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“I never thanked you,” I said. My chest grew tight as the moment he decided not to kill Terri replayed in my head.
He shook his head. “You have nothing to thank me for. It was my job to protect you, and I failed.”
I turned my palm over in his grasp to thread my fingers through his, needing the connection. “You didn’t fail. You passed with flying colors. You gave up your revenge for me. You put me first.”
“I gave it up for us, Sunshine. I’d never forgive myself if I made you an accessory to a crime I committed.” He paused and drew in a deep breath. “Getting the chance to build a life with you means so much more to me than the hollow victory of eliminating Terri. I need to see him punished for his crimes, but I can come to terms with not being the one who enforces that.”
I couldn’t stop the thoughts running through my head, wondering if he might one day regret that decision.
“I can see your mind whirling, Sunshine. Stop.”
“I just… What if?—”
“No, I will never second-guess my decision. I may not stop wanting Terri dead, but I wouldn’t ever wish I’d put him before our relationship. And if I let myself sit with my choice, I can admit it’s not what my father would have wanted, either.”
The vulnerability in his voice connected to me deep within my soul. This is the man I’d always known he could be. A man who had once seen the world in shades of gray, and was now letting the beauty of other colors shine through. Bright, happy colors that reflected like sunlight through stained glass and cast rainbow beams on us.
“I love you, Hazel.” His lips met mine with a kiss full of hunger and promise.
The song “Good as Hell” burst from my phone on the nearby nightstand.
“Don’t get it,” Jareth whispered against my mouth.
“Jess wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important.” I reluctantly pulled away from him and answered my phone.
“Where are you?” She yelled into the phone so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear.
“At home. Where else would we be?” She’d been the one to tell us to hibernate at the penthouse and, in fact, had insisted on it when Alden called to let her know I was all right.
“Turn on Channel 10 News.” Her smug tone hinted we wouldn’t want to miss whatever they were reporting. Was it about what happened last night?
Jareth was already reaching for the remote. He flipped on the TV and scrolled through the channels until he found the local news station.
The news station’s set appeared sleek and modern, with polished surfaces and clean lines. Behind the anchor desk, news anchor Joanna Morgan flashed her million-dollar smile, blinding us with her white, even teeth. “Let’s go on scene with our local correspondent, Walter Darsney, with breaking news.”
The television screen displayed a sea of reporters, their cameras poised and microphones at the ready. My heart skipped a beat as I waited to hear what was so important for Jess to call instead of text.
“Thank you, Joanna. I’m at the residence of Harold Richards, the local businessman, who was forced to resign from the Board of Arabian Nights Fabric Design and Production due to the alleged charges filed of attempted sexual assault.”
My chest constricted and my stomach churned at watching Harold being marched out of his home in handcuffs and shoved into the waiting car. Seeing him on the screen reminded me of that moment at the Christmas party when he assaulted me. When I knew he was going to hurt me if I couldn’t get away. The terror returned and I began to shake.
Jareth’s arms, already like steel bands around me, tightened even more. The comforting strength gave me a feeling of safety that allowed my racing heart to slow down.
Knowing that the love of my life would be there to protect me, and that I was strong enough to protect myself soothed my fear but didn’t cease the shaking. If Jareth hadn’t gotten there on time, would I have found a way to escape?
The scene panned across the front yard at the Richards’ home before settling on the reporter, Walter Darsney. “Since the original assault charge was filed, numerous women have found the courage to come forward and share their stories. Through our sources, we have learned that multiple additional charges against Mr. Richards are currently pending the outcome of further investigation. Additionally, in the past few weeks, there has been a significant decline in the stocks of Mr. Richards’s various companies, and he’s been actively seeking buyers. We’ve also heard from a credible source that divorce papers have been filed by his wife. He’s claiming that his accounts have been hacked and his money is being diverted by parties unknown to him. The investigation is ongoing, and we will keep you updated as new findings are released.”
A warm lightness spread within my chest. Watching Harold get what he deserved was so utterly satisfying. Now I knew he was unlikely to hurt anyone else ever again. It made me partially understand Jareth’s desire for revenge.
The screen changed back to Joanna. “Sorry to interrupt, Walt, but we have additional breaking news.” She pressed a finger to her ear. “Well, this is a busy night. In just a moment we’ll go live again with reporter Sheri Zade, who’s headed to a press conference given by the head of the FBI in front of the building of Perennial Prose Publishing Inc., Sheri, what can you tell us?”
“Joanna, this is a developing situation. In an unexpected announcement today, the FBI is arresting the CEO of PPP, Inc.”
The camera panned to the head of the FBI. “We’re processing PPP, Inc. for charges of bribery, extortion, and embezzlement. This is an ongoing investigation and we will inform you as additional information comes to light.”
Jareth leaned forward in a micromovement I might have missed if I wasn’t so intune to him. He turned up the volume.
Jareth’s rapt attention sparked my curiosity as the Director of the FBI outlined the meticulous investigation that had led to the capture of the elusive billionaire, including recent detailed information that had been leaked from an unidentified source.
