Wizard lifted his chin in acknowledgment.
Then both men left, the door shutting quietly behind them. I stood motionless for a moment, processing everything I’d learned, letting it sink in. It was heavier than I’d expected. Not just the cover-ups and the lies, but the trust King had just placed in me. In Linden.
Taking a deep breath, I finally turned and strode out of Wizard’s office, the weight of my next conversation settling firmly on my shoulders as I walked toward my room.
I opened the bedroom door quietly and stepped inside, closing it behind me without a sound. Linden was sitting up in bed, a book open in her lap, her head tilted slightly as she read. The soft glow of the bedside lamp illuminated the gentle curve of her cheek and the delicate line of her throat.
My mouth went dry.
She was in my bed, wearing nothing but one of my T-shirts, the worn fabric clinging to her curves, accentuating her lush figure in ways that made my blood run hot. The hem had ridden high, exposing miles of smooth, bare thigh before giving way to a pair of tiny sleep shorts. Her honey-brown hair cascaded over her shoulder, loose and slightly tousled, begging for me to slide my fingers through it.
Heat pooled in my gut, raw desire mixed with an almost painful tenderness that I hadn’t experienced before her. My fists clenched at my sides, my breath quickening as I forced myself not to cross the room and drag her beneath me, forgetting everything else until the only thing left was her soft skin against mine.
But I couldn’t. Not yet.
Right now, she deserved to hear the truth about her brother.
The air thickened between us, and a quiet tension settled across her delicate features when I finally crossed the room and lowered myself onto the edge of the bed beside her. Linden closed the book gently and set it aside, her green eyes searching mine with quiet expectation. Her trust cut straight through me, leaving me momentarily speechless, but I gathered my words and finally spoke.
“We found some concerning information. You can’t go back to work, little dove. Not now. You’re gonna have to call in sick tomorrow or go ahead and quit if you want.”
Her brows knitted together, confusion flashing across her face. “Why? What’s going on?”
Taking a deep breath, I exhaled slowly, bracing myself for what I had to tell her. “The shit we’ve discovered about the flight logs. And your brother?—”
“About Carson?” Her breath caught sharply, and her fingers tightened in mine.
“Yeah,” I confirmed in a gentle tone. “Our guys are analyzing everything we can get our hands on. Flight logs, financial records, maintenance files, even the legal shit tied to all of this. Everything. But one thing we’re positive about is that your brother’s crash wasn’t mechanical failure. And it sure as hell wasn’t pilot error.”
She stared at me, her lips parted in shock and her breathing shallow. “Are you sure?”
I nodded slowly, keeping my gaze locked on hers, wanting her to see the certainty there. “We don’t have the black box data yet, but everything else points to it. Your instincts were right. The discrepancies, the secrecy—they’re trying to cover something up. Carson’s death wasn’t an accident.”
A tremor ran through her delicate frame, and she blinked rapidly, moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes.
“I knew it,” she whispered, her voice shaking with relief and sorrow all at once. “The story didn’t feel right, but everyone kept saying it was just grief. Denial. But I couldn’t stop wondering.”
I moved closer and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, dragging her onto my lap. “You don’t have to wonder anymore, little dove. The truth is coming out. Wizard will find the black box data, and we’ll have everything we need to prove it. But until then, you can’t go back. It’s not safe.”
She let out a strangled breath, the grief she’d been bottling up finally spilling over, mixing with the relief at knowing she wasn’t imagining things. Her slender frame shook with quiet sobs as the wall she’d built around her emotions finally crumbled.
My chest tightened painfully as she collapsed against me, her body trembling and her tears soaking into my shirt. I held her tighter, my hand stroking her hair as she cried. I didn’t speak, didn’t try to stop her tears. I just held on, offering my strength while she let it all out.
9
LINDEN
Iclung to Keegan’s chest like he was the only solid thing left in my world. My tears had finally slowed to hiccuping breaths, soaking the front of his shirt, but he didn’t seem to care. One massive arm banded across my back, while the other cradled the back of my head, his fingers threaded through my hair. He rocked us gently on the edge of his bed, the low rumble of his heartbeat steady beneath my ear.
“That’s it, little dove,” he murmured, his lips brushing my temple. “I’ve got you.”
I was both relieved and devastated, but Keegan had been my anchor through every sob. Now the storm had passed, leaving me drained…and achingly aware of how close we were.
His hand stroked slow circles between my shoulder blades. I felt the moment his touch changed—still gentle but heavier somehow. Like the control he’d been clinging to for days was finally fraying.
He tilted my face up with a finger beneath my chin. His stormy green eyes locked on mine, then he kissed me.
Somehow, this kiss felt like he was tasting me for the very first time. His mouth moved over mine, his tongue tracing theseam of my lips until I opened for him on a shaky sigh. He groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating through me, and angled my head to take the kiss even deeper.
