“And did you?” I ask eagerly, staring at him in hope. “Get info that’ll help him?”
“Oh, I sure fucking did.” A wide grin splits his face. “I hadn’t expected this little detour assignment to Montana, and I sure as shit wasn’t expecting you.”
“You knew who I was then?”
“As soon as I heard your name was Maddie, I did. Playing hard ass while wanting to protect you wasn’t a walk in the park, and hell, you didn’t make it easy either, but I don’t regret it.”
“Wow…” I say in amazement, my heart softening for this man who’s so damn selfless. He risked his own life to help save not only Liam’s but also mine. “I don’t know how to thank you, Ty. I wish I’d known so I didn’t get you into trouble.”
“I’m not fucking concerned about Victoria, so don’t worry. She’ll be handled accordingly,” he reassures me. Ty’s a fucking badass, and I have so much respect for him that I don’t even know how to express it properly.
Twenty minutes later, we’re in a little town and switching into a different vehicle outside a brick building. It’s pitch black outside, and I can’t see a thing, but I trust Ty wholeheartedly.
After an hour passes, his phone rings, and we both see Victoria’s name flash on the screen. He previously mentioned he needed to deal with her, but I wasn’t sure what that meant.
“Don’t say a word,” he warns, then answers the call on speakerphone.
“Blackwood,” he says in a deep commanding voice.
“What’s going on with the generators? Eric isn’t answering his phone.”
Ty handed me Eric’s phone earlier before we switched cars and instructed me to throw it out the window.
“The generator’s out of fuel. I’m heading into town to fill up some gas tanks,” he answers. “Eric’s with Maddie, but if he’s not answering, I assume his phone died, and he can’t charge it until the power is back on.”
“I could’ve sworn Eric took care of that recently…” she mutters as if speaking to herself. “I want those cameras back up and running immediately!” she barks.
“Yes ma’am. As soon as we get power, they should reboot.”
“It’s late, and I don’t have time to worry about this, so I expect you to handle it.”
“Absolutely. I’ll text you as soon as it’s taken care of,” Ty says.
“Good,” Victoria says and then hangs up.
I blow out a relieved breath. “What a bitch.”
Ty chuckles. “You have no idea.” Then he turns off his phone and hands it to me. “Throw this one out too. It has a tracker on it, and I bought a burner phone when I went shopping the other day.”
I roll down my window and chuck it. “Now what?”
“I’ll text Liam when we’re closer to Oregon.”
My heart drops into my stomach.
“Wait. We’re not going to Sacramento?”
“Not yet. I’m taking you somewhere safe for now. You gotta trust me, okay?”
I do, mostly. But that was when I thought he was taking me to California. Now I’m being moved from one secret location to another.
“Okay,” I whisper. “How long until I can go home?”
Ty doesn’t respond right away, which means it’s not going to be an answer I like.
“It depends.”
“On?” I prompt. “Tell me.”
I don’t want to be handled with kid gloves. I want to know all the possibilities of how this could backfire and keep me away from everyone I love.
“On when Victoria releases him,” he finally says. “I have enough shit on her to give Liam leverage for a divorce, but it doesn’t mean she’s gonna let him go without a fight.”
“Of fucking course not,” I grumble.
“Don’t worry.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “You have me on your side, and I’ll stop at nothing to help Liam. Or you.”
Resting against the seat, I try to relax. I’m still comprehending this whole fucking day, but it’s hard to wrap my mind around it. Memories of every encounter I’ve had with Ty over the past two weeks flash in my head. Why he was so invested in me, why he’d be hot one moment and cold the next, why he cared more than Eric did—these questions are finally answered.
“Can I ask you something personal?” I ask after more time passes.
“Sure.”
“Are you married?
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“Nope.”
“Hmm.” I pinch my lips and move them side to side.
“Why are you asking?”
“Why are you single?”
Ty laughs. “This sounds like a dating interview.”
“I’m just shocked you aren’t taken. It makes me believe there’s something wrong with you because it’s certainly not your good looks or heart of gold. Do you have a weird third nipple or something? Chicks can be so vain sometimes. And you have that Southern thing going for you, which most girls like, so that’s a point in your favor. From what I noticed, you’re fit and you’re also tall, which women also love. So honestly, what is it? What’s wrong with you?”
Ty’s silent before he looks at me and cracks a smile. “I’ve learned you’re a rambler, especially when you’re nervous or bored, so I’m going to take what you just said with a grain of salt.”
I laugh and throw back my head because dammit he’s right. I’m totally a rambler. “Sorry. You’re correct. I talk a lot when I feel like I have no control, and right now I’m driving myself crazy with overthinking.”
“I told you to trust me, Maddie,” he states confidently. “I didn’t let Eric near you, nor did you go hungry, and I even bought you tampons you probably didn’t need.”
I cackle at his words. “You’re only proving my point further. The perfect guy. So what’s wrong with you? You wanna keep my mind occupied, talk to me about you.”
He shrugs, but I catch the corner of his lips as it tilts up. “Alright, I guess I can handle that. We’ll be driving all night anyway.”
“Good.”
“For starters, you can call me Tyler. Ty was what I told everyone, so it’d help me stay in character when I heard it. I’m single because, like Liam, I didn’t have the best upbringing. I don’t trust myself in a relationship due to past experiences, and now I don’t date women long enough to know if I can trust them.”
“Well, that certainly sounds like Liam.” I half-laugh, half-frown.
Tyler continues to entertain me by telling me a little about growing up in Lawton Ridge and how he got into boxing and became a trainer. It’s fascinating.
I end up drifting off, and when Tyler wakes me, I realize we’re stopped.
“What’s going on?” I ask, looking around and noticing we’re at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere.
“I texted Liam to let me know when he was alone and could talk. He just responded. It’s time.”
Chapter Eight