“Justno? Flat out? We can’t even discuss it?”
“Nope.”
“Even maximum security prison has visitation,” I pointed out
“Gravewatch doesn’t.”
I stared at him for a moment, studying the unyielding set to his features, then shrugged. “We’ll circle back to this at a later date.”
He shook his head in exasperation. “Gwen—”
“So,” I said, quickly changing the subject as I walked back to rejoin him on the bed. “Once you figure out where she’s stashed or pawned the jewels… what’s the plan? You’re not going to hand her over to the O'Banions, are you?”
“When we get the jewelry back, we’ll arrange a meet with the O'Banion boys. We hand it over, the debt is cleared, Zelda splits town before they can seek retribution… and we hope like hell Mickey and his brothers don’t get it in their heads to chase her down just for sport.” He paused. “Either way, she’s out of Salem, out of our lives, for good. Our involvement ends there.”
“And if she doesn’t want to leave? What then?”
“Too bad for her.” He shrugged. “Zelda made her bed, Gwen. You can’t save her. You’ve already done far more than she deserves, bringing me and my boys in on her behalf.”
“But—”
“You think Mary O'Banion is the only little old lady she’s conned out of her precious jewels? You think there isn’t a trail of stolen inheritances stretching from Salem to Providence and back? Jennifer H. Custer has been operating her Madame Zelda scheme for a while. Only difference is, this time she picked the wrong mark.” He reached out and ran his fingertips along my cheekbone. “I know you’ve got a bleeding heart hidden under all your sass, baby, but I personally don’t have a whole lot of sympathy where that charlatan is concerned. If I had my way, she’d already be rotting in a jail cell.”
I leaned my head into his touch, sighing contentedly as he stroked my skin. “Graham?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for doing all this for me.”
He was silent for a long beat, just staring at his thumb as it moved back and forth on my cheek. “You don’t have to thank me, Gwen.”
“Why?”
“Not keeping you safe for your sake. Keeping you safe for mine.” His eyes were intense. “If anything happened to you…”
“Nothing is going to happen to me.”
In a flash he’d pulled me onto his lap, settling back against my headboard with his arms wound tight around me. I could feel the tension thrumming through him. His chest moved rapidly as he struggled to regulate his ragged breathing. His lips hit my hair and his voice, when he spoke, was almost inaudible. “What are the odds I could convince you to leave town until all this blows over? Spend Halloween with me on a beach in Virgin Gorda. We’ll drink rum, fuck in the sand, fall asleep under the stars…”
“Sounds like a dream,” I whispered.
“Say the word, I’ll make it a reality.”
I tilted my head up to look into his eyes and felt my breath hitch in my throat. They were deadly serious. He wasn’t joking at all. I knew, if I so much as nodded, he’d have two tickets to paradise booked within the hour.
It took every shred of responsibility I possessed to murmur, “Let’s go for Thanksgiving instead.”
His eyes filtered through several intense emotions — none of which was surprise. He’d known I’d never agree to leave. He’d asked anyway.
Pure Graham.
“I could do Thanksgiving,” he said softly.
“You wouldn’t miss it?”
“Dry turkey and family squabbles or you in a bikini and an overwater bungalow?” He shook his head, like I was an idiot. “Babe. No contest.”
I swallowed hard, trying not to start blubbering.