Her limited clothing options from the lost and found box included a lime-green Maxwell the Martian T-Shirt two sizes too big and black sweatpants one size too small. She looked like she was headed to a galactic yoga class. There were worse looks—for example, dirty, ripped men’s prison clothing from an escaped criminal mastermind aided by her worst nemesis.
She towel-dried her hair then finger combed and fluffed her bangs as best as she could before putting the whole damp mess into a ponytail. She shook her head, decided it was at least a step up, and exited the bathroom into the main room of the VIP quarters.
Wyatt insisted on waiting for her before they both headed to the conference room for what Diesel called thewe are lucky this turned out so welldebrief. He stood up the moment she entered the room, took one look at her outfit and a wide grin shaped his luscious mouth.
“Don’t even say it.”
“What?”
“This outfit is atrocious.”
“It’s not that bad. I really like the tight black sweatpants.”
“You would.”
Valene studied Wyatt, grateful he hadn’t run screaming the first time they brought him into the basement area. She loved him so much and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, but simply couldn’t take him from his family. Her decision was made. Final answer.
Seeing Daphne Charlene’s parents drugged while watching television like they had no life left in them made her think that’s what Wyatt’s parents would look like if she took him from them forever. She couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t make others miserable for her own happiness.
Valene planned to discuss her decision with Gage before the meeting so he could prepare the memory wipe. This debrief meeting would be her last time together with Wyatt. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she sped her pace. “We’d better get going, we don’t want to be late.”
“After the meeting, we’re going to have a serious discussion about our future, okay?”
Valene nodded. “Yes. We definitely are.”Unfortunately, you’ll have to forget all about me.But I’ll never forget you.
Hand in hand, fingers twined, they made their way to the conference room. She pointed to two chairs at the end of the table and told Wyatt to snag them while she talked to Gage. He kissed her cheek and did what she asked.
Sidling up next to her brother, she said in a near whisper, “Gage, I need you to set up a memory wipe for Wyatt. I need it to go back a year. Before we met.”
“What?”
The shock in his tone surprised her, but Valene was resolute. “You heard me.”
“I thought he wanted to marry you.”
“He does, but I can’t let his family suffer. I just can’t. I can’t be happy at his family’s expense.” Her eyes filled with unshed tears. “Please.”
“Have you talked to Wyatt about it?”
“No.”
“You should.”
“I can’t. I don’t want him to talk me out of it.”
“You should still discuss it with him, Valene. He obviously loves you.”
“And I love him, but it doesn’t matter. This is the way it has to be. Please, Gage.”
Gage looked unhappy, but after a few seconds he nodded. “I’ll have to get Cam to help me, but I’ll get it set up.”
“Thank you.” Valene breathed a sigh of relief, vowing to let her emotional girly-girl side have a good cry later. For now, she’d spend her last few minutes with Wyatt, soak up his warmth and then say her final good-bye.
Skeeter Bite, Arkansas Sheriff’s Office, two weeks later
Diesel pulled his SUV into a wide space in the parking lot behind the sheriff’s office and killed the engine. It wasn’t that he cared if anyone saw them here, but he didn’t want to call attention to them in case things didn’t go according to plan.
