Harriet laughs. “Girl, you’ve got more guts than anyone I’ve ever met. Now, take your man upstairs and try not to break the bed or fall through the floor. But tomorrow, you go tell that boss of yours that she needs to replace you on a permanent basis.”
It might sound like Harriet is giving me orders, but she’s only reinforcing what I already know I need to do next. It’s time. I decided that when I was at Noble Art.
Lord, was that only two days ago?It feels like a lifetime. Maybe because my entire life has changed since then. I’m no longer alone in the world, fighting feelings of guilt, grief, and betrayal.
Now I have the man I love beside me, his promise to never keep secrets from me again, and my brother is somewhere working to end this and get back home to where I can slap him upside the head and then hug him.
Even with the little bit of fear I still have churning in my gut about Rafe hunting down a human trafficker, I feel better than I have in over a month.
All because of the man beside me.
Am I crazy to put so much faith in him so quickly? I refuse to think so. I see the way Kane looks at me. With everyone else, he might hide his truth, but he’s letting it shine with me.
He loves me, and he’s going to keep the promise he made.
There are certain things you justknow.
We leave Harriet after twenty minutes of listening to her incredible stories and make our way up to my apartment. I forgot how small it is until Kane is looming over me, filling the tiny space with not only his body but his presence.
I glance at him. “We need a bigger bed, don’t we?”
22
Kane
Temperance and I are both introspective as she drives to Seven Sinners, fighting morning rush-hour traffic in the Bronco. The passenger seat isn’t my normal spot, but Temperance needs to feel in control of her life. After everything I threw at her, I understand why she needs it, and I can give that to her. Hell, I’d give her anything. My blood. A kidney. An arm.
She’s already got my heart, and I never want it back.
I love youhasn’t exactly been part of my vocabulary in a long time. I’ve only said it to one other woman on the planet, and she doesn’t even know I’m alive.
These past few weeks, after my second “death,” I’ve thought a lot about Ma, and how much I’d like to see her again up close and not through binoculars or in pictures taken by Jeremiah. I’d like to tell her she still has a son. She’s not alone. That I love her, and the only reason I disappeared was forher. To give her a chance at a happy life, even if it didn’t include me.
But with Giles still alive ... it’s not safe. He’s seen my face now. If he heard about a man matching my description visiting Ma, he wouldn’t hesitate to dig into my background and try to figure out who I am.
Do I think he’d be successful?No.I’ve paid a fuck-ton of money to cover my tracks. But am I going to risk Ma’s safety if there’s even a remote chance that this could blow back on her?No way in hell.
Which means I keep my distance, regardless of what I want. It would be stupid to do anything else.
If only someone would put out a hit on Giles, things might be different. But no one has, and unlike in the situation surrounding Ransom, I’m not about to embark on vigilante justice when it comes to Giles. There are too many risks for only my own selfish reward.
When Temperance pulls into the blacktopped parking lot in front of the tall brick building that houses Seven Sinners distillery, she parks around the side, near the other employees’ cars. I’m sure it’s out of habit, one she’s about to break.
I assume that’s the reason for her silence—coming to terms with the fact that she’s leaving the job that has been the driving force behind her ambition for years.
“You okay?” I ask her as she turns off the SUV.
With a deep breath, she turns to me. “I think so. I know I need to do this.”
“Only if it’s what you want.”
“You told me I need to do it.”
I reach out and lay a hand on her thigh. “Because I saw how different you are when you talked about your art versus working here. There’s nothing wrong with this job. If you loved it and wanted to keep it, I’d be one hundred percent for it. But since you don’t seem to want to split your time anymore, I say go after the one that gets you closest to your dream.”
She nods. “I just ... I’m worried about how Keira is going to react. She’s done so much for me, and now I feel like I’m letting her down.”
Ah. So that’s it.