Resolute, Sloane stepped forward and touched his arm with a look of pure compassion. “Come sit with me for a second, Humphrey. I need to tell you a story.”
47
Sloane
While the Codex team slipped into the pub for a celebratory bottle of champagne, Humphrey, Reggie, and I sat on the sidewalk directly outside. We could see them in there, framed by the window, laughing together as they celebrated their hard-fought victory.
Next to me, Humphrey was in total shock. Reggie less so. I got the impression he’d always suspected Bernard was off. But this wild tale of book theft and manipulation still surprised the quiet academic.
It had taken an hour, but I’d finally finished the long tale of Bernard Allerton—and who we all were. Per the usual, Humphrey had reacted with dramatic gasps and outbursts at every secret and true identity revealed. Now he sat morosely next to me, Reggie’s arm around his shoulders. This sad mountain of a man was even harder for me to accept than his surprise and outrage. I’d never wanted to actually hug a stranger before. Now that’s all I wanted.
“Sixty years of lies,” he said, accent thicker the sadder he became. “You were right, Reggie. You noticed it. Did everyone? Was I a joke?”
I shook my head fiercely, thought about Henry and his bright light of sincerity. Humphrey was the exact same—with an uncomplicated zest for life that was easily mocked and manipulated by con artists like Bernard. What Bernard had said back there about this man—he’s a golden retriever—betrayed Bernard’s total lack of empathy or understanding of being a human. Humphrey Hatcher was the most alive person I’d ever met.
“You were never a joke,” I said fiercely. “Bernard chose you to manipulate because you are so good. Caring and sincere, would do anything for the people in your life. That makes you the kind of person this world should be filled with. That makes you the kind of person people want to keep in their lives.”
I stopped, a rush of emotion pricking my eyes, even though the last time I’d cried in front of another person was Debra. But this, all of this, was now over—and would I ever see Humphrey and Reggie again?
“Why on earth would a person do such a thing?” he said.
I exhaled, toeing the sidewalk with the tip of my shoe. “Some people view others as tools, chess pieces to move around, walking wallets to steal.” I touched his arm. “Some people view others as the friends and family we need in this world to keep going. View those relationships like a garden to be tended. Treasured and cared for. You’re that kind of people.”
“I am an unstoppable force of valiant passion,” Humphrey said—this time with a small smile. I laughed, relieved.
“You are,” I said, patting his arm again. “You truly are, Humphrey.”
He nodded inside, at the pub. “That’s your family.”
“Them?” I asked, turning to watch the five detectives, glowing in the cozy light. Abe must have felt me staring because he turned. Gave me a smile that curled my toes and set my pulse racing.
“Yes, them,” he said. “You, your Mr. Royal, these detectives. They are quite clearly yours.”
“Mine,” I repeated, rolling the word around on my tongue. Recognizing it for the truth that it was. “I don’t have a biological family.”
“You don’t need one,” he said, waving a hand through the air. “Friends are better.”
“Trust me,” Reggie said. “Once Humphrey meets you, you’re instant family.”
I gave them a long look, feeling shy. “If you both,” I said, voice nervous. “If… if you both wanted to come visit me, back in America, I’d like that.”
“A visit to see the enchantress across the pond?” Humphrey exclaimed. “Why, we’d board the next flight! Isn’t that right, Reg?”
“That is right,” Reggie said kindly.
I breathed out again, happy to see a bit of Humphrey’s lightness return. It was going to be a long journey for Humphrey to accept the real role Bernard Allerton played in his life and the significant loss of a friendship he’d held dear for six decades. It wouldn’t come easy.
Maybe the tiniest amount of good could come out of this. Shifting the scales of justice, making the world better—bit by bit, person by person.
Abe, Delilah and Henry, Freya and Sam. Humphrey and Reggie. Over one week’s time, the circle of people I could trust had expanded to include all of these names.
“You two would make a fine pair of uncles,” I said, nudging his arm. Humphrey guffawed, clapping his hands in the air. He was going to be okay in the end. I could tell.
“And Reggie and I have often longed for a niece,” he exclaimed. Reggie nodded, laughed.
I smiled, chin in my hands, feeling less and less like the daughter of two con artists and more and more like the woman with a future she’d never seen coming.
“Now go get in there and be with your family,” Humphrey said. “Reggie and I will need to make some arrangements for the Society, start to unravel this shit mess Bernard and Eudora have landed us in.”
I stood and brushed dirt from my dress. “For what it’s worth, my money is on you being the next president, Humphrey.”
He clutched his chest. “Slayed! Again!”
Laughing, I gave him a final wave, then ducked close to the door to make one final call as I eyed the jubilant Codex team through the window. Louisa’s voice, when she answered, was strung tight with nerves.
“It’s a very, very long story,” I began. “But I just watched Bernard Allerton be placed in handcuffs.”
I could hear her sharp intake of breath. “Where was he?”
“London,” I said, smiling up at the starry sky. “In Adler’s Bookshop living in a secret apartment built behind a bookshelf.”
“My god,” she said.
“I’ll be in tomorrow,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll be receiving a call from the authorities soon. And I’ll tell you everything. But my contract has been completed.”
Nothing about this case had gone as I’d envisioned it. Yet everything missing in my life had suddenly appeared and made my success possible.
“Thank you, Sloane,” Louisa said. “You did an amazing thing tonight.”
I hung up. Smiled again to myself. And finally opened the door and entered the pub.
“There she is,” Freya cheered, waving a bottle of champagne. “Our sixth team member.” They gave me a silly round of applause, and I paused to bow, catching Abe’s flirtatious grin.
“How are Humphrey and Reggie doing?” Henry asked.
I took the glass of champagne Delilah handed to me. “Heartbroken yet strong. I have a feeling Humphrey and Reggie will be in our lives for years to come.”
“I’d welcome that,” Abe said. “There’s a lot that we don’t know about tonight. Bernard’s ultimate plan, who he was using, the key players. The fates of James Patrick, of Eudora, of Peter. It might take a while, but I look forward to doing that work with all of you.”
Henry raised his glass of champagne and faced all of us. Delilah was wrapped around his side, gazing at him with pure devotion. “I’d like to give a toast to Bernard.”
“Uh, what?” Freya said.
Henry smiled. “That man did his best to destroy everything he touched, let money and greed take priority over our shared culture and history. And instead of believing in the power of books, he used them. Used people, too. The night I first met Abe was the worst night of my entire life. But—” Henry paused to kiss the top of Delilah’s head. “He’s the reason we’re all here, together. He is the reason I’m going to marry Delilah in three months. He’s the reason Sam and Freya reunited. And he’s the reason Abe Royal is spending time, romantically, with Sloane. He’s the reason Codex exists.”
Abe smiled, looked down at his glass—cast a raised brow at me. “You told them we were romantically involved?”
“Oh, she didn’t have to tell us Abe,” Freya said. “It was obvious the second we saw the two of you together. We never knew you were such a reverse cougar. Damn.�
�
I held up a finger. “I believe I’m the reverse cougar in this situation.”
“I stand corrected.” Freya beamed.
Abe kissed my hand to the cheering laughter of his team. I winked, chugged my champagne to another roar of applause.
“To Bernard,” Abe said. “And to all of you.” He squeezed my hand tight as he set his glass down. “Contrary to popular opinion, I am a man able to love. And I might not be the best at showing it, or saying it, but I do love all of you. Very much.”
For once, Abe’s team didn’t tease or joke. They came around the table to wrap him in a messy and clumsy group hug.
“Aw, we love you too, boss,” Freya said.
And over the tops of their heads, Abe stared at me with the full force of his emotions, vulnerability and all.
I’m still here, I mouthed.
Outside this pub, Sherlock Society members were clamoring, gossiping, standing around in a daze. Cop cars took up the street, police officers patrolled and questioned people, and Bernard Allerton was on his way into custody.
And inside this pub, clutching a glass of champagne and smiling at Abe, I finally found my family.
48
Sloane
It was past dawn the morning after we’d caught Bernard Allerton. Abe looked relaxed and handsome in his sleep. There was no white whale to chase; he was no longer Ahab on an endless hunt. He was merely the brilliant man in my bed.
The brilliant, naked man in my bed. And I knew just the way he deserved to be woken up.
I crawled onto his naked body. His skin was hot from sleep. His eyes, still sleepy, fluttered awake. I kissed his chest. His smile turned dirty. His breathing hitched.
“Aren’t you a beautiful sight to wake to,” he said, voice gravelly. Rough.
I bit his nipple.
He hissed with pleasure. He wound his fingers in my hair and dragged me up. Our lips met in a kiss that was both harsh and tender, bruising and sweet. He looped my hair around his wrist, holding me in place. I could tell by the look on his face what he wanted to do. With a sly grin, I shook my head, kissed his jaw. Kissed down his strong throat—his chest, my fingers threading through the silver hair. Tugging. Another sharp breath from him, followed by a sigh. Sexy man. Strong man. Last night was the highlight of my professional career. And stepping through that hallway and into a room that held Bernard fucking Allerton was only made more perfect because Abe was by my side.
And last night, surrounded by Freya and Sam, Delilah and Henry, getting tipsy on champagne and laughing at their stories—I could feel the complicated knots of my heart unravel. Fall away. It was so much more terrifying to be vulnerable in this world. And so much more possible with a man like Abe, gently encouraging me to open.
“Sloane,” he whispered. A plea. His fingers were still in my hair, but my mouth was trailing open kisses down his stomach. So fucking gratifying to mess with this man’s control, to be the one to bring this level of unfettered pleasure onto his face. “What are you doing?”
“You know what I’m doing,” I said. I licked my tongue across his skin, tasting him. He groaned, fingers tightening. His cock was hard, like steel, pressed to my body the farther down I explored. The second I reached his cock I sat back on my knees to admire it—the delicious, veined length of him. All that primal, raw strength. It didn’t matter how many bespoke suits Abraham Royal had, how many college degrees or years of FBI agent promotions.
Beneath all of that was a hard, hungry man who was twisting my hair in his fingers and yanking my head to the right.
I ran my tongue along my teeth. “Do you have something to say?”
A snarl threatened to overtake his mouth. “I won’t last. Not with you. Not like this.”
I held his gaze. Lowered my mouth to his cock. “I believe in you.”
It was a privilege to take that man into my mouth, to take him as deep as I could. To taste him, tongue him, indulge in the simplicity of his moans, my sighs. His fingers, my hair. His cock, my mouth—the heady, rich taste of him was immediately addicting. And so was watching him come fully undone, give in to his urges when he had nothing to do except receive sexual pleasure. The harder he pulled my hair, the hotter I got, the deeper I took him, the more intense he became. Our eyes remained locked until he couldn’t stand it anymore—head falling back, hands dragging me off his cock and up his body. There wasn’t even a question. Abe shoved me back, kissed me breathless, and slid his cock slowly, slowly inside.
I dug my nails into his ass, pulled him harder against me. He groaned against my mouth. Gave me a hard, brutal stroke that made me cry his name.
“Sloane,” he said, setting a rhythm I loved, needed, craved.
“Ye-yes, yes?” I panted.
“When we get home, our real home,” he said, voice on edge. “I want to come to where you are. Or you can come to Philadelphia. I don’t care as long as we’re together.” His cock between my legs was a steady, driving thrust, and it felt so goddamn good I couldn’t handle it. I kissed him, clung to him, chanted his name.
“Abe, Abe, yes.”
“Yes, as in ‘don’t stop?’ Or yes to what I said?” He held my palms down, entwined our fingers. Rocked into me over and over and over. He was going to make me come before I could tell him ‘yes, please, I’ll go anywhere.’ Which I managed to pant out through a sloppy, fevered kiss.
“Can I come to you?”
“To Philadelphia?” he asked, smile starting to form. Sweat beaded on his brow. My toes were curling, back arching, nipples hard, sensitive.
“Please, I want…” God, this man. Only Abe knew I wouldn’t be able to ask for this, that I needed it to be fucked right out of me. “I want you. I want to be with you. Home isn’t… my home isn’t…”
His thumb swiped away a tear. He didn’t slow his movements but drove his cock into me harder, deeper, more intently. “It’s okay, you can tell me.”
Abe held my face tenderly. Which allowed me to say, “My home isn’t a home.”
“Mine either,” he whispered. He brought our mouths together. “You would make it one, though.”
I couldn’t speak coherently after that—I was so overcome with euphoria. We orgasmed together in a panting, sweating, nail-scratching mess. He swiped another tear, then another. But it just wasn’t possible for me to leave this man.
His chaos was too beautiful.
Our destinies were too fated.
49
Sloane
Three hours later and I was back in front of Louisa Davies, in her office at the library where Bernard Allerton would officially not be working at any longer. Especially once his trial started.
Louisa, to her credit, couldn’t contain her surprise or excitement as I unveiled the entire story to her. “He was living in a bookstore in London?”
I grinned, crossed my legs. “Adler’s. Behind a secret bookshelf. We’ll learn more soon, but it appears as though the Sherlock Society used that space all of the time for secret meetings or to store things like stolen books.”
She closed her eyes. “All this bloody time.”
“Hiding in plain sight,” I said. “Although, it wasn’t a bad spot. With the exception of Peter, who would ever know he was there? A lot more information will shake out in the coming days and weeks, and I’ll keep you informed of all of it.” I swallowed, lifted a shoulder. “Louisa, I need to be totally honest with you. I can’t claim sole responsibility for this contract.” I nodded at the sheet of paper. Nodded again, grimly, at the sizable check she’d had cut for me already. Money I’d earned and needed. It just didn’t sit right with me not to admit that I’d actually worked with a team.
“About a week ago, I partnered with Abe Royal and Codex, who flew out here to search for Bernard on their own. At that point, my leads were drying up and our deadline was looming. We helped each other. We were together when we captured Bernard,” I said.
She looked utterly surprised. “I… I don’t know what to say.”
> There was a knock at the door. And then Abe and Henry stepped inside. Both looking extra dashing in their suits, both looking extra relaxed, given the one thing they’d wanted had finally been achieved.
“Henry,” Louisa said. She stood up, clutched at her neck. “I so hope Abraham conveyed to you how thankful I was at the recovery of the Tamerlane.”
“He did,” Henry said. “Honestly, we were happy to do it. And Abe, Sloane, and I are just happy to see Bernard in the hands of the proper authorities. You know it’s been a long and emotional journey for us all.”
My heart did a strange, fluttery thing when Henry had included me. Abe caught my eye. Winked.
Louisa pressed a hand to her forehead. “I owe you an extraordinary apology. If I had believed you that night, we wouldn’t be in this atrocious mess. I can’t say I’m sorry enough, honestly.”
Henry touched her arm, which was a nice gesture. Because Henry Finch was a genuinely nice person. “I appreciate it. But he had us all fooled.”
“Still,” she said. “It’s the principal of the thing.”
She looked at Abe. “And I feel like I should have kept Codex instead of letting the authorities slow everything down for the past year.”
Abe gave a polite nod. “If you hadn’t waited and hired Sloane, we never would have met.” His smile grew. “It was fate.”
I had to look away to stop the heat that threatened to overtake my body. This fucking man.
“Abe and I were going to wander the campus for a bit,” Henry said to me. “Unless there’s anything else? We promise we’ll provide all the pertinent details regarding Bernard’s case and whatever happens next.”
Louisa was contrite. “You wouldn’t reconsider becoming a librarian again, would you?”
“No,” he said—immediately. “I’m a private detective for life now. Thank you for the offer. And one never ceases to be a librarian. I’m just more on the justice end of things.”
In the Clear (Codex Book 3) Page 31