She wanted to say no. To walk away without looking back. But what would it be like, on the dig bum circuit in Oregon, California, Washington, and Idaho, knowing she’d walked away from Alec?
He’d—hopefully—win his election. She’d see him on the news nearly every night—because she’d scour C-SPAN if she had to.
“If you don’t move to Maryland for me, think of Gandalf. I’ve grown strangely attached to him. Surely you wouldn’t deny me the first cat I’ve ever thought was tolerable?”
She laughed. Gandalf had slept with them last night. She’d had Alec at her back and her kitty at her front as she closed her eyes to mark the end of the third worst day of her life. Nothing could top losing Vin and her parents.
“Two months. I’ll try it for two months.”
“No good. That’ll get us through the election, but if I win, not to the swearing in.”
“Fine. Four months.”
“That’s not enough either. Life would be in transition, not normal—or whatever normal would be if I’m a senator. I want an eight-month commitment. If I win, that would give us time to settle in to a routine, to find out if we’d really work as a team. Give us until next April.”
“You do realize that except for grad school, there are few places I’ve lived for eight months straight?” He couldn’t possibly guess what a big commitment this would be for her.
He kissed her nose. “Yes.”
“How do you know that?”
“The background information we gathered on you. I have every address you’ve ever listed on a government form.”
“That’s not even all of them. You’ve probably lived in the same house your whole life.”
“No. I bought an estate right before I left the Army.”
“Most people buy houses. You bought an estate?”
He shrugged. “Originally, I thought I was going to make it into some sort of military training ground—but then Raptor became available, and I bought that instead. So now I have a big old house on acreage in rural Maryland, and no one to share it with. Just think, Iz, Gandalf will love the forest.”
She laughed. “Well, okay, then, since Gandalf will enjoy it, I can try Maryland for eight months.” Her belly dropped at just saying the words. It was crazy how much this scared her. But at the same time, it was a good sort of scared. Exhilarating. Like a roller coaster.
But mixed with that exhilaration was trepidation. “People are going to talk about how we met—the Sun article made sure of that.”
“We’ll reframe it for them until our version eclipses the tabloid version.”
“How will we do that? Tell everyone I zapped you with bear spray?”
“No. We’ll point out your brother set us up. It just took a while for us to finally meet.”
Warmth flooded her, telling her that she was making the right choice in Alec Ravissant. He’d given the perfect politician’s answer, but she knew it wasn’t the politician speaking. It was the man. He’d said the smart thing, the right thing, and the truth.
Epilogue
Maryland
April
Isabel stood on the upper veranda and looked out over the garden. It was a show tunes sort of day, crisp and sunny. Cherry blossom time was a little late this year, and Alec’s Maryland estate was in full bloom, making it the perfect day for a wedding. If she didn’t know it would scare off the guests gathering below, she might belt out a song.
The event had been thrown together in less than a month, but then, once Erica finally agreed to bring their long engagement to an end, Lee wasn’t about to give her time to change her mind. Alec offered the estate for the ceremony and party, and surprisingly, Isabel enjoyed helping plan the celebration with Erica. The task had filled the long gap between temporary field projects.
She’d been offered a full-time job at Talon & Drake not long after she moved to the city, but had turned it down, afraid of the commitment. Now, eight months later, she knew Alec expected her final decision.
She’d known her answer for weeks but had yet to tell him. She was waiting for the right moment.
She left the veranda and returned to Alec’s bedroom suite, where Erica and her four bridesmaids, Mara, Trina, Undine, and Alexandra, were gathered, putting the final touches on Erica’s gorgeous hair.
“At least half the guests have arrived,” Isabel said.
The ceremony and celebration were relatively small, less than fifty guests, which seemed about perfect to Isabel. She’d accompanied the new junior senator from Maryland to dozens of political events in the last months, none with fewer than two hundred guests. After that, fifty was downright cozy.
Erica stood, and her gown unfurled. Simple and elegant, she was the perfect picture of a glowing bride. Lee was going to melt when he saw her.
There was a knock on the door. Trina jumped to her feet. “That’s probably Cressida. She’s bringing champagne for a preceremony toast.”
Sure enough, Cressida Porter was at the door. She’d been an intern last summer at Navy History and Heritage Command, where Mara, Trina, Undine, and Erica all worked. Isabel had first met the underwater archaeologist yesterday, but she’d heard a lot about her, especially given the legal troubles she’d had a month ago thanks to a rotten ex-boyfriend.
Accompanying Cressida was Alec. He nodded his head toward the guest bedroom across the hall. “I need to talk to you,” he said to Isabel.
She excused herself from the group and followed him into the room. He closed the door and pressed her against the panel.
“You’re going to ruin my lipstick,” she said right before he kissed her.
She liked that he didn’t really give a damn about things like lipstick.
She ran her fingers down his lapels, feeling very sorry that she couldn’t rip open his shirt, but it would ruin the tux. He looked great in a tux, and he even knew how to tie his own bow tie, a skill he’d probably learned when he attended Richie Rich’s school for loaded boys. It was a good thing, because as a senator, he’d had to don one more than once in the last few months.
Entering his world had been quite the culture shock, but she’d been adapting.
There was less sex in the kitchen than she wanted, because an estate of this size actually required a housekeeper and gardener. Every time she saw the marble counter, she seriously considered the need for downsizing.
“You look gorgeous,” he said.
“Thank you. You look pretty hot yourself.” She straightened his bow tie. “How are things with the groomsmen?”
“JT is moping because Alexandra wouldn’t talk to him, and he’s trying to hide how he feels from Lee.”
“Alexandra’s doing the same thing. I think Erica knows, but she’s too happy to let it bother her.”
“Lee’s the same way.” He pulled Isabel tighter against him. “All this wedding stuff is giving me ideas. You know, it’s been eight months.”
She smiled. “Has it? I hadn’t noticed.” The lie was so blatant, Alec laughed.
The first few months had been a struggle. Not being with Alec—that was never a struggle. It was the spotlight, the constant attention. That and every forest for a thousand miles appeared to have poison ivy, slapping a high price on long hikes to clear her mind.
Alaska might have bears, but the state didn’t have poison oak or poison ivy. And there was no old growth here. Nature somehow didn’t feel quite as…wild.
She’d also struggled with nightmares. Alec helped her through those long nights, waking her and holding her.
For his part, he’d remembered everything by the time they left Alaska, and he hadn’t suffered a single nightmare. He figured knowing he’d killed Godfrey had freed him from being haunted by dreams.
He’d made certain all but one copy of the videos of her being tortured had been destroyed. The remaining copy was on a USB drive in a safe, reserved for if she decided to view it in the hopes it would put an end to the nightmares. For now, she wasn’t ready and didn’t know if she’d ever
want to watch it.
Per her promise, she’d settled in and begun to build a life here, for the first time not planning her exit as she unpacked her bags. When Alec wasn’t busy learning his new role as US senator, time with him was her reward for living in this strangely foreign part of the country. She’d learned how to smile for cameras and even occasionally step up to a microphone and introduce him at public events. Since he’d taken office, she’d added talks about archaeology to elementary and middle school students to her repertoire of public outreach activities. But she’d made Mara join her for one of those talks—after all, the woman was married to the US attorney general, while Isabel was a mere girlfriend to a US senator.
The students were far more excited to meet Mara Garrett, and that was just fine with her.
“It’s been eight months to the day, in fact,” Alec added.
“I’ve been thinking… It seems like Gandalf really likes it here. It would be a shame to uproot him when he’s finally settled in.” Even though Isabel had an apartment in the city—a concession to voters who might’ve had a problem with Isabel moving in with Alec without exchanging vows—they spent more time at the estate, so Gandalf lived here.
Alec’s smile lit his topaz-blue eyes.
“And today, JT told me the job at Talon & Drake is still open.” She cocked her head. “What do you think? Should I take it?”
“I think it’s a great opportunity.” He frowned. “But there’s one thing left to be settled.”
“What’s that?”
“Your apartment. I think we should offer it to Chase Johnston when he starts his job at the DC office next month.”
She smiled, pleased Chase would be returning soon. She’d gotten to know him well during the months he’d been in the DC area working with the CIA to deconstruct what Godfrey and Westover had done to him. A month ago, that work had been completed and he’d been given a clean bill of both physical and mental health. Alec had sent the young man to his Kauai beach house for much needed recuperation prior to Chase starting his new job at Raptor’s home office. “I thought, because you’re a public figure, as long as we aren’t married, I need to maintain a separate address.”
“Exactly. But getting married would negate the need for an apartment.” The light in his eyes shifted as he stepped back from her. With his gaze fixed on hers, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box, then slowly lowered to one knee.
Adrenaline flooded her as the meaning sank in.
“I love you and want to share every facet of my home and life with you—officially. Will you marry me?”
Her heart hammered against her ribs. She didn’t know why this moment shocked her so much. It had been obvious they’d been headed in this direction from the start.
He opened the box to reveal the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen.
She’d known since Christmas she’d never leave Alec, but making the commitment legally binding was a giant leap from sort-of live-in girlfriend.
He smiled, undaunted by her hesitation. “I should mention that this ring comes with another piece of jewelry, but you have to accept the ring to get the other.” He stood and pulled out a second box. Inside was a diamond-encrusted pendant in the shape of an anchor.
The meaning behind the symbol took her breath away. She’d never been much of a jewelry person, but she wanted that necklace more than any piece of jewelry she’d ever seen in her life.
Alec Ravissant was a brilliant strategist. He knew how to exploit her weaknesses in the most wonderful, diabolical ways.
“Okay. I’ll marry you.”
He chuckled as he draped the necklace around her neck. He kissed the sensitive skin below her ear after he secured the latch. “I knew it would look beautiful with this dress.”
She turned to face him. “Today is Erica and Lee’s day. We should probably keep this a secret.”
“It’ll be hard if anyone notices this.” He slipped the ring on her finger.
She studied it, watching it spark and flash as she turned it toward the light. “People will notice. It’s beautiful.”
“It was my mother’s. My dad gave it to me a month after you moved here. If anyone asks, just smile and hold your finger to your lips. They’ll get a kick out of being in on the secret, and it won’t overshadow the wedding.”
She touched the anchor that rested high on her sternum as she gazed into Alec’s eyes. The last eight months hadn’t been easy, full of transition and discomfort, but they’d also been—by far—the happiest months of her life. “I love you, Alec.”
He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “I love you too.” He kissed her lightly. “Now, we have to decide. Honeymoon in Paris? I know a great little restaurant—”
“Ha! You keep promising me Paris but are too busy to take me. No. I think for our honeymoon we should go to a little cabin in the wilderness. Just you and me. A fireplace. And hot chocolate.”
“Sounds perfect, but promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“No bear spray.”
Thank you for reading INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE, I hope you enjoyed the journey with Alec and Isabel. The Evidence series continues in COVERT EVIDENCE. After being mugged while traveling in eastern Turkey, without money or passport, Cressida Porter must trust a handsome, enigmatic security specialist to help her. But Ian Boyd isn’t what he claims. He’s a CIA covert operator, and he witnessed Cressida receiving an envelope intended for a terrorist leader. Is the sexy grad student a conspirator or the innocent she appears to be?
Books By Rachel Grant
Flashpoint Series
Tinderbox (#1)
Catalyst (#2)
Firestorm (#3)
Inferno (#4)
Flashpoint Series Collection
Evidence Series
Concrete Evidence (#1)
Body of Evidence (#2)
Withholding Evidence (#3)
Night Owl (#3.5)
Incriminating Evidence (#4)
Covert Evidence (#5)
Cold Evidence (#6)
Poison Evidence (#7)
Silent Evidence (#8)
Winter Hawk (#9)
Tainted Evidence (#10)
Evidence Series Box Set Volume 1: Books 1-3
Evidence Series Box Set Volume 2: Books 4-6
Romantic Mystery
Grave Danger
Paranormal Romance
Midnight Sun
FIGHTING WORDS
Copyright © 2020 Taylor Danae Colbert
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, numerous places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. This book may not be resold or given away in any manner.
Published: Taylor Danae Colbert 2020
www.taylordanaecolbert.com
Editing: Jenn Lockwood Editing
Cover Design: Taylor Danae Colbert
ISBN:
Dedication
For you, Dad, and all the other good guys.
P.S. Please don’t actually read this book.
1
Maryn
I actually look pretty hot.
Keely did my hair, my blonde locks in these big, wispy waves down my back. I’m wearing one of her sequined halters—not one I would have purchased for myself, but I’m trying to be open-minded—black skinny jeans that almost required surgery to get on, and extra-high wedges. As far as I go, I’m looking pretty good.
I feel good, too. Exams are over. I graduate from Melladon University in less than a week. We’re going out to the beach this weekend, and I happen to know that Shawn Jacobs has personally asked if I’m going to be there.
I already had a job interview over video chat and have scheduled a second one back in New York at one of the t
op PR agencies in Manhattan. My family is coming down for graduation, and it’s just going to be an all-around great week. Starting with tonight. Shawn might be at the bar, and I’m ready for one last college fling. I need to get laid tonight.
“Ready, hoe?” Keely asks, bumping her hip into me to scoot me out of her way as she bends over the sink to re-apply mascara for the third time. I bump her back—I’ve got a lot more in the trunk than she does—to fluff my hair one more time and do a half-spin to double-check that my ass looks as good as I think it does.
“Ready, bitch,” I say. She smiles. Her red hair is extra fiery tonight, and I’m always jealous of how perfectly straight she can make it. She’s petite with almost no ass but double the chest you’d think someone of her stature would have.
I’m the exact opposite: fairly tall, awkwardly slender, with a decent-sized booty and absolutely nothing up front. We always joke that if someone slammed us together real hard, we’d make the “perfect” woman.
“We’re picking Ellie up on the way,” she says, and I nod, following her out of the bathroom. “Oh, then we are meeting Trey there. And Shawn,” she adds, pinching my side. I swat her hand away and smile. “Don’t forget your bag. We got a few hotel rooms, but I assume you’ll end up in Shawn’s.”
I sigh quietly as we walk out the door and commence with my Shawn daydreaming. He’s big, broad, and surfer-esque—just like a lot of the guys at Melladon—with shaggy blond hair and perfectly bronzed skin. He’s the most comparable thing to a human Ken doll you’ve ever seen. And I’ve been in his bed. Multiple times.
College was way too fun for me. I ran away from Long Island as fast as my high school legs could carry me and got down here to Melladon, this perfect little school on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Sunshine, warm weather, and most importantly, not a soul from my hometown. That’s the beauty of it.
Vote Then Read: Volume II Page 268