By the time I’d given my statement to the police and security had informed Leland it was all caught on surveillance, the authorities hauled Leland into the car and took him away.
Deep in my gut, I knew this fix was temporary, and he’d find a way to get back at me, even from across the ocean. I just didn’t know when it would come.
By the time we got in the car to go home, I was numb. Carson decided we should order dinner for delivery, rather than delaying our arrival at home. He held my hand as we drove, but let me be until he pulled into the garage.
He cut the engine and turned to look at me. “Are you okay?”
Nodding slowly, I assessed my mental state. “Yeah. I am. Just surprised he came all this way, but at the same time, I’m not. He must be feeling desperate. Maybe he knows I’m on to him.”
Carson put his hand on my shoulder. “It will be over soon. And he has no idea how much he’s fucked himself over by coming here like that. Just wait. It’s going to be fine.”
I took a deep breath and clung to his words. “Think we can get in the jacuzzi for a while and watch the sunset?”
He grinned. “I think that can be arranged.”
“Good. Then order us some food and let’s get going. I need you to fuck me into the mattress later.”
Carson laughed. “I can do that.”
After dinner and the endless duties of being pet parents, we climbed into the warmth of the hot tub. The pain was blooming from the game, making the bubbling water a balm for the physical injuries as well as the mental ones.
Carson sat across from me, his legs outstretched around mine, with his eyes closed. Even in the safest place imaginable, he was protecting me.
The late evening sky was a burst of orange and hot pink before sinking into purples and dark blues that brought the darkness.
Carson closed his legs, drawing our knees together. His smile was heartbreakingly warm as he looked at me.
“What are you thinking about?”
He leaned forward and lightly massaged my thigh muscles.
I shifted my gaze over his shoulder at the ocean. “My apartment faces east, so this view was never mine. It’s always been there, but I never saw it. The gradual change happens so slowly, without even noticing it. And I was oblivious to it all.”
My eyes met his. “I’m used to being left in the dark of night to pull myself together, only to start all over alone at sunrise.”
Carson’s eyes burned into mine with an assurance I’d never seen before. “You’re not alone anymore. I’m here to ride out the darkness and rise with you into the light.”
I was afraid to hope, but if anyone would, it was him.
Chapter 21
Carson
We sat around Lennox’s pool Monday afternoon, enjoying the sun and steaks he’d grilled. It was just what we needed after the clusterfuck in the parking lot.
Of course, the guys were curious, and Colin decided to let them in on the investigation. What I didn’t expect was for him to be so open about the other part of their relationship.
“Do you have a contract with him?” Hudson asked. The governor had been listening intently to the conversation. “Because you have a lot of recourse. If you were here in the States, it could get very nasty.”
Evan leaned over to Colin. “He’s also an attorney.”
Colin nodded. “Yes, sir. George, Carson’s father, is looking into everything. This is just the tip of the iceberg, unfortunately. He doesn’t know that we’ve discovered his impropriety.”
I bumped my knee against his simply because I needed to touch him.
The governor smiled kindly at Colin. “Call me Hudson. I’m not on duty while I’m here. I am, but not officially. If you need something while you’re here, my staff can assist until January.”
“Official enough for Thomas to be here,” Evan added, then motioned to the governor’s personal bodyguard sitting acrossthe pool. Mason’s eyes kept drifting that way, but no one said anything. I just happened to notice, because I’d spent so much time avoiding eye contact with Colin, and knew that look.
