“I shouldn’t have gone on that trip without her.”
“She said you thought that’s what she wanted.”
“Yeah, well. You’ve noticed my attentiveness. It’s gotten a little out of hand now that the morning sickness has kicked in, and well, she’s been getting annoyed with me. I thought she wanted me to give her some breathing room, to trust her to be okay with just the usual security.”
“You are her security. Maybe don’t ask fifteen times a day. Hold her when she’s not well. Tell her she’s beautiful even if she looks exhausted, because that light in her eyes will show and she’ll be as lovely as you had just pronounced. Those women who held her captive, wherever they are, told her lies, and well, on top of her already frail emotions, she lost it.”
“She took off her rings. She ran away from me.”
“She didn’t take them off. They did.”
“What?”
“Yes. That’s how she knew she had to escape by herself because all her trackers were gone.”
“Shit. I thought she didn’t want me to find her. Not that I would have stopped.”
“She loves you. Go in there and figure it all out. You’re good for her, and I know she’s good for you.”
“She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Thank you, sir.”
“Anytime.”
I push off my knees and stand. Shaking his hand, I walk into my wife’s room. “Mrs. Reynolds, I need to speak to my wife.”
“Sure, Landon.” She kisses my cheek and then leaves the room.
“Lara Black, we need to have a talk.”
“Landon, I…”
“No, you need to listen.” She clamps her mouth shut. “I fucked up. I should have dragged your ass to L.A. with me whether you liked it or not, or sent Danny on my behalf to handle the deal. I can’t change that, but I will be making sure that from now on, I don’t make a dumb mistake like that again. If you need me to leave you alone, I’ll shut my damn mouth, but I won’t leave your side. I can’t risk that shit. Not again.”
“Well, can you shut it now?” she asks with a smile coming over her face.
I nod. “Good. I wanted to say that I love you and I’m sorry that I let you think I didn’t want you around. I do. I always want you around, and that’s my problem. I don’t care that you ask me all day if I’m okay, even if it gets annoying sometimes. I’m moody, and I feel like a bitch every time I’m snippy with you, and then that bitch at your work only made it worse. The last time I came to your office while you were in a meeting, she sent me away.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought it’s what you wanted.”
“Sweetheart, never. You’re my queen. You come first. Always.” I’m thinking of all the ways that bitch is going to pay for trying to destroy my world. I can’t believe how insane she is to think that she could get away with this. The police are on the hunt for the two of them, but I doubt they’ll find them easily.
“Landon, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner what was bothering me.”
“From now on, let’s remember to be honest and upfront about our feelings. I want our forever honeymoon, Lara. I haven’t given up on our happily ever after. What about you?”
“You’re my forever, Landon.”
It took a day before she was released from the hospital because the sores on her feet were infected and they wanted to keep her under observation. Her parents returned to our condo to sleep because they weren’t allowed to stay after visiting hours. I lay in a chair alongside my wife’s bed, needing to keep close to her, fearing that they could harm her if I’m not nearby.
Danny’s secretly on a mission to find the kidnappers and see who else has been working to assist them in taking my wife. He hasn’t stopped apologizing for the abduction, like it’s his fault, but he’s not in charge of my movements, even if he gave me the suggestion. They were bound to find a way to get to Lara, and that makes me nervous because I don’t doubt there’s a second plan in motion.
****
We’re resting at home in the condo with her parents down the hall. Tobias came over just before the game to check on her and will be around after it ends to see her again before he has to leave again, but he wants me to hunt them all down, which I will gladly do.
My phone vibrates around three in the morning, but it doesn’t matter because I can’t fucking sleep for shit. It’s a call from Danny. “We got a lead. We’ll have them in custody within the next six hours.”
“I want everyone assisting them. I can’t leave any loose ends. Anyone trying to come at Lara that isn’t nabbed will not hesitate to try again.”