“He died… because of me…” She whispers.
“No, he didn’t, Kenzie,” Carter says firmly his voice leaving no room for any doubt. “When he, hell, when any of us sign up for a job like this, we know the risks. Hunter, Ben, Smith, myself—we all knew taking this job, that our lives were on the line. We all agreed to the risk, for you and Mr. Parker. He died doing his job–protecting you. Don’t let his death be a source of guilt for you, Kenzie, he wouldn’t have wanted that.”
“But his life wouldn’t have been at risk if it wasn’t for me! He wouldn’t have died—” she snaps.
“That’s not true, Kenzie,” Carter quickly interrupts her. “If I hadn’t have hired him, someone else would have. He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, he was talented soldier with high accommodations. I was lucky to have grabbed him when I did: he had just come off an assignment for a politician who wasn’t reelected. I promise you that if I hadn’t had hired him, another security firm would have. This was what he wanted to do—what he enjoyed doing. He didn’t go into this assignment blind: he knew the risks and chose to accept the position still. We all did.”
“It’s not fair, Carter! He shouldn’t have died,” she sobs.
“You’re right he shouldn’t have, baby,” I agree because there’s no arguing her statement. “Your… Westbrook was a sick, fucking bastard, who should never have hurt you to begin with. All those years ago, when you first met him, he took advantage of you, baby. He never should have controlled you and hurt you the way he did. Harper and Bree, they’re two fucked up women who never should have wanted to hurt you, or anyone, else for that matter. All three of them… they’re all fucking crazy. But none of it was your fault.”
“They caught her? The police… they caught Bree?”
“They did,” I smile at the only part of the last twenty-four hours that I can smile at. “She pulled in front of the building, literally seconds after the police did. The moment she stepped out of the car, she was handcuffed for questioning. When they heard that Westbrook had called someone to arrange another vehicle they called back the last dialed number of his cell phone and her phone, in her pocket no less, rang right there in the back of the police cruiser.”
“They’re going to charge her, right? I mean, even though…”
“She started confessing the moment her phone rang; they’re charging her with several crimes, I’m sure. I have my attorney staying on top of everything; he will ensure that no one gets away with what they did to you, baby.”
At some point Carter must have stepped out of the room, because when I look to where he was sitting, the chair is empty. I hold Kenzie as best I can while being cautious of her injuries; neither of say a word the weight of the last few hours still on our shoulders. I don’t know how much time passes, but eventually she falls asleep in my arms. A nurse comes in and quietly checks her vitals, assuring me everything is fine and that her falling asleep so soon, is to be expected. As much as I want to stay here, holding her, I know I need to talk to Carter. I haven’t really spoken to him except for those few minutes before Kenzie woke up. I wait awhile, until I’m convinced that she’s fully asleep, before slipping out of the bed and out her door, to find Carter who of course is standing guard.
“Carter, go home,” I say knowing how exhausted he must be.
“With all due respect, sir, I would rather not,” he says stubbornly. “Julie is bringing me a change of clothes, as well as food for both you and Kenzie. Smith just left to go pick her up.”
“Brown settle everything with the police?” I ask, even though she already called and assured me everything was taken care of.
“Yes, thank you again for sending her although I don’t think it was necessary—”
“Better safe than sorry.”
“They need to review the situation with the DA, but the captain felt that it was a clear case of self-defense and that charges won’t be pressed against me.”
“Thank fuck for that,” hearing it from Carter is reassuring, even though I fully believed what Brown told me earlier.
“Yeah, thank fuck,” he smirks.
“I’ve already spoken with Ben’s family and assured them they will be taken care of,” I assure him. “He had been sending his mom money every month to help her with her bills—I assured her that won’t change. His life insurance will be sent to her, and I’ve arranged for his monthly salary to be sent to her, as well.”
“Sir, that’s more than his contract—”
“He died protecting my wife, Carter. It’s the least I can do.”
“Understood, sir,” he says after a few minutes of silence.
“I’ve spoken to the hospital about Hunter’s bills, should the insurance company not cover something, it will be sent to me. My mother arranged for the head of orthopedics to be assigned to his case—whatever he recommends it will be approved and covered. In the meantime, he will continue to be paid his monthly salary until he is cleared to return to work no matter how long that may take.”
“That’s very generous of you, sir,” he says, knowing the contract only stipulates that I have to pay their salary for three months and after that, if they are not able to return to work, they are given a small lump sum payment. But again, Hunter was injured protecting Kenzie… that’s something I will never take for granted, especially after today.
“I’m going to go back in there; I don’t want her to wake up alone. Seriously consider going home, Carter, I can’t imagine the toll today is taking on you.”
“I’ll leave when you do, sir; I wasn’t the only one there.”
I shake my head knowing neither of us are going to win that argument, and head back into Kenzie’s room, thankful to see that she is still sleeping. I slip back in beside her; I know I should be sitting in the chair so she can have space in the bed, but right now I need to be selfish. I came so close to losing her today—I need her close to me. I need to feel her against me. I need to know she’s safe.
God when I think back on everything that’s happened I still can’t believe that she’s actually here; that I didn’t lose her. If it wasn’t for the damn tracker that Carter thought ahead to have Julie sew into the outfit Kenzie was planning to wear tonight, we wouldn’t have found her… in time or at all. If she had taken off the blazer in the car or decided against wearing it at all… fuck, I don’t want to think about what would have happened.
“Nicholas?” Kenzie’s sweet voice pulls me from the all the possibilities at what could have happened.
“I’m right here, baby,” I run my fingers down the arm that isn’t in the cast and move so I’m as close to her as possible. “Still sore?”
“Just my ribs,” she sighs and grimaces in discomfort. “Nothing I haven’t experienced before, though.”
I cringe remembering the doctor explaining that her ribs showed signs of multiple old fractures, several of which hadn’t healed properly. Thankfully, my mother had explained to the doctor before he came to speak with me, about her ex—Kpparently he pulled her aside out of concern with the number of old injuries the x-rays had shown.
“Any idea how long I need to be here?” she asks.
“The doctor said that as long as your pain was manageable you could probably leave later this evening,” the sun is barely rising so technically it’s today, although it would have meant that she stayed overnight at the hospital since we had arrived late last night.
“I want to go home,” she complains. “I want to go back to the house; I want to sleep in our bed. I want to—”
“We’ll do everything you want, baby, I promise.”
“You’re all I kept thinking about you know. I thought about the wedding we wanted when this all was over—”
“As soon as you’re cleared to travel, we’re going,” I assure her.
“I thought about your house in Vermont, holidays in a new house… everything. But most of all, I thought about you. I even told you I was sorry—”
“Sorry for what?”
I quickly interrupt.
“Because I was going to fight back. When I heard another vehicle was coming, I knew if he moved me you would never mind me. I had no idea if how you would find me in the first place, but I knew that if we left, you wouldn’t find me… or not in enough time. So I decided to fight back; in my mind I told you I loved you and that I was sorry.”
“Fuck, baby…”
There are no words… none at all. God, for her to have to make that decision…
“How did you find me anyway?”
“Carter had Julie sew a tracking device into the blazer you had planned to wear tonight. Thankfully, you didn’t take it off in the car on the way to the restaurant.”
“Is it really over, Nicholas?”
“It’s over, baby, I promise you it’s over.”
Epilogue
Kenzie
“Are you ready, Kenzie?” Carter asks.
“I am,” I say confidently taking one final look in the mirror. My dress is simple, exactly the way I wanted. Carter hands me a small bouquet of white and red roses just before we step out of the room. He guides me down the narrow hallway, and out the back door, to the beach where everything is set up just how I envisioned it would be.
Nearly a year ago, I was in a similar place, in a similar dress, getting ready to do this very thing. Only, the circumstances couldn’t have been more different. Today, I will walk down the aisle where the man I love more than anything in the world, is waiting for me. Whereas last time our vows focused on friendship and being there for one another, today they will represent the love we have for each other and for the future we will have together. Even in my wildest dreams, I never expected meeting Nicholas for dinner that night, would eventually lead us here. I never expected the meeting with Bridget to change my life in so many ways. I never expected to be this happy…
“Thank you for giving me this honor, Kenzie,” Carter whispers just before we walk down the red carpet to where Nicholas is waiting.
“Carter… you’ll never know… what you did for me.”
We don’t talk much about that day, the day when my nightmare finally ended. We don’t talk about Carter killing the man who was the source of so many of my nightmares. I’ve tried to thank him for rescuing me that day and for ending my nightmare, but he never lets me. He has said repeatedly he was simply doing his job, but when he pulled the trigger we both know that he wasn’t just doing his job.
There are only a handful of people here with us, but it’s those that have been with us since the beginning, and who know what we went through to get here today. Instead of the first wedding where I walked down the aisle alone, today Carter is the one giving me away and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’ve grown close to him since Nicholas and I first entered into our arrangement. At first it was because he was always with us, and then because I was living at Accord Towers. He was there the day Nicholas saw the file on Richard for the first time: he saw the pictures and read the reports of what happened that night. He was there when I saw Estelle for the first time in years, and he had a front row seat, hearing everything that she did to me when I lived with her. Then finally, he was there, with Nicholas, to rescue me from Richard.
“I don’t think you’ll ever know what you did for Nicholas,” he whispers as we’re walking.
And Nicholas will never know what he did for me.
It seems to take forever to make our way down the short aisle, but when Nicholas takes my hands in his, nothing else seems to matter. We’re on a private island where we don’t need to worry about the press or unwanted guests. I thought he was crazy, but in true typical fashion, Nicholas went above and beyond—renting an entire island out for our wedding and honeymoon. We’re staying in the main house, while Julie, Carter and Hunter are staying in the guest house on the other side of the island for the week.
The view from here is incredible, there’s nothing but water as far as anyone can see. We only arrived here late last night, but watching the sunrise this morning while lying in Nicholas’s arms was incredible. Seeing that technically we were already married, we decided to forgo the tradition of not seeing each other the day of the wedding. We made love until the sun came up this morning, and parted ways after having a late lunch together. Julie helped me get ready for the ceremony, while Nicholas spent the afternoon with Carter and Hunter.
Hunter is not back to work yet, unfortunately, but I was thrilled when his doctors gave him the clearance to come with us for the week. It’s only been a couple of months, but he’s making amazing progress according to his doctors. He had to go a rehab center for a few weeks, but since then he has been recovering at home. On the flight here he said being at home is driving him crazy because he can’t stand to sit around and do nothing all day. He also said he hopes to be cleared to return to work at least part time in the next month, which I was happy to hear. Smith has been my CPO since the situation with Richard—I have nothing against him, but he’s not Hunter. I feel much more comfortable around Hunter, but I think that’s because he was assigned to me for so long.
Our families have no idea the real reason we’re here today—they think we’re taking a vacation just to relax after everything that happened. They will never know how we first got to know each other or how we ended up married to each other. That’s something that only the handful of people here today will ever know about.
Family… that’s something that I didn’t ever expect to have and it’s just one of the many things that Nicholas gave me. Our Christmas dinner with everyone was what I always pictured a holiday dinner to be. Nicholas’s entire family was there plus Julie, Carter and Hunter. It was loud, crazy and busy, but I wouldn’t have changed a moment of it. I don’t think I ever laughed so hard as I did that day; it killed my ribs, but it was still worth every moment.
From the beginning, his family welcomed me with open arms—never questioning why we were together or the quickness of our “marriage.” They welcomed me into their family and treated me like I belonged there. They showed me what family really meant and for that they’ll never know how grateful I am. Although I officially became a part of their family at the wedding a year ago, today makes it so much more official to me.
“You look beautiful, Kenzie,” Nicholas whispers as he leads me to the small altar where the officiant is waiting for us.
“Thank you,” the tears are in my eyes when I find his. He’ll never have any idea how much today means to me—there just aren’t enough words to for me to tell him.
Throughout the ceremony, our eyes don’t leave one another. Rather than writing our own vows like the first time, today we recite the traditional vows that the officiant leads us with. We went back and forth deciding on what to do with our vows, but eventually we agreed to stick with the more traditional ones for this ceremony. A year ago, I never could have recited those words; we needed something at that time that spoke to our situation. Today, is different. This wedding may not be official in anyone’s eyes, but the traditional vows are a perfect fitting for our traditional wedding after a very nontraditional marriage.
“You may now kiss the bride,” I don’t think the words were done being said before Nicholas’s lips were on mine. His arms wrapped firmly around my waist, holding me against him as he kisses me as if no one else was here with us.
“I love you,” I whisper the moment he pulls away.
“I love you so much, Kenzie, you have no idea.”
We make our way down the aisle, hand in hand, to the small reception area that is set up further down the beach. We’re not having a traditional reception since there are so few guests. Instead, it’s more like a family dinner. Everyone is seated at one large table where we have dinner and a few drinks together, before parting ways. Julie, Carter and Hunter head back in the golf cart to the other side of the island, while a boat takes the officiant back to a larger, nearby island where a small plane is waiting for him.
“Ready to start our honeymoon, Mrs. Parker?” Nicholas asks as he
leads me to the master bedroom.
Instead of answering him with words, as soon as we’re in the bedroom I reach up and kiss him. His hands run over my dress touching me everywhere he can. I push the suit jacket off before unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it down his arms. I love that I can touch him, anywhere, another thing that is a huge change from our first wedding.
“I want to undress you,” he whispers.
“Please,” I reply.
“You don’t know how much I wanted to do this on the plane—”
“The plane?”
“On our flight to Fiji—you went and changed in the bedroom and I wanted so badly to go in there and undress you,” he slowly lowers the zipper on the back of my dress.
“Really?”
“When he said you may kiss the bride, and I did, the only thing I thought about was how I could find a way to get you alone and get you out of that dress.”
“Really? Even though…”
“I wanted to say fuck it all, Kenzie. All I wanted in that moment was you, naked and beneath me as I made love to you.”
“Nicholas…”
His words surprise me; I knew things changed just before our first wedding, that much was evident when we came home from the club that one night. But, I hadn’t expected him to be thinking about that when we kissed that day, even if it did cross my mind.
“It nearly killed me to know that you were in that back bedroom, undressing, without me. I wanted to go back there with you, to see what you wore under the dress. To find out if you felt as good as I imagined you had, to find out if you wanted me just as I wanted you in that moment.”
“I wish you had… come back into the room with me I mean.”
“I was so worried about fucking things up, but it didn’t mean I didn’t want you any less. I wanted you then just as much as I want you right now.”
He slips the dress from my body before groaning at the undergarments I’m wearing. A simple white, strapless lace bra and panties are the only thing I’m left standing in. Both items are completely see through, leaving nothing to the imagination. When I picked out what to wear under the dress, I wanted to give Nicholas a little surprise when I hoped he would undress me afterwards. From the look in his eyes, surprise is exactly what he is.
On Her Terms (The Arrangement Duet Book 2) Page 45
