“Why don't you want us together?” I asked, tightening the blanket around my shoulders and looking anxiously for Elijah. Suddenly, being alone with Murdoch didn't seem like such a good idea.
“I do want you together. You make him happy, and he deserves some happiness,” Murdoch replied. “But, you see, I have to win.”
We'd reached the boat. I clutched at the blanket and turned to face him, doing my best to be brave. I didn't think he would hurt me, but he was loyal to Leo, not me.
“I don't understand,” I said. “How can you want him to be happy with me, but bet that we'd never be together?”
“I made the bet, because if you didn't end up together, I'd win some money. I would win something. But money would just be a consolation prize,” he explained. He smiled, the planes of his face warming into something that was no longer frightening. “But, the two of you together and in love? That's real winning. It's better than money.”
“So, you bet that we would never fall in love, even though you really did want us to?” I frowned trying to figure it out. It was a little backward, but I could follow the logic. If he won the bet, he would be sad but rich. If he lost the bet, he'd be happy but poor. Either way, he won in some fashion.
“Yes,” Murdoch replied. He put his hand gently on my shoulder. “You should know, that as far as I'm concerned, I won. I got the outcome that I wanted.”
The world didn't seem quiet so cold and frightening for a moment. If people like Murdoch were rooting for us, how could anything bad happen? Leo had to be safe. “Thank you, Murdoch.”
He nodded and offered me his hand to get into the boat. I climbed aboard and settled into the passenger seat, wrapping the blanket around me. For a moment, I considered starting up the boat and searching anyway, but I was so tired I could barely see straight. At this point, I'd be more likely to run him over than find him. Murdoch waited until I was settled before nodding.
“I'll let Elijah know you're here, and I'll come get you as soon as there's any updates,” he promised. He smiled at me fondly. “I know it's hard, but try and get some rest. We'll find him.”
I yawned, my jaws cracking with the size of it. The sun was so warm now, and this seat was surprisingly comfortable... maybe if I just closed my eyes for a moment, it would all just go away...
Chapter Twenty-Six
Charlotte...
Leo's voice hovered on the morning light, caressing me with warmth and feelings of home.
“Leo?” I whispered, blinking my eyes against the light and waking from sleep. Was he here? Was he safe?
I rubbed my eyes to find myself alone. No one was there, not even Murdoch or Eli. Just me, alone and dreaming in a boat.
I stifled a sigh and forced the tears back. I hadn't cried yet and I wasn't about to now. Crying didn't solve anything. Crying was for when things were finished and safe. Crying was for when there was nothing else to do. I wasn't finished yet. Leo wasn't finished yet. So I wasn't crying yet.
I looked down at my watch to see a little more than an hour had passed. There had to be some sort of update by now, but I expected that Murdoch was trying to let me sleep. It was a sweet gesture, but I needed to know where the man I loved was, even if they weren't sure.
I stood up and stretched my arms overhead, hearing a disturbing number of pops and crunches in my shoulders. The chair was not designed for sleeping in, but I at least felt a little more refreshed than I had an hour ago.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I had completely forgotten about it. I turned on the screen to see several worried messages from Bastian and Gabe, some work emails that could wait until later, and a game notification. I put it back in my pocket with a sigh. I hadn't been expecting a text message from Leo with his exact geographical coordinates, but I had hoped he had tried to contact me that way.
I jumped out of the boat and walked along the dock. Now that it was daylight, there was far more activity. Men in uniform buzzed around looking important the closer I got to the command center, but nothing seemed to have changed. The sky was the same hopeful shade of blue that it always was and the dark waves rolled in just the same. The same level of determination and activity, with no big smiles or bright eyes told me that there was nothing new.
I stopped and just stood there. What would I do without Leo? What would any of us do? My heart was slowly breaking, being squeezed in a vice with every second I didn't know where he was. I didn't know how long my heart would survive before it shattered.
I turned from the command center, thinking I would go find Murdoch, when I saw a boat was coming in. It was one of the coast guard vessels, but something about it drew my attention. I stared out at it, shadowing my eyes from the sun and wishing it was just a little bit closer.
Someone was standing at the bow of the ship. S
omeone with unruly brown hair and broad shoulders.
My heart knew before my eyes. It was Leo.
I ran to the edge of the dock, thinking of jumping off and swimming to the ship just to have those extra few moments with him, but I stayed put and just wished for wings.
Leo was alive.
All my anger disappeared in a breath. I didn't have time to be angry any more. Just time for loving him and having that man in my life. I wasn't going to let one stupid mistake five years ago ruin everything. Not when he was everything to me.
The big boat lumbered in far too slowly for my taste, and apparently for Leo's as well. Long before the boat was tied down or even fully finished stopping, he was jumping from the side of the boat and onto the dock.