“We’ll see.”
Honestly, it would surprise me if weweren’tsued.
I wouldn’t fight it. I’d give Marlow whatever his friends were asking for, save for shutting down the entire property.ThatI’d have to fight, if only to try and protect my granddad’s legacy he’d worked so damn hard to build.
I squeezed my eyes shut. I’d never forgive myself if out of the thirty plus yearsAustin Adventureshad been in business, I got it shut down in five.
Though at the same time, wouldn’t that be my karma?
Letting Marlow get hurt so badly he nearly died?
Maybe this was all the universe’s way of punishing me for being careless. For allowing myself a sliver of happiness and reckless abandon and getting myself tangled up in a man I had no business even entertaining, let alone holding a conversation with long enough to actually develop feelings for.
Marlow was in a different league of his own and wasn’t meant to be down in the dirt with the rest of us. He was a bird that was supposed to be sailing free on whatever breeze drifted onby, carrying him to whatever heedless destination he happened upon.
I was tied down to a single entity. Living and dying under my family’s legacy.
“Blake...” Marlow’s voice softened. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
His gentle laugh only served to make my eyes leak more, wetting the bandages covering his chest.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“Don’t be. What did you say to me? ‘You have nothing to be sorry for’. Same goes for you.”
I shook my head.
“Yes,” he replied, tugging at my hair.
How could he still want to be around me after all of this?
Why was this man so damn forgiving?
No one else would be acting half as happy to see me if they were in his shoes. In fact, they’d probably send their family after me to try and beat me up in the hallway for risking their family member’s life like that.
Marlow was such a damn enigma. One I doubted I’d ever fully understand.
His bright light was a warm and basking glow that anyone in their right mind gravitated toward immediately. Protecting something precious like that was important above all else.
“Hey, how about this,” he suggested. “I’ll talk Avery out of suing you if you come back to my place to take care of me.”
“You’re blackmailing him?” Silas drawled.
“It’snotblackmail. It’s anoffer.”
“Spoken like a true finance scumbag, bro.”
“Wow.”
The funny thing was Marlow didn’t even have totryand blackmail me. I’d go willingly, wherever he asked. No questions beyond whatever information he wanted to give me. I’d done the same when I’d teased him with the idea of joining him up at thepeak and packed my things the second he’d given me the green light to go to him.
“Don’t you have a manservant to take care of you?” Silas asked. “Oh, sorry.Butler.”
“He’s on vacay. I sent him to Cancun since I was going to be in Wakefield for six weeks. I can’t call him back now when it’s only been two weeks.”
“Speaking of which, you owe me.”
“Uh, no. Try again. I lasted way longer than a week.Youoweme.”
