Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 133321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 667(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133321 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 667(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
His hands come down on my face. “I love you.”
“I know you love me. And you know I love you. It’s enough, Grayson. It’s more than enough. It’s everything. I can handle this. Trust me not to let you down.”
“Mia—”
I press my lips to his and this time his hand cups the back of my head and his tongue strokes mine, deep and sultry.
A few minutes later, we’re in the hallway with Blake in front of us and Adrian behind us. Once we’re all in the elevator, Blake starts handing out instructions. “The press hasn’t found you here. We’ll be fine exiting the side door, but once we’re at your offices, all bets are off. The press is everywhere.” He eyes Grayson. “Reese Summer is going to meet you here tonight.”
I look between them. “Why are we meeting with a criminal law attorney that doesn’t even work for our firm?”
“Because he’s the best of the best and I trust him,” Blake replies.
“Why do we need him?” I counter.
“We’re not giving the FBI a chance to twist anything Ri has done into guilt that lands in the wrong place,” Blake says. “And we want someone who has no conflict of interest and a reputation for only defending the innocent.”
“The innocent?” I demand. “Grayson was attacked. He’s a victim the FBI should be protecting.”
Grayson slides his arm around me. “Relax, baby. We’re making sure this doesn’t just end. It ends our way.”
I’ve done everything I can to block out Ri holding me at gunpoint and then dying right in front of me. But it’s not his death haunting me now, it’s the evil in that man that still lives on.
Chapter fifty-nine
Mia
Nerves I don’t want to feel jump around in my belly as we load up in the black Escalade with us in the back, Adrian behind the wheel and Blake in the passenger seat. Grayson and I are side by side, his leg pressed to my leg, his hand on my knee, just beneath my skirt. His hand is warm, strong, possessive, and after fearing I’d never feel his touch again, wonderful. What’s not wonderful is the prison of press and past history that seek to control this day, but the sooner we’re past this awkward stuff, the better.
The drive is short, and good Lord, when we turn the corner to our destination street, the building that houses the offices of Bennett Enterprises is swarming with reporters. Adrian pulls us to a side entrance where Grayson exits and helps me out, and to my shock, we enter the building without much trouble, and with relief, we head upstairs in a service elevator. The space is small to share with three large, testosterone-loaded men, and Grayson is quick to pull me in front of him and hold me close. Tension radiates off of him and it’s then that I realize just how much pressure he’s under. He’s literally got an empire on his shoulders, the FBI breathing down his throat, and TMZ and the gossip rags won’t even allow him to just be secure with us. I need to be the person who eases his stress, not adds to it.
Adrian exits the car first and Grayson and I follow with Blake on our heels. We’re now in a hallway that is a short walk to the main elevator banks. Grayson slides his arm over my shoulders. “You nervous?” he murmurs near my ear.
“I’m good,” I promise, but the truth is I’m not sure he is and that has me determined to be his lighthouse in stormy waters, or at least a boat, that won’t sink and keeps him from drowning.
I halt and give Grayson a look. He eyes Blake over my head. “We need a minute.”
Blake and Adrian move ahead of us, which means that obviously, they feel we’re now secure. I want to believe that’s true, but Ri has involved other people in his hate for Grayson, bad people, that it’s hard to know if we can let our guards down and when. “We’re good, Grayson. You don’t have to worry about me, or gossip, or Ri’s attacks through other people. Go to work and do what you do, focus on the challenge which is not us.”
He catches my hip and walks me to him. “Where is this coming from, Mia?”
“I know you, Grayson. I can almost feel the weight on your shoulders pressing on my own. Ri isn’t done attacking you and there are people out there who would hurt you just to hurt you. Because you’re rich and good-looking. I want to make you stronger—”
“You do, baby. You abso-fucking-lutely do.”
He says that but it’s not completely true, not right this moment, but I’m going to fix that. I have to fix that. I flatten my hand on his chest, the silk of his tie, and the thunder of his heart under my palm. “I screwed up, Grayson. You’re the love of my life. I know you’re mine. I know I’m yours. You need to know, too, and know nothing touches us ever again. Set us aside, walk in there, and work that Bennett magic and get this over with. Find the bad eggs, get them out, and let’s move on.”