Maximo looked appalled. ‘No way. There is no way I want you in the same hemisphere as Ferdie, let alone the same city. No, Bella, please. Let me finish this.’
‘What if you never find him, Maximo?’ She said the words without reproach but with real feeling. ‘Don’t put your life on hold because of your past. Ophelie would not want that. Look at Emory and Luca – Ray Grace had promised to kill her if she left him but they still said to heck with it, we’re in love.’
‘And Emory ended up with a bullet in her gut and amnesia,’ Maximo looked faintly amused. Clem conceded. ‘But they’re back together now…kind of. Okay, bad example. But what I’m saying it; don’t put your life on hold. Don’t postpone ‘us’. We are stronger together, baby.’
Maximo leaned over and touched her cheek. ‘The only thing that scares me in this world is something happening to you.’
‘Nothing will,’ she said in a firm voice then smiled, ‘I’m tired of waiting, Maximo, I want to be with you. Here, Rome, anywhere and everywhere. Don’t push me away.’
He took her into his arms then and kissed her thoroughly. ‘Okay, we will try. But at the slightest hint of danger…’
‘We will know how to react, my love, I swear we will.’ She kissed him, and they began again where they had left off.
Dante Harper, you are turning into one big cliché, he thought to himself as he gazed out of his window at the rain. Three days since he’d sent Emory back to Luca and the misery had yet to abate. She called him every night when she went to bed – alone. He couldn’t help but feel relieved at that. The moment he heard her sweet voice on his phone, his whole body would warm, but his heart hurt just that little bit more. He missed her smile, her scent, the way she would curve her little body against his.
‘You did the right thing.’
He turned to see Sophia watching him. ‘You did, Dante, you did the right thing. When Emory gets her memories back, and I know she will, she can make an informed decision.’
‘I know.’ Dante tried to smile at his oldest friend. He and Sophia had grown up together – Sophia’s mother had been his father’s chef but when they were both gone, Dante had told Sophia that she wasn’t a servant in their house, she was family. ‘You are my sister,’ he had said, and it was still true today. He looked at her now with sad eyes.
‘I never said the words to her, Sophia. I never said ‘I love you.' My heart couldn’t take it if I said it and she chose Luca Saffran. But, God,’ he dropped his head into his hands, ‘I should have. I should have told her that she is my world.’
Sophia had tears in her eyes. ‘Dante, words are just that. Words. She knows you love her, in her bones, she knows.’
Dante felt desolate. ‘Damn, Sophia…I hope it’s enough. I truly hope it’s enough.’
Raymond Grace, stuck in his admittedly luxurious prison, was reading when Zeke, the guard who he considered the friendliest, the most malleable, came to see him. ‘Got some news, boss.’
He sat down on the edge of Ray’s bunk. ‘Looks like your wife made it. The guys were talking about it earlier, said to say nothing to you but I figure it’s only fair. Emory’s back with the Saffran’s.’
Ray clenched his fists and blew out a long breath. ‘Jesus. What will it take to kill that bitch? I shot her at point blank range, Zeke, right in the belly. She should have bled out almost straight away.’
‘Perhaps you’re not as good a shot as you think,’ Zeke tried to joke then when he saw the rage on Ray’s face, ‘Hey man, look, I’m sorry.’
Ray was silent for a moment then he looked intently at the younger man. ‘Zeke, I need you to get me out of here.’
Zeke stood, alarmed. ‘Heck, man, I don’t know…’
Ray smiled his most charming smile. ‘Zeke…I have money. A lot of money. It’s yours. All I want is the chance to finish this. Emory is mine, do you understand that? She belongs to me, and I need the chance, again, to…’
‘Kill her.’
‘Yes.’
Zeke looked vaguely sick, but something in his expression gave Ray hope. ‘How much money?’
‘Four hundred million.’
Zeke sat down on the bunk with a thump. ‘What?’
‘I told you, I’m a very rich man.’ God, the things dumb people believe.
Zeke squinted up at him. ‘Why should I believe you?’
Ray smiled. ‘My dear Zeke…because I won’t be needing money where I’m going. You see, once I’ve killed Emory, and everyone who loves her, who has ever touched her, I fully intend on killing myself. Once Emory is dead, there will be a point to my living, so…the money is yours. What do you say?’
Raymond Grace knew his answer the second he looked into the other man’s eyes, and he smiled.
‘You look exhausted.’
Zea nodded. ‘It’s been a strange few weeks.’ She leaned back in her chair. ‘I’ve been tired. More so than normal, I can’t figure it out. I get my sleep, I mean, six or seven hours, unbroken but then I get up, and it’s like I’m walking through molasses for a couple of hours.’
Flynt frowned. ‘Is it depression?’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. Apart from the obvious, things have been, ’ and she gave him a shy smile, ‘pretty good.’
He reached across the table and laced his fingers through hers. They had returned to Portland after a few days with the Kline’s, and Zea was happy to be back with Teresa and Mike and her friends. ‘You know, we don’t have to rush into deciding whether you want to stay here or go back or Seattle or Auburn. We have all the time in the world. Yes –’ he added as she opened her mouth to object. ‘I’ll move my business here so don’t worry. But I want to take you away, Zea, on a proper honeymoon. You need to regroup. You’ve had enough going on, what with Podesta and now this. I’m not going anywhere. Now, how about you get some sleep?’
She yawned straight away, and he laughed. ‘You did that.’ she grumbled. ‘I was fine.’
‘Yeah right. Come on.’
He hauled her out of her chair and lifted her up, which set her giggling. ‘You’ll never make it up the stairs carrying me.’
‘God, woman, you have so little faith.’
They made it to the bottom stair when the phone rang.
Flynt collapsed with Zea under him, and as they fell, he grabbed the side of the huge antique mirror that stood propped against the wall.
‘Whoa!’ Zea grabbed the mirror and steadied it as it wobbled, using her whole-body weight. ‘Darn it, this thing’s heavy. You should get rid of it really, lord knows what you were thinking buying it. Jeez.’
Flynt helped her. ‘I really need to fix it to the wall. We don’t need seven years of bad luck, thanks. I can do it for you. I can be like a handyman from a porno, you can be the slutty housewife.’ He grinned.
Zea rolled her eyes and laughed. ‘Good plan, Ron Jeremy.’ Flynt looked smug. She reached around him and grabbed the phone.
‘Hello?’
‘Zea, it’s Mike.’
She sat up, detangling herself from Flynt’s legs. He sprawled on the floor, grinning up at her.
‘Hi Mike, how’s things?’
Flynt stopped smiling, and he fell back on the floor, sighing. He sat up a few moments later though when Zea’s face went green as she listened to what Mike had to say to her. ‘What? What is it?’
She shook her head at him and thanked Mike before hanging up the phone. ‘It’s Jared Podesta. He wasn’t the body in the car. It was David’s father. Jared’s father. Jared stole his body from the burial ground in Louisiana. Jesus Christ…’
Flynt stared at her in horror as she began to cry. ‘It’s not over, Flynt, it’s not over at all…’
Bree Saffran stared up at the ceiling. It was past midnight, and she lay in Jesse’s arms, listening to him breathing as he slept. She hadn’t been able to sleep for several nights now, not since she’d seen Emory alive again. The brief joy she’d experienced had been overridden by the growing dread that Emory, her fr
iend, her savior, wasn’t the same person that she had known.
And why would she be? Bree argued to herself. The horrendous violence Emory had been subjected to, who would be forever altered? And that man…Dante. He had saved her and now was clearly in love with her. Bree’s heart had ached for her father when she saw Emory and Dante together, and she herself was conflicted. Am I being selfish by wanting Dad and Emory together?
‘You’re doing it again,’ Jesse mumbled against her hair. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. ‘What will be will be, Boo, you can’t control what happens with your dad and Emory.’
‘She’s changed.’
‘Of course, she has. So has Luca; so have you. We’ve all been through hell this past year.’
Bree shifted onto her side and studied Jesse, stroking a finger down his cheek. ‘Not all of it has been bad.’ She bent her head and kissed his shoulder, still bruised from his accident. ‘Thank god you’re okay, Jesse.’
‘I’m good, Boo, as long as you are. And look, at least all that shit with Petersen is over now.’
‘How is Ethan?’
‘Better. Our dad has offered him an apartment on the island so he can be close to Kizzie and us while he recovers. His brother is away so often that the doctors were reluctant to let Ethan out of the hospital. He’s going stir-crazy in there.’
Bree chuckled softly. ‘I’m not surprised, he’s been in there for almost a year. Why isn’t he moving in with Kizzie?’
‘Both of them think it’s too soon. Kizzie’s scared that they’ll rush into something they’re not ready for and she’ll lose him as a friend if nothing else.’
‘I get it.’
‘I expect she’ll be at his apartment more often than not, though.’
Bree laughed. ‘As long as they are happy.’
‘Those crazy kids.’ He smiled and rolled her onto her back, kissing her throat. ‘It’s going to be okay, I promise, Bree. It’ll all work out.’
‘I hope so.’
And for the rest of the night, he tried to convince her.
Kizzie reached up and took the key down from the lintel. She smiled at Ethan’s amused look.
‘I know. Not exactly safe. But I forget stuff, keys, and there’s really not much to steal.’ She opened the door and switched the light on. ‘I can bring some things from the house to make it more of a home.’
She led him into the apartment. The living space was large and led onto a small kitchen. She grinned at him.
‘It’s quite functional. Just not very well designed. The pantry is almost as big as the kitchen.’ She opened the cupboard door for him to see.
‘The bedroom’s over here.’ He followed her.
‘Did you ever live here?’
‘Briefly. Before I went to Peabody, Dad used to let us kids camp out here for a weekend, pretend we were grown-ups. This is the bathroom.’
She leaned into the room and switched on the light.
Ethan gave it a cursory glance. ‘I’ll take it.’ He smiled down at her. ‘You missed your calling as a realtor.’
Kizzie laughed. ‘I’m glad you like it. Make yourself at home. Let’s grab some sodas.’ They snagged some cold cans from the refrigerator, went back into the living room and sat down.
‘The neighbor is pretty quiet, but you might get some noise during the day. He keeps his life to himself, though.’ Kizzie popped the tab on her can.
‘Who is he?’
She shook her head. ‘No idea, Dad let the room to him a few months back. Will you be okay here?’
Ethan nodded, looking around. ‘I will, thank you, it’s a cool place.’ He smiled at her shyly. ‘And it’s near you. That’s all I care about.’
Kizzie flushed, smiling. ‘Me too, E, me too.’
Ethan reached over and took her hand, winding his fingers through hers, and that sat in a comfortable silence for a time. Ethan put his can down and pulled her gently over to him.
‘Mind your stitches,’ she fussed, but he gave a low chuckle.
‘Just let me hold you, Kiz. I just want to hold you.’
She curled into his side, her head on his shoulder, his arms tight around her. Kizzie felt her heart thumping so hard she was sure he could feel it too. His lips were on her hair.
‘When I was lying there, behind those dumpsters, waiting to die, there was only one thing I could think about…how I would never see your face again. It isn’t an exaggeration when I say I think that’s why I didn’t die. Something in me made me hang on, and I think it was you, Kiz. Your laugh – I kept hearing it, that breathless laugh you do when you find something hilarious. And even though I was in my darkest place, I thought, there must be good in this world for that laugh to exist in it. I’m embarrassing you, now, aren’t I?’
Kizzie’s tears flowed freely down her cheeks. ‘Ethan, I’m so sorry for not listening to you, for not being there when you needed someone, me. Promise me, you’ll never do that again?’
Ethan pressed his lips to hers and kissed her until they were breathless. ‘I promise, my lovely Kizzie, I do. Whatever happens, I promise.’
Kizzie was reminded that Ethan still had possible charges held over him. It didn’t seem possible, seem right, that he’d suffered so much and could still go to jail. She rubbed her nose against his. ‘If it happens, I meant what I said about that file.’
Ethan chuckled. ‘Baby, if I go to jail, so be it. You and I both know now it’s not the worst thing that can happen to a person.’
‘I will always be with you,’ she said simply now.
‘Thank you, Kizzie, for making me so welcome here. Into your life.’ Ethan shifted a little, and Kizzie sat up.
‘Are you in pain?’
‘A little,’ he admitted, suddenly looking exhausted. Kizzie stroked his chest, feeling the pattern of wounds under his t-shirt. The feeling made her stomach twist with sadness.
‘Come on, you need to rest. The bed’s really comfortable.’
Ethan grinned, and she chuckled. ‘Don’t get any ideas, Mister, you haven’t healed nearly enough for that.’
Grumbling, he followed her into the bedroom and begin to strip. Kizzie tried to not to stare when he pulled his t-shirt over his head, but when she saw the jagged scars, she couldn’t help the moan that escaped her lips.
‘Oh God, Ethan,’ she whispered, ‘how could you do that to yourself?’
‘Hey, hey, hey…’ He took her into his arms as she began to weep. ‘I’m okay, Kiz, I swear I am. Just battle wounds, just scars.’
Kizzie nodded and tried to collect herself. Without thinking, she pressed her lips to each scar. Ethan gave a little cough, and she realized that she was turning him on. His cock was hard against his underwear, and she couldn’t help but stroke the hot length of it.
‘God, Kiz…’
She looked up at him, desire flooded through her. ‘Lay down, Ethan…I want to help you relax.’
His eyes were wide. ‘Kiz…’
‘Ssh.’
He did as she was told and Kizzie gently freed his rigid cock from his underwear and took him in her mouth. Her tongue gently traced up and down the velvety skin, then circled the tip, feeling it quiver, hearing Ethan’s sharp intake of breath. He tasted of soap and salt, and Kizzie felt herself dampen as she pleasured him, listening to his moans, his calling her name. She brought to him to a shuddering climax, feeling his cock pumping hot, thick semen onto her tongue. Ethan, breathless, was trembling but smiling. ‘Kizzie…’
‘Don’t speak,’ she whispered, kissing his mouth.
‘Lay down next to me,’ he said gently, and she obeyed, stretching her body out next to him. His hand stroked down the length of her then, only hesitating slightly before slipping under her dress, caressing her sex through her panties before his fingers slid under the elastic and found her clit. Kizzie moaned softly as he began to massage it and Ethan kissed her gently, his eyes never leaving her face as he stroked her. Kizzie let herself sink into the feeling of helpless desire as he br
ought her to orgasm, her soft cries the only response she was able to make.
Afterward, they lay in each other’s arms. Kizzie stroked his face. ‘Ethan, sleep now. I promised Jess and Bree I would update them on you so if I’m gone when you wake, don’t be worried. I’ll come back this evening – if you want?’
Ethan, very tired now, smiled sleepily. ‘I’ll always want.’
Kizzie chuckled. ‘Me too, baby, me too.’
Bree watched Kizzie walk over from Ethan’s place which was opposite the coffee house. Bree started to smile, catching her friend’s eye. Kizzie raised her eyebrows at her friend as she walked into the coffee house and Bree grinned knowingly.
‘And you can take that grin off of your face, Saffran.’ Kizzie narrowed her eyes at her.
Bree held up her hands. ‘I don’t know what you mean. Oh by the way…told you so.’
Kizzie rolled her eyes. ‘Smug. Just because my boyfriend is hotter than yours.’ she grinned as Bree’s eyebrows shot up again and she laughed,’ She looked her friend up and down. ‘How are you? How’s the family?’
She saw a flash of pain in her friend’s eyes before Bree pulled her mouth into a smile. ‘Good.’
‘Still no change in Emory’s memory?’
Bree told her that Emory had started to see a hypnotist to find out if she could recover some memory. ‘It kind of worked. She remembers practically everything – even some of the times she spent together with my dad. But she doesn’t remember being in love with him, and that’s what’s killing him.’
Kizzie chewed her lip, her eyes searching her friend’s face as she listened to her. When Bree finished, they sat in silence for a while.
Finally, Kizzie reached over and squeezed her friend’s hand. ‘Maybe…it’s not a memory thing. Maybe it was what it was, and now it’s over. For Emory, at least. I don’t mean to sound harsh but maybe…things change. People fall out of love with people for many reasons.’
‘I know that.’ Bree sighed, looking upset. ‘Can we talk about something else, just for a while?’
Evergreen: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 27