Culmination (Clandestine Affairs, #3)

by Tessa Teevan

  “Thank you, Rafe,” Brie whispers, climbing onto the bed and resting against me, her chest to my back. Soft hands slide around my neck and settle on my chest. “You didn’t have to let Adrian go, but you did. That was kind. It means a lot to me.”

  “He saved your life, Brie. Hell, he saved mine. He ended this nightmare for us once and for all, when I couldn’t.”

  “Rafe, you may not have pulled the trigger, but you had as much to do with ending this as he did. Besides…I’m glad it was him. I think… I think Adrian can handle what he’s done. But you? I wouldn’t want that guilt on your conscience.”

  I could sit here and tell Brie it wouldn’t have been the first time I’d have had to discharge a weapon in the line of duty. I could allow masculine pride to swell, insisting that Adrian wasn’t more of a man because he could handle the guilt. I could…

  But why? None of that matters. It won’t change anything.

  So, instead of speaking, I wrap my woman in my arms, right where she’s meant to be, and whisper words of love that will never, ever get old.

  “Are you sure about this, Rafe?” Brie asks as we stroll along the Magnificent Mile.

  It’s our last night in Chicago before our brief return to Philadelphia, where I’ll hang up my badge for good. I stop, turn her in my arms so she’s looking up at me. My hands cup her cheeks. I wish I could make her feel the relief that courses through my blood.

  “Baby, I’ve never been more sure of anything. This was the first case I took, and I want it to be my last. I wanna be Rafe Matthews of Matthews Construction. I want to settle with you, our baby, and just be at peace. For both of us.”

  She smiles warmly at me. “You don’t know how good it is to hear you say that. I feel like I’ve been consumed with grief for years and now I can finally, truly move on.” Then she nibbles at her lip.

  “What, baby?” I ask.

  “Now that the case is wrapping up, do you know what they plan on doing with Adrian?”

  The subject of my brother hadn’t come up in the weeks since he killed Theo. I was still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing, and I knew Brie was, too. She’d taken it well when I’d told her all about Helene’s visit, and we’d both agreed she’d pretend she was none the wiser. The less Theo thought she knew, the better.

  And now that it seemed we could finally put it all behind us, what’s the point on dwelling on something neither of us can change? Now that she’s asking about Adrian, it’s a subject I can no longer avoid.

  Not that I was trying to. I’m at peace with Adrian Morningstar. I just want to make sure Brie is as well.

  “My one request upon leaving the agency was that they classify him as an innocent in this. They didn’t like it, but I was able to convince them. I don’t know where Adrian is or what he’s doing. Hell, he’s probably out of the country, in hiding. I wouldn’t blame him. But he has nothing to worry about. He won’t be brought up on any charges. As far as anyone knows, I took Theo out when he pointed the gun at you. That’s the official story.”

  Brie is silent for a moment before she links her arms around my neck. “Thank you,” she whispers, her eyes gazing into mine. “You didn’t have to do that, but you did anyway. Your heart is always in the right place. It’s part of why I love you so much.”

  I press my lips to hers. “Adrian saved your life. He saved our child’s life. Hell, he even saved mine. I know what it’s like to have a brother. He doesn’t. I can give him this.” I pause, shaking my head, still unable to process just who he is to me. To Brie. To our unborn baby. “I’m more thankful for your safety than anything. And I trust—I know—he won’t ever hurt you again. It’s over, baby. It’s finally over.”

  She lifts onto her tiptoes and kisses me. “Let’s go home.”

  THE NEXT FEW WEEKS are more of a whirlwind, which I guess became par for the course since the day I met Brie. After we’re given the all clear to leave Chicago, we head to Philadelphia to pack up the remnants of our lives there. With Theo’s death, Adrian’s disappearance, and my early retirement, the agency all but tells us we’re no longer necessary for whatever case they may still be trying to build. If any. Now that he’s dead, I’m sure they’ll look for lower fish to fry, but it’s not my damn problem anymore.

  And I couldn’t be any fucking happier about putting that chapter of my life behind me.

  Theo’s entire company basically imploded from the inside out. If there had been any hope of saving his operation, it all went up in smoke when it became clear Adrian wasn’t stepping in to run the company or salvage his father’s not-so-good name.

  Now that Brie has her answers, it’s time for me to get some of my own. Except, now that I’m here, standing on my parents’ front porch, I’m not so sure I’m ready for this.

  This whole thing is unnerving. I’ve never felt so out of place in my life, especially at the one place I called home for all of my childhood.

  Brie takes hold of my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “It’ll be fine,” she whispers, her free hand coming to rest on her ever-growing baby bump. “Everything will be just fine, Rafe.”

  I inhale deeply then squeeze back, tossing her a teasing smile. “You’re the one about to meet the parents. Shouldn’t I be reassuring you?”

  Her smile softens as she gazes at me. “They raised you, didn’t they? What have I got to be worried about?”

  And just like that, my beautiful girl puts me at ease. Before I can respond, the red front door swings open and my mother stands there with a beaming smile, her eyes shining brightly.

  I take a moment to drink in the sight of the woman who raised me, and I realize that it doesn’t matter who gave birth to me. This woman took me in, saved my life, and made me the man I am today. I’m nothing but thankful for her. She’s my mom. Always will be.

  When I lean in and kiss her cheek, she blushes.

  “Oh, honey. You’re so sweet,” she says then pinches my arm. “Now, introduce me to this beautiful woman you’ve brought with you.”

  I take a step back and slip my arm around Brie’s waist. “Mom, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Gabriella.”

  My mother’s eyes round with excitement. “Oh, Rafe! You didn’t tell me you were engaged. Oh, and with a baby on the way.” She holds her arms out and takes Brie into them, giving her a gentle hug. When she pulls away, tears fill her eyes. “Gabriella, welcome to the family.”

  That’s all it takes to send my pregnant girl bursting into tears, much to the horror of my mother.

  I shouldn’t do it, but when I take in the sight of the blubbering pair of them, I burst out into laughter, doubling over, feeling joy for what feels like the first time in forever.

  This is when I know that everything, all of it, is going to be okay.

  A short while later, once we’re settled in the living room and all introductions have been made, all tears from Brie mopped up with tissues, I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. I don’t know how to say this, so I just come right out with it, as blunt as can be.

  “Why didn’t you ever tell me I was adopted?” I ask.

  My mother gasps, and my father chokes on the sip of water he’d just taken.

  “Rafe,” Mom begins. Then she pauses as she looks at my father, searching for assistance.

  “Look, before this goes any further, you need to know I don’t blame you. It was a shock, yeah, finding out, but no matter what, you’re still my parents. You always will be.”

  Brie grabs my hand and squeezes tight. “What Rafe is trying to say is… Nothing has changed for him. We still both consider you our child’s grandparents and we can’t wait for you to dote on this little one. He just…has some questions.”

  Dad nods then clears his throat, but it’s Mom who speaks up first.

  “Your father and I tried for the longest time to have children of our own, but it seemed it wasn’t in the cards for us. Medicine wasn’t as advanced back then as it is now, and we couldn’t afford the expensive fertility treat
ments.”

  My eyebrows knit together and I interrupt her. “What about Michael?” I ask. “Is he adopted, too?”

  Mom’s eyes soften. “No, dear. He isn’t. You see, only a few months after you came along, I found out I was pregnant.” She lets out a small laugh. “Life’s funny that way, I suppose. Your brother…” She pauses for a brief moment and then offers a soft smile. “Michael was an accidental surprise. A pleasant blessing. But, Rafe, you must know, we never loved you any less because you didn’t come from our blood. That didn’t matter to us. You were ours, no matter what.”

  Before I can respond, Dad clears his throat and then chimes in.

  “It’s true, son. For the first year or so, we were terrified your father could show up at any time, any day, and demand you back. Your birth mother wasn’t entirely clear on why she needed to keep your birth a secret, but she did tell us that your fa—the man with whom she conceived—would do you both harm if he ever found out about you.”

  Mom takes over for him. “But as time passed, it became clear that no one was coming for you. Like I said, you were ours. That’s all that mattered to us. That’s all anyone ever had to know.”

  Brie and I share a look, both of us knowing we have so much to fill them in on. Yet I still have so many questions.

  “Wait. Let’s back up a second. You didn’t do fertility treatments, so what was next? You went to an adoption agency?”

  My parents exchange a glance and I don’t miss the way my mom toys with the hem of her sweater.

  “It was a closed, private adoption,” she says. “You see, we were about to start looking into adoption agencies when I received a call from an old friend of mine, Helene. She was an exchange student here at my high school and we’d hit it off. Unfortunately, those were before the days of the internet, and long-distance calls cost more money than my parents were willing to spend. Helene and I spent a few years exchanging letters, but as time passed, they were fewer and farther between until one day I realized our communication had dropped off completely. Imagine my surprise when she showed up on my doorstep with a small bundle. You.”

  The agent in me takes over. “Weren’t you worried I was kidnapped? You just accepted a baby from someone without question?”

  “No, Rafe, of course not. I knew you were hers the moment she handed you over to me. The anguish was etched so severely on her face that there was no question she was giving up her own child. For a split second, I was afraid she was going to change her mind. It was such a conflicting day for me. For all of us. I can’t describe the happiness I felt to have a baby to love, to raise. Yet, I couldn’t stop thinking of the sorrow in Helene’s eyes.” Her glistening eyes meet mine, and for the first time, I want to thank Helene for choosing this woman to be my mother.

  If she had to give me up, she couldn’t have chosen better parents for me.

  “I love you, Rafe. I always have and I always will, just as if I’d given birth to you. And Helene? She loved you, too. Enough to give you up for your safety when it was obviously the last thing she wanted to do.”

  My father decides to chime in. “Helene wasn’t exactly forthcoming. She said the less we knew, the better. Just that she was in danger, and we had to keep your adoption a secret.”

  “Even from me?” I ask, though the answer is obvious.

  “Yes, son, even from you. No one could know you were adopted. If they thought you were truly ours—which you were—no one would have any questions.”

  Brie nods beside me. “That makes sense, Mr. Matthews.”

  Dad smiles warmly. “I told you, Brie. Call me Cameron.”

  She beams. “Of course. I have to ask. Did you know about Helene’s parentage?”

  Mom appears confused as she exchanges a look with my dad. “All I knew was that she had a single mother who was a dressmaker back in her home country. She never knew her father.”

  Brie offers me an expression that says, Do you want to tell them or should I?

  Spending time with Rafe’s family has been fantastic, but when his mother asks us to stick around for coffee and dessert, I yawn. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Matthews. I’m afraid I’m worn out. Can we take a rain check?”

  Relief crosses Rafe’s features. Even after everything we’ve been through and us trying to find so some sort of normalcy, this day has been overwhelming for him. In the span on a few months, his life changed entirely. I like to think the changes with me are welcome, but I have a feeling he needs to decompress after everything he learned today.

  We exchange promises of getting together soon, and Rafe’s mom insists on helping me find a doctor in the area—if we choose to stay around here, of course. We haven’t discussed what we’re going to do, where we’re going to settle, and I don’t care because as long as I’m with him, I’ll be happy anywhere.

  Less than an hour later, we’re lounging on the swing on the back deck of our rental home. Rafe’s arm lays loosely around my shoulders, and I lean my head against his chest, enjoying the unusually warm evening. The sounds of nature fill the air around us, and for the first time in so long, I’m at peace.

  “Where do we go from here?” I ask, gazing up at him.

  Rafe’s piercing, blue eyes stare back into mine, nearly causing me to melt at the love I see reflecting in them. He leans in close, stopping just before his lips touch mine. “We’re free, baby. We can go anywhere we want.”

  WARM HANDS WRAP AROUND my waist as I gaze down into the tiny bassinet by our bedside. Our son, Elijah Andrew Matthews, sleeps soundly for what feels like the first time in weeks. His birth, unlike my pregnancy, was smooth and uncomplicated, and it lasted just under four hours. Apparently, our little guy was as anxious to meet us as we were to meet him.

  Not that it mattered. It could’ve been the most disastrous delivery, but as long as he was here and he was safe and happy, I’d have gladly gone through any struggle.

  Before his birth, Rafe and I decided to get married low-key, without fanfare. His parents and his brother, Michael, were there, of course, but the day was solely about us pledging our lives, our love, and our faith to each other. The following morning, we left to enjoy a combined honeymoon and babymoon, spending the next two weeks relaxing on the beach in Florida. Sure, it wasn’t a Fiji vacation or anything, but seeing as I was nearing my third trimester by that point, Rafe wouldn’t even hear of my leaving the country.

  Now, we’re settled in Ohio, living in blissful peace on seven acres of wooded land only a few miles from his parents’ place. I never would have asked Rafe to leave the agency, not if he loved the work he was doing, but to my immense satisfaction, he decided he loved running Matthews Construction and I found I had a knack for keeping the books. With a newborn, it’s the best of both words. If I’m not home with the baby, I’m on site with Rafe, Elijah settled into the Pack ’n Play while I try to get work done.

  For the first time in my life, I’m content. We begin our days together, spend them in close proximity, and go home as a family unit. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Things with Helene are surprisingly comfortable as well. After discussing things over with me, his parents, and later on his birth mother, Rafe announced that she’d be Aunt Helene, a family friend the Matthewses had fallen out of touch and then recently connected with.

  After all, we’d seen the whirlwind in the media once the royal house announced Adrian’s true lineage, and Rafe wanted no part in this circus. Adrian, naturally, had gone underground and no one has seen him since photographers caught sight of him landing on the tarmac at Akinos, where I hope he’s spending time getting to know his mother and healing in so many other ways.

  “Baby, come back to sleep.”

  Rafe’s stubble tickles the skin on the back of my neck. Shivers run down my spine in contrast to the warmth of his breath. I turn and stare up into eyes I’ll never tire of looking at.

  “Before we go to sleep, there’s something I need to show you.”

  A tension line wrinkles his forehea
d, but he doesn’t say a word.

  “I’ll meet you in the bedroom,” I tell him, rising onto my tiptoes and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

  I head to the front hall, where I placed the package shortly after it had arrived. Rafe’s in bed waiting for me when I bring the box to him. It’s a rare day when I work from home, and when the package arrived unmarked but posted from Akinos, I knew who it was from, but it didn’t feel right to open it without Rafe.

  “What’s this?” he asks, his brows furrowing at the lack of return address.

  “I think… Well, it could only be from one of two people, and Aunt Helene already sent Gabriel hundreds of gifts.” I take a deep breath. “So I think it could be from Adrian.”

  I expect Rafe to stiffen at the sound of his name, but he surprises me. He picks up the package and hands it to me.

  “Then let’s open it.”

  With trembling fingers, I tear into the box and pull out a gorgeous baby-blue onesie made of the most beautiful cloth I’ve ever felt. Tears well in my eyes at the thought of Adrian picking this out for our child.

  I glance up at Rafe. “Is it weird? That our baby is his nephew?”

  Rafe shrugs then gives me a goofy grin. “It could be. We could dwell on all that’s passed, but why? We’re together, we’re happy, we’re a family. The three of us. And if Adrian wants to play uncle from afar, I’m not going to fight him or you over it.”

  Warmth fills my heart. I place a hand on my husband’s cheek and gaze into adoring ice-blue eyes. “I love you.”

  He gives me a quick kiss then holds up a letter I didn’t see tucked into the box. My fingers unfold the sheet of paper, and my eyes fall onto Adrian’s perfectly scripted handwriting.

  Gabriella,

  I’m sending this to extend my utmost congratulations on both your recent marriage and the birth of your firstborn son. I was pleased to hear it was a swift delivery and all are well.