Page 65 of (Un)Rivaled

“Fine,” Laurel sighed, pushing an errant hair out of her face. “You two try to track down more about William Garber. But if we haven’t found something by the end of the week, we need to explore other avenues.”

“Deal,” I said. “It’s getting late. We should head out before it gets too dark.” I reached out to Devyn. “You ready, Ace?”

Devyn nodded and moved to my side. But before we could leave, she glanced at the files one more time. “We’re missing something, I can feel it. There’s some thread tying all this together, and we’re missing it.”

“I know, but we’ll find it,” I said as I leaned down and kissed her temple. We glanced over at Tomas and Laurel. “Are you staying in town?”

Tomas smirked. “You’re looking at my digs. Staying here as long as it takes.”

Devyn’s eyes narrowed in his direction, “Are you sure it's safe?”

“Definitely,” Tomas said, his tone taking a much more serious edge. I appreciated that he wanted to soothe my wife’s worries and that he knew how to take certain things seriously. “No one knows I’m here but my team, and I paid cash. Also gave them a fake name, just in case anyone comes sniffing around.”

“You come prepared,” I grumbled.

“Perks of the job,” he smirked. “Anonymity is part of the package. You learn quickly to keep yourself off anyone’s radar.”

I nodded over to Laurel. “What about you?”

She was so focused on Devyn, it took her a moment to process what I’d asked. “I’m staying at the Isadora with Mom. She needs some help redecorating David’s oldoffice, and I thought it might be a good idea to see if there’s anything left behind that might be useful for us.”

“How long does Harry think you’ll be gone?” Devyn asked.

She gave her sister a sad smile. “Unlike your husband, mine actually prefers when I’m not home.”

“Smart man,” Tomas whispered under his breath.

But it wasn’t quite low enough, because Laurel glared at him with as much vitriol as she could muster. He wasn’t fazed, however, and just continued to stare at his computer screen.

Devyn looked up at me, suddenly looking exhausted under the weight of what we learned today. “I’d like to go help too,” she said, turning toward her sister. “Maybe we could even ask Mom where Dad’s old files ended up. Might be worth checking out to find a connection.”

Laurel nodded, dropping her gaze down to the floor. “I’d like that.”

THIRTY-FOUR

The drive back home was almost completely silent, only the sounds from the GPS keeping us company. I was used to the quiet, thrived in it, actually. But having Devyn sit next to me in silence? That was lighting all my nerves on fire.

Even as we turned into the driveway, she said nothing, just continuing to stare out the window. Did she think she had to hold all this inside? Today was a lot, from seeing her sister to hearing Laurel’s theory about their father. I wanted to reach out and remind her I was here, but the look on her face stopped me. She had to know that, right? That I wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how challenging our lives got?

I pulled into my parking spot next to the front porch and put the car in park. When Devyn didn’t say anything, I cleared my throat. “I should go check on my parents. My mom wants to talk about our visit to the care facility.” Devyn nodded. “Do you…” I sucked in a sharp breath, bracing myself for rejection. “Do you want me to come back later, or do you need some time?”

She shrugged. “It’s your house. You can come and go as you please.”

“Hey…” I said, my voice taking on a more demanding tone. I put my hand on her thigh, and she turned to look at me. “Today was a lot, and I get it. If you need some time and space to get through it, I’ll give it to you.” Devyn’s brown eyes widened for a moment, and I knew I said the wrong thing. She tried to pull away, but I held on, making sure she heard me. “Don’t think this means I want to be away from you. I fucking hate the idea of sleeping without you. But if you need it, I’ll do it. Even if I leave, I’ll be right back here tomorrow morning like the needy bastard you’ve made me.” I cupped her cheek. “I also don’t want you to feel smothered.”

“I don’t,” Devyn said, her voice soft and low. “Today would have been a lot worse if you weren’t there with me.”

“Then do you want me to stay?”

“Yes,” Devyn breathed, her eyes meeting mine. “I want you to stay and make me forget, just for a little while. Help me feel something other than this ache inside my chest.”

I brought her hand to my lips. “I can do that, Ace. Whatever you need.”

She wasted no time climbing over the center console to settle into my lap. My hands flexed against her hips, loving how she felt against me. Her lips found mine, kissing me as if it was the only thing keeping her together. If she wanted to forget, I would make it my mission and not let go until she was pliant and satisfied in my arms.

Devyn leaned back, and I took her cue, unbuttoning her jeans and shimming them down her legs. As she tried to step out of them, she bumped her head on the roof. “Shit,” she chuckled. “This was sexier in my head.”

“Pretty fucking sexy to me,” I growled as I rubbed my thumb along her soaked panties. “Gonna ruin this truckforever. Every time I sit behind the wheel, I’m going to picture you, all wet and needy for me.”

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