Sebastian guided her toward the door. She paused at the threshold, looking back over her shoulder. Her eyes met Lachlan's one last time—a silent communication of all they'd been through, all they'd endured.
"We'll be waiting," she said, and then she was gone.
Everett moved toward the door. "Two minutes enough?"
Lachlan nodded. "More than enough."
As the door closed behind Everett, Lachlan stepped closer to Wesley, his gun balanced casually in his palm.
"You kidnapped my family," he said softly. "That was your first mistake."
He crouched down, bringing himself to eye level with the captured PISCO agent.
"Your second ..." Lachlan continued, "was thinking you'd ever leave this room alive."
Chapter 54
Lachlan paused at the bedroom doorway, taking in the sight of Britt standing at the window. She wore one of his shirts that barely covered her round ass, her silhouette illuminated by moonlight as she gazed out at the Caribbean waters. The familiar curve of her neck, the way she tucked her hair behind her ear—it struck him with an almost physical force that she was truly here. Alive. With him.
He'd spent the last forty minutes holding Paloma after she’d finally fallen asleep. She acted unfazed by the trauma of being kidnapped, but he knew she was putting on a brave face so he wouldn’t worry. He’d already put in a call to Fallon to come to the island and assess his daughter’s mental state. The last thing he wanted was for Paloma to suffer long-term effects from what that fucker, Wesley Thomas, had put her through.
Britt turned as he walked into the room. “How is she?”
“Sorry for kicking you out, but I knew she’d never wind down and fall asleep with you in the room," he said softly. He raked a hand through his hair. "Took three bedtime stories and a solemn promise that we'd both be here when she wakes up.”
"I don't plan on being anywhere else. Ever again."
“You don’t?” Lachlan challenged, pushing the elephant in the room to center stage.
“No,” Britt shook her head. “I’m not going to lead Quattro. I’m going to give Alejandro my endorsement as the next leader.”
“But that wasn’t your original plan, was it?” Lachlan said, unable to hide the hurt and pain after learning the truth from Miquel Rubio. “You never planned on staying off the grid when we ran away to Dove Island. You were just biding your time before you could re-emerge and take the reins from Titus.”
“That’s right,” Britt said, not backing down.
Lachlan appreciated her honesty. That she didn’t lie to his face after everything they’d been through.
“You wanted to run a criminal organization that puts guns on the streets and in the hands of terrorists,” Lachlan said, shaking his head with disgust.
“I did,” Britt admitted. “I was drawn to the power the position wielded. And the money was intoxicating. My father had a normal,” she used air quotes as she said the word, “life in addition to running Quattro. Legitimate businesses. He was a revered member of society, despite the rumors about him being a cartel kingpin. Nothing could ever be proved. We designed it that way.”
“We?” Lachlan laughed.
“Yes. There wasn’t much about Quattro that my father shielded me from.”
“And that’s why his enemies were trying to kill you.”
“Yes.”
“So, what’s changed? You have your memories back. Those old ambitions. Why are you walking away?”
“Because I want you and Paloma more,” Britt said.
The words pulled at his heart. The answer he’d hoped for.
“I think that’s why I blocked my memories. If I didn’t have them, I wouldn’t have to choose between the two lives,” Britt said, then shrugged. “Turns out, it wasn’t a difficult decision.”
“No?” Lachlan crossed the room, unable to resist cupping her face in his hands, needing to touch her. “Then why were you willing to blow yourself up? To leave us for good after we’d already suffered through three years of thinking you were dead?”
