Page 178 of In the Air Tonight

After he walks away, I step into Kane’s arms and let him wrap me up in his love.

“I’m so damned proud of you.”

“Thank you for your unwavering support through it all.”

“I love you. I’ve always loved you, and I always will.”

“Love you, too. More than anything. I need to text my dad.” He wanted to come to court, but I asked him not to, knowing it would be too upsetting for him hear the details of what happened to me. I send him a quick text to tell him everything is fine, and I’ll call him later. Then I put the phone in my pocket and turn to my beloved. “You know what we’ve got?”

“What’s that?”

“Twenty-four hours without the kids before our flight tomorrow.”

“Yes, we do. How would you like to spend that time?”

“Let’s check into a fancy hotel, get room service and forget about all of this.”

“I’m with you, babe.”

Blaise

NOW

Jack has been tight with outrage since Sienna hit me.

It was a shock to me, too. When she came toward me, I barely had time to react before she’d slapped me so hard I saw stars.

“I can’tfucking believeshe hit you,” Jack says when we’re in the State Police SUV. We’ve left my family members with promises to see them soon. I’m already looking forward to that. “I hope they throw the goddamned book at her.”

“I’m okay.”

“Well, I’m not! That wasbullshit!”

I’ve never seen him so worked up, and that it’s on my behalf is enormously sexy to me. I’ve never had anyone who cared that much about me before, except my own family. “Come here.”

“I’m right here.”

“Come closer.”

He releases his seatbelt, scoots across the seat and puts his arm around me.

“I’m okay. You’re okay. Fenway is okay. Everything is fine.”

“She freaking hit you.”

“I know, and it hurt. But it’s over now.”

“I’m sick of people hurting you.”

I lean into his warm embrace. “I can’t believe what Ramona said in court. She never mentioned the incident in the library to me when we got together.”

“I wonder why.”

“She was probably afraid of people turning on her the way they did to Denise when she first reported the rape. I bet Ramona never would’ve said a word to anyone about that if she hadn’t been asked about it while under oath.”

“It definitely helped to establish a pattern of sorts.”

“Which only adds to the never-ending shock. I had no idea Ryder could be like that until I saw it for myself.”

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