Billionaire's Second Chance At Love

Chapter 108

Out of everything Willow had expected to happen after she returned from the whole time-travel thing, the last thing on her mind was getting forgotten by the man she loved.

"You must be kidding me," she said, more to herself than to him, while he stood there with his rifle aimed at her. She could see it in his eyes now. There was no recollection. No memory. No love that they shared. There was no warmth.

Ice-cold. That's what she found in his eyes as he glared back, confused, frustrated, and angry beyond measure.

But why? She thought. Why would this happen? What did she do wrong? It made no sense. No sense at all. How could he just forget about her? How could just one singular moment she changed in the past have such a drastic outcome? And why him? Why did he have to be the one to lose his memories of her? Why? Why? Why?

Usually, Willow was emotionally strong, stronger than any of her brothers. She was like a wall, they would say, and nothing could break her into tears. But this. This was unacceptable. This betrayal from fate was like a blow that shattered everything inside her. She felt hollow—lifeless—as if someone had yanked her heart right out of her chest. And mercilessly at that too.

"Answer me!" Dan gritted out, taking another step closer and standing at the top-most steps, all the while pinning her with his hard gaze.

Willow didn't know what to say—she felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. She wanted to try and make him remember the time they shared, but she was smart enough to know that that's not how it worked. She hated that even in a moment like this—when a part of her was being ripped out ever so slowly—she could be so rational. She hated that she was right. And she hated it the most to know that she knew exactly what might have happened.

It all narrowed down to the circumstances they met.

After Ronin died in the fire, Dan made it his mission to bring James back and let the Logans decide his fate. He always felt guilty for not doing enough, even though he did everything he could to save them from the fire. Though ruthless and stubborn, Dan was a man with a conscience. He felt bad for those who deserved to be felt bad for. And he didn't put an end to a job until he saw it through.

Wasn't his dedication and loyalty the reason she was attracted to him? Unlike Hamish, the man she had dated in the past and was ready to leave her family for, Dan didn't expect anything from her. He never wanted her to change. He accepted her the way she was, with all her flaws and all. He was a good man. A good man who didn't remember her anymore.

"Are you deaf now? Or has the cat got your fucking tongue? How do you know my name?" He growled out angrily, bringing her back to the seriousness of their new reality.

Willow blinked up at him, finally ready to admit that if she didn't do something soon, the situation could escalate at any moment. She swallowed gently, telling herself to calm the hell down.

"Uhm...I...I can tell you whatever you want to know. But first, could you maybe not point that thing at me?" She pointed her gaze at the weapon he held. "It's not very polite, as you can tell."

Dan clearly didn't seem moved by her reasoning, but the good thing was he hadn't pulled the trigger, not yet. Perhaps there was still some hope for her.

She continued, "Seriously, just put that thing down. Do I look like someone who came all the way here and showed up at your doorstep just because I have some dubious and ulterior motive? I mean, come on," she scoffed. "If I meant any harm, I would just sneak up on you and not knock at your door."

Dan tipped his head to the side, scrutinizing her with his gaze. But then, as if something shifted, he lowered the rifle and threw it over his shoulder, standing straighter.

"I never said you looked like trouble," he said, stepping further down and standing closer, close enough for her to catch the whiff of his aftershave. It was the same scent she was used to, the one she would wake up with all over her body after a passionate night of wild sex in his cabin.

Willow grew hotter than she had the right to, all those memories flooding her brain with a force that almost made her dizzy. "Then..." she swallowed, trying not to look affected or intimidated by his brawn or those piercing dark eyes. "...what's with the weapon and all? You could have just greeted me like a normal person."

"And let you fool me twice?" He raised a brow as if challenging her to prove him wrong. Willow had no clue what he was getting at. She looked just as confused as she felt. "I don't...I don't understand. What do you mean twice? Have we ever—"

But, of course, he didn't let her finish and started moving around her in a close circle, keeping her in place. "I have a very sharp memory, you know." He stood right behind her, and suddenly the thought of being at his mercy felt...felt foreign. "Once I see a face, I never forget. No matter how much time has passed."

"I don't know what you're getting at—" She tried, but he cut her off again.

"Doesn't matter," he stepped away and started walking toward a wooden table that was placed on the side of the cabin. "Leave. In case you didn't see the board outside, no trespassers are allowed. If I had a smart head on my shoulder, I would do my best to stay out of here."

Willow knew better than to not take his warning seriously. Despite what they shared in her timeline before, Dan was not the man who made empty threats. He was a dangerous man in his own right. A man one couldn't just take for granted.

"Right," she muttered dejectedly, pushing her hands into the front pocket of her jeans. "I'll get out of your hair right away. Sorry for the trouble."

But as if something she said wasn't what he expected, he turned around to face her once again. "Why did you come here?"

Willow, ready to see herself out, shrugged. "Nothing important, I guess. Just wanted to see how you're doing."

Amusement crossed his face. "Did your brother put you up for this? Because I assured Eric that he doesn't need to worry about any of your uncle's associates coming after your family. I took care of them."

Of course, he did.

But all Willow saw was an opportunity, and she clung tight to it.

"Exactly. Eric was...worried. That's what my brother does. He worries. That's exactly what happened. I just...I just thought if I saw you in person, I would know if he was overthinking. Let's just say, he trusts my judgment more than anything."

"He loves you," there was no judgment or hesitation in his tone. It was what it was. The truth. "You're his sister. It's obvious he looks up to you."

"You possibly cannot be sure about something like that," she didn't know why, but it felt like a compliment of sorts—something she wasn't expecting at all. She shook her head, shifting from foot to foot.

"I can," he said matter-of-factly and shrugged those muscular shoulders, his biceps bulging out as he put his hands on his hips. "Like I said, I have a good eye for such things. I'm a detective for a reason."

Willow gazed at him for a long silent moment before shaking her head. "I guess you're right. You're good at what you do. Isn't that why my brothers hired you?" She smiled at him, although she felt like a fraud who couldn't even summon a genuine smile. "Alright then. I suppose I got what I wanted."

"The assurance," he added and she was more than happy to nod her head, several times at that.

"Exactly," she grinned, taking a few awkward steps backwards. "You're a solid detective, by the way. I'll make sure to give you a five-star review."

Surprisingly, he chuckled, as if he found her amusing.

Willow told herself that's probably all she'd get from him, at least for now.

She turned on her heels and walked out of the gate toward her car. She started the engine but didn't drive right away.

Instead, she dropped her head on the steering wheel and let out a frustrated growl, punching the wheel a few times to release some tension.

"I hate you, Willow Logan. I freaking hate you for messing up the best thing in your life."

A/N: Looks like this love story is in trouble :P