Page 136 of Always Be an Us

But know this. You have always been the light of my life.

Finding you has been better than striking ivory.

And I hope one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me for our–

Hold on a second.

I jerk up in bed, as the memory of my grandfather's words drifts through my mind like a leaf floating in the wind.

Striking ivory. I’ve heard that before. When Grandpa was talking about overhearing the thieves talking in their room.

It was two men arguing. One of them was saying that they had to leave tonight, because they already struck ivory.

I stare down at the book in disbelief.

Why does V use the same phrasing as one of the thieves? Striking ivory is not a common term of the time, I don't think.

And how the heck did I not notice before?

I flip the pages till I get to the first letter, and then flip it back to the one I just read. The handwriting is very similar, but I start noticing certain things, the subtle difference in spacing between each letter, the way the second letter curls each alphabet with careful precision, while the first is more of a careless scrawl.

It's a close copy. But it's not exactly the same.

And then there's the most damning piece of evidence. The direct nature of the first letter contrasts with the superfluousness of the second.

Oh. My. God.

Excitement buzzes in my blood the next day as I head to the Tiki Bar for lunch with Xavier.

The weather is probably similar to how it was yesterday, but everything feels different. The air is fresh with possibilities. My mind is humming with ideas.

I can't believe I never noticed any of it before yesterday. I've read the journal several times, but I suppose I wasn't paying as much attention as I thought I was.

Or perhaps, I only read what I wanted to read. I wanted a love story and that was all I saw, skipping out on the rest of the details.

And now I see it, it seems crazy that I didn't consider it before.

Oh, Amelia is going to die when I tell her about this.

I glance at the Marriott hotel as I pass by. I'll stop by after my meeting with Xavier to see her, and maybe we can go on a hike.

As I approach the Tiki Bar, I see Xavier leaning against the wall on the phone, his back to me.

I get closer, about to speak but then I hesitate.

"Your fall-guy botched the fucking break-in," he says in low dulcet tones that always tell me he's furious. "And you didn't even get the damn pearls or the book, so what was even the point of that?"

My hand stops inches away from his shoulder.

My blood turns into ice. Even my breath freezes. Is he talking about a break in?Mybreak in? Pearls? What?

Xavier releases another frustrated breath.

"It's amateur hour over here," he says. "Listen, just find the pearls. And if you can find the Pink one all the better. And make sure the big man leaves town. Whatever it takes. If not, we’ll have to consider the more lethal option."

Suddenly, Declan's warning rings loud and clear in my mind.

Chapter Forty

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