Page 143 of Done Waiting

Jagger’s smile widens and he gestures to a spot on the couch nearby. “Have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“A beer would be great.” Ryan settles near me on the huge, L-shaped couch. I adjust my position so I can see him better. He makes idle conversation with me until Jagger returns and hands him a beer.

Sitting beside me, his arm goes over my shoulders, tucking my blankets around me as he pulls me against him. A content purr comes out of me, causing his smile to widen as he settles in.

Ryan takes a long pull from his beer, then sets it on the coffee table. “I have something for you. I didn’t want to give it to you after the funeral because I knew you needed time to grieve. I stopped by your apartment and talked to your roommate, Chloe when you were here with Jagger. Of course, neither of us had any idea where you were, although I received a mysterious text from your phone shortly after you disappeared that simply said, “I’m safe. Someone special is taking good care of me. Please, don’t worry. I’ll be in contact with you as soon as I’m safely able to do so.”

I see the smirk on Jagger’s face. There’s no way I can be remotely mad about what he did. I’m grateful he was thoughtfulenough to reach out to Ryan. “Did you do that the first night you brought me here?”

“Yes. And I texted your boss, Daya, as well.” Then I had to turn it off. I gave it to Bryce to transfer everything to your new phone.” Setting his beer on the coffee table, he leans forward, grabbing his jacket. Reaching inside his pocket, he pulls out a brand-new iPhone and hands it to me. “For you, baby girl. Everyone is programmed in there.”

My fingers wrap around it, a huge smile on my face. Then I throw my arms around him, hugging him so tight he laughs, then admonishes me.

“Don’t hurt yourself, baby girl.”

“I’m fine.” Pulling back, I smile at him, then turn to Ryan, holding up my phone. “Now you can text and call me. Make sure you tell Aimee so she can contact me as well.”

Ryan grins. “I will.” Reaching into his pocket, he exchanges a look with Jagger. “I have something your dad left with me two days before his death.” Clearing his throat, his gaze slides to the flames in the fireplace, his eyes taking on a faraway look.

Silence hangs heavy in the room, like a thick curtain separating us from Ryan. The only sound is the cracking of flames as I wait expectantly for him to continue.

Finally, he turns to me, his eyes full of sadness. “Maddie… Your dad knew there was corruption in the Falls Creek Police Department, extending to the judicial system and prominent political figures. He and I had been investigating for months, but when we were told we needed to stop and focus our attention elsewhere… Well, you know your dad.” His smile is weak as he leans forward, elbows on his thighs, twisting his fingers together. “He loved you and wanted you to grow up in a safe world. He was deeply troubled by what was going on and even though we weren’t supposed to be investigating, well, your dad refused to stop. Even when he started receiving threats.”

I gasp, my brows raising. My dad never mentioned receiving threats.

“He didn’t tell you and he made me promise not to, either.” Ryan blows out a sigh.

Swallowing hard, I choke out, “Ben said my mom killed my dad. He said my mom was the leader of the corruption in town. His exact words were, ‘The only thing that stood in her way from being at the top of the chain and completely untouchable was your father.’ Then he callously said my mom, ‘took care of him in that motorcycle ‘accident’ that ended his life.”

Jagger swears beside me, his arm tightening around me while his hand runs over my thigh in a soothing gesture. I hear him mutter, “Fucking Ice Queen” under his breath and I can’t help but smile from the tone of his voice. He sounds even angrier now than when he talked about how she screwed him over as a child.

“My mom didn’t deny it. I didn’t ask her but when I looked into her eyes, I saw the guilt there. She had something to do with it.”

Ryan nods. “I suspected that and have been trying to find evidence to link her to it since his accident.” His eyes fill with tears as he reaches over, grabbing my hand. “I’m so fucking sorry, Maddie. If I suspected she planned to hurt him in any way, I would have found some way to warn him. To try and prevent it.”

Squeezing his hand, I shake my head. “I never would have suspected. I know things had become pretty tense between them. I assumed it was because they were both working a ton of hours.”

“They both threw themselves into their jobs as their problems worsened. But days before your dad’s accident, he came to me, pale and shaky, and told me he knew who the leader of the corruption was, but he refused to say who it was. He justmuttered, ‘I hope to God I’m wrong, but if not, I need you to do something for me.’ That’s when he handed me this envelope with your name on it and told me that if anything happened to him, I was supposed to give this to you.” He extends his hand, thrusting an envelope with my name on it into my hands.

My hand shakes as I pull it closer, staring at my name written in my dad’s penmanship. My fingers trace over the letters, Maddie Rose.

Waves of grief wash over me, threatening to drown me. My heart is so heavy as I stare at the envelope.

I don’t know if I can read this.

Jagger’s breath feathers across the side of my face, his deep voice beside my ear. “You’ve got this, baby girl. I’m right here.”

I look up into the eyes I plan to look into for the rest of my life. The other half of my soul. The one who gives me his strength when I lose mine.

Yes, I can do this.

59

MADISON

Iopen the envelope, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. Heaving out a sigh, I unfold it and begin reading. But I don’t make it very far before tears blur my eyes, sliding down my cheeks so fast I can’t see.

Looking up at Jagger, I hand the letter to him. “Can you… read it to me?”

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