camping out here in case we showed up,” Willow answers grimly.

Grabbing Willow’s hand, I tune Tara’s cursing out. “Babe... do you realise what you just did?”

She blinks up at me in confusion. “What?”

“Jesus, Willow. You named him. Publicly. I’ve never heard you call him Dimitri before.”

Pink rushes to Willow’s cheeks as she realises the incredible feat she’s just achieved. Naming her monster, in front of the country’s cameras, no less. It was spectacular to watch.

“I did.” She seems shocked, her mouth opening and closing.

“You said his fucking name, baby. I am so proud of you right now. He needed to hear that warning.”

My heart feels like it’s going to burst. The son of a bitch can watch that footage and panic his sick little heart out at the thought of all the dirt Willow has on him.

“I meant it,” Willow adds, steeling her spine. “He’s going to pay. I’m done hiding. His days as a free man are numbered.”

“Promise?”

Willow’s forehead presses against mine as she breathes me in. “Promise.”