Page 133 of High Reward

I wait. Grace shifts in my arms but doesn’t pull away.

“I love you both,” Lili says. “More than I thought possible. Being with you these past weeks has shown me what a real relationship can be. Safe. Healthy. Filled with joy.”

“But?”

“But I don’t know what my future holds.” She looks down at her hands, twisting the edge of the sheet between her fingers. “Phineas is still an issue. The divorce isn’t final. I don’t know what happens when all of this is resolved. I don’t know who I am outside of being his wife, outside of working to not upset him.”

She meets my eyes. “I can’t promise forever when I don’t even know who I’ll be in six months.”

The words hit harder than I expected. Not because they’re a rejection. Because they’re honest.

“I’m not asking for forever,” I say carefully. “Yes, I said permanently. But I’m asking for now.”

“That’s not fair to either of you. Grace just committed to building a life with you, and I’m sitting here saying I might need to walk away. That’s not the same thing.”

Grace reaches out and takes Lili’s hand. “It doesn’t have to be the same thing. Tyson said something to me the other day, and I want you to hear it. It pissed me off at first.”

I lean back enough to raise an eyebrow at her, wondering what pearl of wisdom the chef dropped on her.

She gives me a small smile, then lifts Lili’s hand to her chest. “He told me I needed to be the person you feel safe walking away from if you needed to. And I want to be that for you, Lili. As hard as it would be for you to leave us, I would understand.”

I hate that Tyson is right. As usual, the bastard gave excellent advice. “Stay,” I say. “For as long as it feels right. No pressure. No promises you can’t keep. Just us, figuring it out together.”

Lili’s eyes glisten. “You’d really accept that? Uncertainty instead of commitment?”

I lean forward and cup her face in my hands. “I’d rather have you for a moment than not at all, Spitfire. Stay with us while you figure out your next steps. And if you need to leave, leave. We’ll still be here if you want to come back.”

A tear slips down her cheek. I catch it with my thumb.

“OK,” she whispers. “I’ll stay. For now.”

For now.

It’s not forever. It’s not a guarantee. But it’s a start.

Grace squeezes Lili’s hand, and I pull both of them against me. We settle back against the pillows, limbs tangled, breathing slowly synchronizing.

The photo album sits on the nightstand. A reminder of what we’ve built. What we’re still building.

Outside these walls, Griffin Price is plotting. Kara Lindon is watching. Phineas Draven is rotting in a warehouse while we decide his fate. The world is full of threats that will demand our attention tomorrow.

But tonight, there is only this. Three people who found each other against impossible odds. Who chose each other despite the chaos.

Grace’s breath evens out first, her body heavy against my chest. Lili takes longer, but eventually her tension melts away, and she curls into my side.

I stay awake a while longer. Watching them. Protecting them even in sleep.

Tomorrow, we face whatever comes next.

But tonight, we have this.

And for now, that’s enough.

Chapter 34

Victor

HunterNovakstandsatthe head of the conference table in his office and pours himself a finger of scotch. Luke stands by the floor-to-ceiling windows, arms crossed, Matteo leans against the wall near the door, and Owen and I sit next to each other at the mahogany table.