I pull back, staring at him in disbelief. All this time, I thought I was being so clever, so sneaky. But Grey knew. He knew, and he protected me. I’m not sure whether to feel relieved or embarrassed.
Grey’s eyebrows raise. “By the way,why?I’ve been thinking about this for weeks now, and I just don’t get it. Why would you steal fish from the company?”
“There are thousands of them. Far too many confined in far too little space.” I look at Grey and see that he’s brightening the more I talk and distract him, so I elaborate more. “Neon tetras need space, plants, and hiding nooks made from rocks and driftwood. More than just a glass bowl.” I feel my cheeks flush. “It wasn’t easy, okay? Like, they are fast, and I couldn’t smuggle them out of there in broad daylight and…”
Grey chuckles softly, the sound vibrating through the quiet room. “So you became a fish thief. And here I thought your coding skills were your only talent.”
I roll my eyes, still feeling the heat in my cheeks. “It’s not like I had a choice. I couldn’t just leave them there to suffer.”
Grey’s expression softens, the amusement giving way to something warmer. “You’ve got a good heart, Amelia. Even if your methods are… unconventional.”
I look down, fiddling with the hem of my sleeve. “I just didn’t want them to be miserable.”
“And that’s why you became a criminal?”
I nod sheepishly. “Yes.”
Grey smirks, leaning in to kiss me more deeply. “What a villain origin story. The love of my life is a fish thief.”
I lean back, my heart skipping a beat at his words. “Love of your life?”
“What doyouthink?” he murmurs, his eyes searching my face. “I’ve never felt love like I feel for you, and if you don’t kick me to the curb, you’ll never get rid of me. I told you, this is a forever thing.”
My heart swells with emotion.
Forever with Grey Donovan?
I could think of worse fates.
I reach up, touching his cheek lightly. “You really mean that?”
“Every word,” Grey replies, unwavering. “You, me, and the guys against the world. Even if it means harboring a fugitive fish thief or being an accomplice of one.”
“I guess we’ll need a bigger aquarium, then,” I tease.
Grey chuckles, wrapping his arms around me. “We’ll get the best one money can buy.”
“I love you,” I whisper, leaning into him while he kisses my temple. “When do you expect to hear back from the hospital?”
“They said I should call them in a couple of hours when they’ll have the test results.”
“Okay, you rest, and I’ll set an alarm and wake you when it’s time.”
I’m incredibly thankful to have found someone who comprehends and embraces every aspect of me, even the part that involves fish heists.
The least I can do is be there for him now, as much as possible.
TWENTY-FOUR
Oliver,Misha, Grey, and I stand in a tense semicircle around Mr. Donovan’s hospital bed. The steady beeping of the monitor punctuates the silence, each sound a reminder of how close we came to losing him. The sterile smell of antiseptic lingers in the air, mingling with the faint scent from the flowers Oliver placed on the windowsill.
But he’s awake.
He woke up an hour ago, and as soon as we got the call, we piled into the Tesla and raced to the hospital. Morgan has been here through the night and almost the whole day today, reassuring Grey that he didn’t have to be here, too, as long as Mr. Donovan was still unconscious.
She was exhausted but smiling when we handed over Peanut in the parking lot before she headed home for a few hours of desperately needed sleep.
Now, Mr. Donovan sits upright in the bed, his skin pale like the white sheets, but the familiar warmth in his eyes is undimmed.
