Page 96 of Redemption

“Then we’re in agreement. Your resignation stays between us for now.”

“Yes, sir.” What else could I do but agree? Especially not after the bind I’d put him in.

We ended the call, and I dropped my face into my hands. That hadn’t gone as I’d expected. I felt both better and worse.

The door opened, and I straightened.

“Hey,” Sloan said. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” I stood and shoved my phone into my pocket. “You ready to head out?”

“Let me just grab my purse, and then we can go.”

We locked up. There was a car waiting, the keys inside. I’d arranged it with the staff earlier, and I was grateful they’d handled everything without question. I checked the perimeter and the trunk.

When I was finally satisfied, I held open the passenger door for Sloan, and she slid inside. I rounded the car and climbed in, turning the keys in the ignition. I pulled out of the resort and headed for the marina. I adjusted my hands on the steering wheel, still upset after my conversation with Vaughn.

“Graham told me something interesting.” She adjusted the air vents.

“What’s that?” I asked, my gut twisting with dread.

“Edward’s company isn’t doing as well as it seems. And the family has sunk a lot of money into the ducal manor.”

I wondered why Vaughn hadn’t mentioned that to me, unless…

Graham had somehow discovered the information himself. There was no reason to hire a PI when Hudson had the tools and the expertise to get the information. And if our team hadn’t uncovered it, then… My mind searched for other possibilities, but it kept landing on one.

One that seemed improbable at first, given the fact that Graham was a billionaire CEO of a luxury hotel brand. But the more I thought about it, the more he fit the profile of a hacker. Graham was highly intelligent, curious, individualistic, and nonconformist.

My eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place, but I kept my revelation to myself for now. Maybe I was wrong. I mean, Graham wouldn’t want to do anything that could jeopardize his position or hurt Sloan. But still…my gut told me I was right.

“Not surprising—about the ducal manor,” I said. “Those gorgeous old estates are giant money pits.”

“I guess you wouldn’t want to live somewhere like that, then.”

“You know me. I’m a man of simple tastes. Hell, I’d be happy living full time on a sailboat.” And if I didn’t find another job in the next six months, I might actually have to consider the prospect.

“Why? Wouldn’t you?” I flicked my eyes to her then back to the road.

She considered it a moment. “Maybe.” She puffed out a breath of air. “But after spending so much of my childhood moving from hotel to hotel, it’s nice to feel settled. Don’t get me wrong. I love being out on the water, but I think I enjoy it more because it feels like such a treat. Does that make any sense?”

I lifted my hand as if to place it over hers and then stopped myself. This whole not violating protocol thing was going to be difficult. “It makes perfect sense. Does London feel like home?”

She smiled. “It does. It’s a great mix of modern and traditional. I love the accents and the history and the people. What about you? Does LA feel like home?”

I shook my head. Nowhere felt like home. At least, not until this trip. With her. She was my home.

“Even after all these years?”

“You have to remember, I spent a lot of that time on movement teams. I traveled the world with clients. It’s only in the past few years that I transitioned to a residential team and actually spent some time in LA.”

I pulled up to the marina, effectively ending the conversation. We spoke to the mechanic, and Sloan was totally in her element. She was just as at home in a mechanic’s shop as a boardroom. She was confident and intelligent and fucking incredible.

After everything was settled, we drove into town for some shopping and lunch. She checked her phone and laughed.

“What’s up?”

“Jasper’s been working on ideas for our annual retreat, and he wants to pitch a new idea to Graham. But Graham’s going to hate it.”

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