“So that really was him?”
“Yes,” Lance said. “He apparently faked his death because he was working with the gunrunners. They were planning to screw Clark over even as Clark bought into our plan to screw them. Charles was power hungry and didn’t think his brother was a strong enough leader, which was true, but still…”
“Wow, that’s…”
“Yes, but it’s over now. They’re both gone.”
“What happened after they took you?” Lancelot asked.
“They threw me in the trunk of their car and brought me to the building where you found me. The one who was in the cell with me, he… he’s the one who hurt me. He kept asking me questions about you and your family. When I wouldn’t tell him your secrets… Well, you see what he did.”
The color drained from Remington’s face. “You didn’t say anything?”
“No. Nothing. I was mad at you, but I’d never…”
“Most people would have spilled everything they knew if they were tortured like that. I underestimated you, and I… Fuck, I’m so sorry.”
“Just so you know,” Lance said, “I don’t think my brother has apologized this much in his entire life.”
“Lancelot Theriot, if you say anything about what you just heard, you’ll regret it.”
Lance glanced back with a smirk on his face. “I’ve got plenty of dirt on you. I don’t need to use this too.”
When we reached his house, Remington carried me in. Before we had a chance to talk, the doctor arrived. He examined my wrist and declared it sprained rather than broken. He wrapped it for me and gave me a sling. He also taped my ribs and told me what I should do to take care of them. Finally, he cleaned and applied ointment to my burns and urged me to rest as much as possible so all my injuries could heal.
After all I’d been through, I was too overwhelmed to remember all the instructions, but I had no doubt Remington would take care of me. He loved me. He really loved me. Thank God we had a second chance now.
Remington returned after showing the doctor out, and the two of us were finally alone. He’d sent Lancelot home, not wanting to keep him apart from Tony any longer than he had to. I couldn’t believe he’d left the little creature in his cage. It really showed how much he loved Remington.
Remington sat on the edge of the bed and gently brushed my hair from my face. “I love you, Henri. I’ve never said that to anyone but family. I never thought I would, but I’m saying it now, and I’m going to say it again and again until I’m absolutely certain you believe it. Even after that, I’ll say it at least once a day, probably more. If I’d lost you today without ever having told you…”
I reached my good arm up and placed a finger over his lips. “You found me. You saved me. I’m right here, and if you’ll have me, I won’t ever leave.”
“I have no intention of letting you out of my sight again for a long time. I want you here. I want to treat you like you’re my princess. I want to give you everything, and while I never thought I’d say this, if that includes kids, I’m all in, as many as you want. I’ll do anything for you as long as you let me be part of your life.”
I reached my good hand behind his neck and pulled him down to me. He kissed me gently, not wanting to hurt me, but even that touch, lighter than what I wanted, felt exquisite. My fairy-tale dream was coming true. The hell I’d been through had been worth it for me to end up with such a beautiful, caring man.
43
Epilogue
Two Weeks Later
Henri
My injuries had finally healed enough for Remington to allow me to do a few things for myself. He’d been waiting on me hand and foot or sending one of his family members to do so. I hadn’t left his house, but that part hadn’t bothered me until now. I was happy to be there, either cocooned with him or getting to know his family better while he worked reasonable hours. He seemed more willing to delegate things to Lance and even Corbin, which was fantastic. He needed to learn how to stop working constantly.
When he came home at lunchtime, I was looking out the window, watching the crowds milling in the streets. It was Mardi Gras weekend, and that was the main reason I was now chafing at my confinement. While part of me was still reluctant to step out of the safety of Remington’s home, part of me really wanted to experience the parades.
Remington wrapped an arm around me, placing a kiss on the top of my head. “Will you come to the Endymion parade with me?”
“Really? You want to take me?”
“If you’re up to it.”
I forced myself to consider his words, then let out a breath. “I am. I’m ready to get out of here.”
“Endymion has been my favorite parade since I was a little kid. I think you’ll enjoy it, but you have to stay right by me. I do not want us getting separated in the crowd.”
“Okay.”
“I’d love to be alone with you, but it’s better if we have protection. I don’t want you jostled.”
He wasn’t going to stop being overprotective anytime soon, but as much as it frustrated me sometimes, it also warmed me inside. “I love you.”
He brushed his lips over mine. “Henri, I love you so much. Come on. Let’s make this a special night.”
I had a feeling there was some hidden meaning to his words, but I didn’t push him to say more. I knew him well enough now to know that if he wasn’t ready to tell me, he wouldn’t.
A driver dropped Remington, me, and the two guards accompanying us off as close to the parade route as he could. We had a spot on Orleans Avenue near the start of the parade route at City Park. It was clear the man Remington had sent to stake out the spot had been there quite a while.
A little while before the parade began, I heard the bands practicing down the street. The crowd thickened, and I felt the excitement in the air. I turned when a man spoke to Remington. “I have your delivery, sir.” He handed Remington a rectangular box.
Remington gave him a huge smile. “Thank you. Give my thanks to Etienne.”
“Of course.”
I frowned, looking back and forth between the man and Remington. “Is that a king cake?”
“It sure is.”
“You had it delivered to us during a parade?”
“The parade hasn’t actually started yet, and I thought you might like a snack.”
“We couldn’t bring one from home like normal people?”
He scoffed. “I don’t do anything like normal people.”
He lifted the lid off the box, and I saw that the cake was precut. He lifted a piece and handed it to me along with a napkin. “Here you go. It’s your favorite.”
“Cherry and cream cheese?”
He raised his brows. “Did you honestly think I didn’t remember?”
“Thank you!”
“Go on, eat it before the parade distracts you.”
I bit into the cake, groaning at the deliciousness. When I took a second bite, my teeth hit against something hard. At first, I assumed I’d gotten the baby, but it didn’t feel right in my mouth, and when I pulled it out, I stared at what was in my hand.
It wasn’t a little plastic baby. It was a shiny gold ring.
My eyes flew to Remington’s. “Is this…?”
Remington went down on one knee right there in the midst of the parade crowd. Everyone around us turned to watch, and dozens of cameras flashed.
“Henri, will you marry me?”
He was proposing to me at a Mardi Gras parade on the street in front of tons of people, and I couldn’t be happier. It was crazy. It was over the top. It was amazing.
“Yes! A hundred times yes!” He slipped the ring on my finger.
I didn’t care that it was still sticky with cake filling. I couldn’t stop looking at it. I was going to marry the man of my dreams. The parade began, and Remington wrapped his arms around me. I didn’t think I’d ever been happier.
Remington
The joy on Henri’s face was enough to warm me as the night grew sligh
tly chilly—or chilly for New Orleans at least. He alternated from staring at the ring on his finger to gawking at the floats as they came by. His joy must’ve made him stand out from the crowd because string after string of beads was thrown his way. By the time the last float passed us by, he was weighed down with countless strands of shiny plastic.
The crowd began to disperse, and I made sure the guards were with us as I held Henri’s hand and led him through the crowd toward the back edge of the Quarter where Corbin waited to drive us to the airport. The proposal wasn’t the only surprise I had planned. I’d also gotten X’s permission to spend a few days on his private island.
When Henri saw Corbin standing by the car, he squeezed my arm. “You didn’t have to have Corbin fight this traffic. I could have walked home. It wasn’t much farther than this, was it?”
“No, but we’re not going home.”
“Where are we going?” He was adorably confused.
“You’ll see.”
“Remington.”
“Trust me.” I kissed the top of his head and gestured for him to get into the back of Corbin’s SUV.
“There’s luggage in here,” he said, looking over the back seat.
“Hmm. I wonder what that could be for.” Corbin was laughing so hard I hoped he could focus on the road.
“Remington!” Henri stuck out his lower lip, and I longed to bite it.
“I may have listened to my very wise fiancé and decided to take several days off work.”
Corbin snorted loudly, and I kicked the back of his seat.
“Fuck, Remy. Driving in the Quarter’s hard enough.”
“Then shut up and concentrate.”
When we were out of the worst traffic, I tapped Corbin on the shoulder.
“What is it, big brother?”
“Did everything go okay yesterday?” I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him since I’d sent him to handle some business for us on one of the casino boats.
“Oh, yeah. It’s all fine.” His tone was far too dismissive, like he hoped I didn’t ask more questions. That wasn’t good. He was hiding something, but I decided to ignore it. I was about to go on vacation with the man I was desperately in love with. Whatever was up, Lance could handle it for a few days.
When we arrived at the airport, I gave in to Henri’s constant questioning.
“We’re going to X’s private island. He even sent his own plane to fly us down.”
“Wait. I just got engaged, and now I’m going on a tropical vacation with my fiancé on Thomas Carrington’s private plane?”
“That’s right.”
“Pinch me,” he demanded.
“This isn’t a dream.”
“He’s not going to believe you. Pinch him, or I will,” Corbin said.
“The hell you will. You keep your hands to yourself.”
I pinched his arm very gently, and he rolled his eyes. “I promise you’re not dreaming. We’re going to have an amazing time together, and I set up a meeting with an adoption agency for a few days after we get back.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“No, I’m not.”
He grabbed my hand. “We don’t have to move that quickly. We…”
“It’s a preliminary meeting. I want us to be approved so whenever we’re ready for a child that part of the process is done. I want you to know that I’m committed to giving you your dream.”
Corbin sniffed. “I better not ever hear you criticize me for watching sappy movies again.”
I kicked his seat.
When we reached the airport, Corbin drove us right up to where the plane was being prepared for takeoff. He hopped out of the car as soon as he put it in park. “I’ll go and make sure everything is set.”
“Thank you, Corbin,” Henri called.
I was thankful for a moment alone with my fiancé. “You do realize you’re everything to me, right? I knew you were the one almost immediately. I should’ve told you everything from the start instead of fighting it like an idiot.”
“That would likely have scared me in those first days, but none of that matters now. We’re going to get married.”
“And I’m going to give you the house you want and—”
He shook his head. “Your house is the house I want. All I really want is you.”
I kissed him, and he melted against me. I wanted to take him right there in the back of the car, but I could wait. I knew now that we had all the time in the world.
Corbin
While Henri and my brother made out in the back seat, I took their luggage onto the plane and checked the flight manifest. When I left the cockpit, they’d boarded and were looking out at the city. Remington’s arm was around Henri, and they were both laughing. They looked so right together, so relaxed and happy. I wondered if I’d ever feel that way about anyone. My parents loved each other just as deeply, and I’d always admired their relationship, but I wasn’t ready for that. As sweet and warm as it looked, I wasn’t ready to settle down.
At least love had Remington so distracted he hadn’t asked me anything else about how the business at the casino had gone. That was good because I’d driven his precious Ferrari. I’d been begging him to let me take it out on the road for ages. He’d finally given me permission, a sign that maybe he wasn’t going to treat me like a kid forever.
But I’d fucked up. Instead of parking it in an out of the way place like he’d told me to, I’d gotten as close to the boat as I could and enjoyed the looks I got hopping out of the sexy car. While I was inside, making our demands clear to the casino manager, someone had put deep scratches into the side of Remy’s car.
It was obvious the damage was deliberate. It could be random vandalism, but I had a feeling it was retaliation for our tightening control on the casino business. I needed to get ahold of the parking lot surveillance footage to find the culprit, but more importantly, I needed to get Remy’s car fixed. Unfortunately, I only knew one person who could help me: raging asshole, Beaumont LeBlanc.
When I’d taken the souped-up SUV Remington liked to use when his gorgeous car would be far too obvious to Beau, he had treated me like I mattered less than a roach. He refused to do what I said, making me wait and getting me in trouble with Remington, who had blamed me instead of Beau.
Now I needed Beau to do me a favor, and I needed him to keep quiet about it. What price would he exact for that? I was sure it would be steep. Fortunately, I had plenty of my own money.
As I reached the car, my phone rang. When I saw the number, my heart raced, and my hands instantly became sweaty. I nearly dropped the damn phone as I tried to answer. “Corbin Theriot.”
“It’s Beau. I understand you need my assistance.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Ooh. I like you calling me sir. Why don’t you keep that up?”
I bristled. I hadn’t meant to give him the honorific; it had just slipped out. His low voice was demanding. It made me want to do what he said, even if it was against my will.
“I need you to remove some scratches from a sports car.”
“Could you be a little more specific?”
As soon as I said more, he’d know it was Remington’s car. “The situation requires discretion.”
“Did you steal the car?”
That would be a hell of a lot easier to deal with. “Isn’t that what you were in prison for?”
“That is not a topic you’ll ever bring up with me again.”
I shivered. The menace in his voice was powerful.
“It’s a Ferrari.”
“That wouldn’t be the one that belongs to your brother, would it?”
I cringed. “Yes.”
“Then why isn’t he calling me?”
“He’s headed out of town.”
“Right.”
It was clear he didn’t believe me. “I’m at the airport right now. I just dropped him off for his flight.”
“And if I need to speak with him—”
Did he have to be
such an asshole? “He’s not to be disturbed.”
“Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened?”
“There’s no need for that. The car is scratched, and I need the scratches gone.”
“And you need me to be discreet about it?”
I did not like his mocking tone. “That’s right.”
“In other words, you need me not to rat you out to Remington for fucking up his car.”
“I didn’t—”
“I don’t want excuses. I want honesty.”
I had to force myself not to tell him off. “I left Remington’s car in a parking lot and someone scratched it all to hell. I need it fixed tomorrow, and you’re not to mention it to anyone.”
“That’s going to cost you.”
“Name your price.” He was silent for so long, I nearly hyperventilated.
“Not now. This is something we need to discuss face-to-face.”
“I don’t have time for—”
“Neither do I. I have a full schedule tomorrow, so I guess you should find someone else to—”
“No. Wait.” Remington couldn’t return from his trip to a fucked-up car. “When do you want to meet?”
“Tonight’s as good as any other time. Bring the car.”
“You’re working on a Saturday night?”
“Sometimes specialty jobs come in, and I do them whenever I get the chance. Also, I live over the shop.”
I considered why he wanted to see me personally, especially at this time of night. He wasn’t going to ask me for money. He probably wanted a favor from my family. I was too tired for more negotiating, but I didn’t have much choice. Unfortunately, he knew that. It was normally about a half-hour drive to his shop, but with Mardi Gras traffic, there was no telling how long it would take. “I’ll be there in about an hour.”
“I’ll be here. I’d never miss a chance to get my hands on your… car.”
He ended the call, and I stared at my phone. Was he fucking flirting with me?
No way. He was just messing with me, and I had no choice but to take the bait.
Remington Page 20
