Page 71 of Beautiful Betrayal

He disappears into the bathroom and I sit up, pulling the blanket around me. “I don’t remember where my purse or briefcase are,” I call out.

Grayson exits the bathroom in a pair of pajama bottoms with my robe in his hands. “I don’t either actually.” He crosses to sit next to me and I eagerly accept the robe as he glances at his phone. “Blake, Eric, Davis, Courtney, and your father have taken turns calling.”

“Courtney. Oh God. I didn’t even think about calling her.”

“I’m texting Courtney and your father in a group text,” Grayson says, “Because I need to call Blake first.” He looks at me and reads the message he’s just typed:Mac and Courtney, we were asleep. We’re fine. Mia lost her phone. We have a few calls to make and then we’ll call you both in a few.

“Perfect,” I say. “Hurry and call Blake. I need to pee and I don’t want to go until I know what’s going on.”

“Go, baby. I’ll be right here.”

“Yeah. I better go.” I stand up and race across the room and leave the door open as I hear, “Blake. What’s happening?”

Of course, I can hear nothing else and by the time I exit the bathroom, Grayson is meeting me at the door, no longer on the phone. “Blake is having one of his men bring your phone and purse up to us. He had to get it cleared with the police to give it back to you.”

“And?”

“And the police will want to interview us again this afternoon. Blake took the liberty of calling our attorney and offering to host the interview at his office. It’s a non-event for us, outside of them going after anyone that was helping to set me up.” He snags my hand. “Coffee. I need coffee.” He starts walking, pulling me along, and I find myself smiling. I love coffee and Grayson, but in our kitchen, together, it’s even better.

A few minutes later, we both have steaming cups in our hands and I’m using his phone to assure first Courtney, since she knows nothing at this point, and then my father that all is well when the doorbell rings. Grayson heads for the door and returnswith my purse. He’s barely handed it to me when my phone starts ringing. “I need to go, dad. I have to return some calls. We’ll come see you soon. I love you, too.”

I trade Grayson his phone for my purse and quickly pull out my phone “Kevin,” I say, “my boss at Ri’s firm. He’s a good guy. He knew Ri was a problem and he wanted to protect me. I have to call him back, but my client called too, and she must be freaking out. She has to come first but I need some idea of what’s on the news and what she’s heard.”

Grayson grabs the remote and turns on the small TV under the kitchen counter which offers us nothing. “The internet,” he says, searching his phone and a few minutes later we both finish reading up on the press which amounts to questions about the future of Ri’s firm.

I dial my client. “Mia, what the hell is going on?” she answers. “Are you okay? God, am I okay?”

“I’m fine. You’ll be fine. I’m not going back to the firm. I’m—” I look at Grayson, who arches a brow. “I’m going to be with Grayson Bennett’s firm. He’s my—” I turn away. “We’re together. I’m sure you saw that on the news. I want to take you with me but I need to be sure legally I can do that. No matter what, I’ll take care of you.”

“I’m in limbo. Please say that isn’t so.”

“I’ll handle this for you one way or the other. I promise. I’ll be in touch by tomorrow.” I hang up and Grayson steps in front of me. “I assume I’d come back to the firm. That’s okay, right?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, but let’s do this a little differently this time. You don’t work for anyone but the firm. Take the cases you want but I’d really like you to work on the bigger picture with me that reaches beyond the firm. Then we can travel together.” His hands come down on my arms. “If you want to. I know you want to forge your own career, but you have a brilliant mind and insight I value. You always make me thinkwider. I’d be lucky to have you work with me as the fourth in my team; you, me, Eric, and Davis.”

“I’d like that. I would. I do love criminal law though and I have to take this case all the way. I believe in my client.”

“Then you will take it all the way and you’ll win. I’ll get the case moved. Under the circumstances that won’t be an issue. I’ll make the calls right after I call a mover to get your things.” He folds me against him. “You belong here with me.”

“Yes,” I say softly, trying not to think about that awkward moment when I didn’t know what to call Grayson. “I do.”

He strokes my hair from my face. “I’m your future husband,” he says. “Don’t forget that. I don’t plan to.”

All those weird feelings fade away. Of course, he’s not going to ask me again the morning after we were both covered in a dead man’s blood. He’s not going to ask me until this is over, because he still doesn’t get that I will go to hell and back with him, but I’ll have a lifetime to show him that I’m here to stay. I will show him every single day.

Chapter forty-five

Mia

The rest of the day goes by in a whirlwind of press and chaos. The interviews with the police, however, are uneventful, at least for us. And as Grayson expected, Blake and his team are wonderful. Our team is just as wonderful, including our attorney who I barely know. By the time we leave Blake’s office, Grayson has me moved back into the apartment, compliments of a big tip and a moving company. My father stops back by that evening to help us unpack. We’re standing in the kitchen, while Grayson takes a few calls in his office, both of us drinking coffee. He tells me about all the new business he has, a woman he might keep seeing, and I pack up some things for him that I don’t need now that I’m here.

“Mia,” he says, stepping in front of me and taking my hand to shove something in it. “Thank you. I’ll never put you in that position again.”

I look down and stare at a check for fifty thousand dollars. “The money I owe you.”

“You keep it and invest it in your business.” I press it back into his hand.

“No. I’m never putting you in that position again. I won’t let you make decisions for me.”

---