Page 135 of Reveal

“Not this one. I’ll raze it to the ground.”

“Really? Here in Greenwich?” His shock would be even greater if he knew what I was looking at.

“Yep. Here in Greenwich.”

“So you’ll be back, then?”

“Someday, yes.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Vaughn

“So that’s it?” Ella asks me, her grin beaming, her enthusiasm borderline annoying.

“I guess so.”

Shouldn’t I feel excited? I made this—Wicked Ways—into something that someone else wants. Something they are paying handsomely for. Shouldn’t I be proud of that?

I am.

I’m just exhausted in ways that no one can ever understand. There will be no more looking over my shoulder constantly. No more fear I’ll mix up who I am with the wrong person. No more hiding the money and trying not to trigger interest by the police despite all the precautions.

But it’s also a little bittersweet. Despite all the cons, there was something about being Madam Vee, something about running the business, that was empowering.

I smile at Ella. “If all goes as planned, it will be official by the end of next week. Upon your wire, I will transfer my book of business and everything else with it to you.”

“That’s great,” Ella says. “And the legal paperwork?”

I think of Ryker and the shock that’s going to be on his face when I ask him if he can help me write up the contract selling my assets to her. I don’t know why the thought fills me with even more pride.

“I’ll get the paperwork drawn up. You can have your lawyer look at it beforehand.”

“Perfect.”

“I think it would be smart to hold a joint conference call with all my ladies. That way they can see that I support you and your success, and so they don’t have to worry about how things might adjust as ownership changes.”

“I think that’s a great idea. Thank you. I’ll look at my calendar when I get back to my office and let you know some dates that work for me.”

“Sounds good.”

She reaches across the table and shakes my hand. “Do you mind me asking . . . why sell now when you’re just starting to make a notable name for yourself?”

“Sometimes you just know when to quit.” I stand from the table. “And it’s time to quit.”

I think of my immunity deal. How I’m walking away, hopefully unscathed. How you can only tempt fate—and the law—so many times before you end up being caught.

“I admire you for walking away.”

With one more smile and a bittersweet tug on my heart, I exit the bar.

Ironically, it’s the same one I met Ryker in that first night. I think of the nerves I felt, of the anger I held, and of the fear I had upstairs in the hotel room.

So much has changed since that night in so many ways. All for the better. All for the future.

It feels so strange to walk across the hotel lobby. To feel relief and not have the weight of the world resting on my shoulders.

Sure, Ryker paying off my bills will put me in a better standing with social services. Add to that the letter the FBI said they’d be providing today on my behalf. Adopting Lucy is far from a done deal, but for the first time since I started this process, I feel like I might just be seeing the light of day.