Page 66 of Honor ’N’ Duty

“The key is to a bank box at our bank,” she read.

Key?

He snapped open his eyes and grabbed the envelope. When Laia shined the light inside, the beam reflected off a long, slim brass key.

A safe deposit box key.

“Keep reading,” he said in a hoarse voice.

“The box is registered in your maiden name. What’s in it is for you and Rosa. It’s the least I could do. Please know that despite everything that happened between us, I-I will…” She began sobbing openly. “Oh God, I can’t.”

Together, they read Josh’s last words in silence.

Thank you for staying with me all these years. I will always love you and Rosa. Josh.

Kade didn’t know what to think or what to say. All he felt now was a desperate and numbing sadness. For all that had passed between him and his brother during the last five years of Josh’s life. For everything Laia and Rosa had been through. It never should have gone down that way, and it was too late to fix it. Any of it.

Laia clasped her arms around her shoulders, weeping, her body shaking. Kade wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, but he couldn’t.

He set the letter on the seat between them. Though he and Laia were only inches apart, it might as well have been a mile.

Frustration rolled through him faster than an Army Thunderbolt jetfighter because even in death, Josh would always come between them.

…

Laia lost track of how long they sat there, saying nothing, each of them with their guts twisting in grief and guilt. It could have been seconds, minutes, or even an hour, so great was the overwhelming pain in her chest.

Kade cleared his throat. “I’ll turn the ledger over to Manny in the morning. He’ll get forensic accountants working on it. Maybe they can figure out the code. On the way to the office, we can stop by the bank.”

Whatever was in that box, Josh had intended for her to have. Assuming it was money, it was probably dirty. Drug money. “If there really is money in that box, then maybe this can all be over soon.”

“Maybe.” Oddly, he didn’t sound as enthusiastic as she’d expected.

“What do you mean maybe? You said that if we found the ledger, Fernando Colon could be charged with more crimes and be sent to prison again. Once he knows the government has the ledger, he’ll stop coming after me for it. And if we find money in the bank box, it has to be what Josh was skimming from Colon, right? We can turn that over, too. Won’t that eliminate all Colon’s reasons for following me?”

“I hope so.” In the dim light, she couldn’t miss his skeptical frown. “I think so, but it’s a little more complicated than that. He still thinks you have the ledger and the money. We need to work fast and turn everything over to the prosecutor, then make sure Colon’s attorney knows that you had nothing to do with it.”

“Then there’s hope. Right?” Hope for a future.

With Kade.

She refused to let anything from the past keep her from finally finding the joy and—dare she say it, love?—that she wanted. No, dammit.

Love that she deserved.

Sure, they’d have to find a way of keeping the past where it belonged. In the past.

If she could snap her fingers and bring Josh back to life, she would without hesitation. But his death was a glaring sign, blinking in bright neon colors and telling her that life was too short and too precious to screw up twice.

Emotions so strong and fierce raced through her blood. What she needed most right at this moment was reaffirmation of life. Finally, this was her chance, and she was taking it by the horns and never letting go.

Laia refolded the letter, then tossed it and the ledger on the dashboard. She shimmied across the seat, clasped Kade’s face, and drew his mouth down to hers.

“No, Laia. Not like this. Not now.” He tried pulling away, but she refused to release him.

“Yes, like this and definitely now. Don’t you want me?” She certainly wanted him, and it wasn’t just about the sex. Heavy, heart-wrenching emotions fueled the need to make love with him. Right here. Right now.

“Of course I do. I never wanted anyone more in my life.”