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“It won’t end like that.”
“How do you know?”
“Because when you love someone, you’ll do anything to stay with them.”
I wrap my arms around him and pull him closer. My heart thumps against my ribcage. The more this settles in, the more worried I become. I’ve never seen Theo rattled. Ever. Until now. And even though he thinks he’s hiding it, I see it. He’s not sure this will work out in his favor, and he’s putting everything on the line. When he pulls away, there’s no hiding the worry in his eyes.
“Everything’s going to be fine. Let’s get some rest.” I nod, and he lies next to me, tucking me into his side. But all I can think about is what he’s risking for me. Would a man who has it all be willing to give up everything for someone who has nothing? My mind flashes back to picturing him in my bed in all its thrifted glory. There’s a slight tug at my gut at the thought that it won’t be enough for him.
Chapter twenty-eight
Theo
Idon’tknowhowlong I’ve been standing here, but I can’t seem to pull my eyes away. Fay is fast asleep, wrapped inmysheets, onmybed. She looks so peaceful and at home. This is where she belongs. Once this is over, she’s moving in with me. She’s not going back to that shithole apartment. If it were up to me, I’d have all her shit packed up and moved into my place by the end of the day.
If something goes wrong, at least she’ll be safe here. I pull out my phone and send a message to Grant confirming Fay has full access within the building.
“Morning.”
Her groggy voice pulls me from my phone. “Morning. How’d you sleep?”
“Like the dead. What time is it?” She sits up.
“Almost seven.”
“Seven! Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You need your sleep.”
“Yeah, I can sleep later.” She throws her legs off the bed, but they become tangled in the sheet. I throw my arm out and catch her before she tumbles to the floor. “Geez, what the hell did I ever do to your sheets?” I mask my smirk while she adjusts herself. “Give me ten minutes, I’ll be—”
“Fay.”
“What?”
“You’re not going with me.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want you anywhere near my father. I want you to stay here, where I know you’re safe.” Her lips form into a cute-as-fuck pout. “I need to stay focused. You being here allows me to do that.”
“But what happens—”
“Whatever happens, you’re still better off here. I can handle my father. I’m prepared.”
“But how will I know what’s going on? What if I don’t hear back from you?”
I cup her cheeks. “You will. Stay here. Order as many groceries as you want. Bake. Cook. Drink. Shit, I don’t care. Just stay here. Give me that peace of mind today. Can you do that?”
She takes too long to reply, and I know she’s going to be difficult. “Allthe groceries?”
“Ship in fresh cheeses from France. I don’t give a fuck. Just please give me this.”
Her shoulders slump. “Fine. But it’s Greek goat cheese or nothing.” I steal a kiss but don’t linger. A second longer, I’d have her naked and bent over.
“Thank you. I’ll call you when I can.”
I leave her and head to the office. As soon as my eyes opened this morning, I set the wheels into motion. I emailed Craig to meet me first thing and be ready for a fight. We went through the same hellish process five years ago when I sought him out to help me, but we weren’t looking for the right things back then. I was so consumed with finding the girl in the pictures that I never thought to suspect the Hill Group or MIC of the underlying reason this was set in motion in the first place. Now, we do. And after who knows how much money and fervent determination, our evidence is solid. After today, there’s no way my father will hold all the cards. Which should leave me feeling a lot more confident. Certainly not jittery like I currently am. There’s a small kernel of doubt forming in my stomach.I hold all the cards, I repeat to myself. But Alfred Monroe is unpredictable.
