“And what’s that?” he asked, his voice more cautious now.
“My wife’s safety,” I said. “And my father’s demise.”
Tori
Chapter 29
Once upon a time, my father had been my biggest fan, the most avid supporter of my love for languages and word puzzles, and my strongest protector. I could still remember the time he and Michelle had taken me to a county fair when I was six years old, and I’d begged to go on the miniature roller coaster with its flashy blinking lights and multicolored flags that hung from the posts marking the first drop. It was hardly more than a hill, that drop, but sitting in that roller coaster car, it seemed like a mountain to me. As the nose of the car tilted upward, and we clinked along the track, getting higher and higher above the fairgrounds, I was instantly panicked. My stomach was full of butterflies. I’d grabbed for my father, who was sitting next to me.
“I want to get off the ride,” I told him. “I changed my mind.”
“Shh, I’ve got you,” he had soothed me, taking my hand in his large, strong one. “You’re a brave girl. After this little hill, it’s all smooth sailing.”
It turned out he was right. That first drop felt like flying to me, and I hadn’t just gotten through the ride—I’d loved it, laughing with every swoop and curve. My dad held my hand the whole time.
But now that I knew the truth about my father, about his involvement with KZM, the world had dropped out from under my feet. I had no father. I had no hand to hold.
Except I did. I had Stefan’s. I hadn’t just grown apart from my dad—I’d grown up. The most important man in my life was now my husband. And now that he had confided in me—about how he felt, and about his family’s business—I knew we were strong enough together to face anything.
I came home from school Monday night to find the condo empty, the cleaning staff having come and gone and Gretna’s dinner waiting in the stove for me and Stefan to enjoy. It was nice knowing that everything was taken care of, that I could just sit back and unwind as I waited for my husband to arrive.
When I heard the front door close, I looked up from the homework I had spread out across the table. He looked as handsome as always, wearing one of my favorite suits and a sleek silk tie. It made me want to tangle my fingers in it and pull him close for a nice, long, welcome home kiss.
But as I got up and approached him, I noticed that he looked more tired than usual, lines visible at the corners of his eyes and mouth. In the past, he would have put on a brave, stoic face and pretended that everything was okay just to avoid questions from me. Now, he was honest.
“Long day,” he said, setting down his bag.
“Good thing you’re home now,” I said with a smile, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in for a tight hug.
He immediately hugged me back, burying his face in my neck.
It made my heart soar with pleasure and love.
“You look tired,” I told him gently after I pulled back.
I smoothed his hair back from his face and he smiled at me, some of the exhaustion and tension easing from his forehead.
“Rough day at the office,” he said. “But I have some good news.”
I perked up immediately at that. “Tell me,” I demanded.
He laughed, relaxing his face even more.
“Come sit with me,” he said.
He poured himself a drink and then settled into the big leather chair in the corner of the living room that I often studied in. But it was big enough for the two of us, and I crawled into his lap, my fingers working to loosen his tie and undo the top button of his shirt.
He let out a sigh of contentment.
“Better?” I asked.
“Better,” he confirmed before dropping a kiss on my cheek.
“So what’s the news?” I asked.
He laughed again, shaking his head. “You’re not going to believe this, but I had a chat with your friend Gavin today.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
