Page 126 of Forbidden Confessions: Vol. 2
Ridge and I both laugh. This is the most terrifying, odd, surreal, what-the-hell situation I’ve ever been in. But I’m with Ridge. Weirdly, I feel as if I’m where I belong.
I cuddle against him. “It is. Get us out of here, then ask me to marry you.”
“And you’ll say yes?” He grins beside me in the dark. “Deal.”
9
Ridge
* * *
I don’t know what time it is when the buzzing of the phone on the battered desk across the room jars me awake.
Cursing the fact I fell asleep, I bolt out of bed and sprint for the device. I glance at the display. It’s nearly five a.m. But the caller’s name shocks me even more.
Ransom.
“What’s wrong? Why the fuck are you calling again so soon?” I snap since we’re only supposed to talk if there’s an emergency.
“I need out. Now.”
“What?” He’s leaving me alone on this case?
“You heard me.”
“Are you fucking serious? I’ve been working this shit for too long for you to just bail.”
“Look, I hoped we’d be done. But I’ve got to end my part in this fucking charade. I’m in love.”
The guy who hasn’t spent more than a few hours with the same woman since high school? “You?”
“Yeah. I took her to bed last night.”
“Am I supposed to congratulate you? You fucked some woman. Whoopee… You can’t be serious here.”
“She turned eighteen yesterday. She was a virgin. I willingly fucked her bareback—more than once—and she’s not on the pill. That serious enough for you?”
And then some. Whoa. For almost two decades, Ransom has sworn he would never settle down, never have more kids, and never let another woman have that much power in his life. So this is beyond significant.
“Shit. You’re not playing.”
“Nope.”
“But she’s your son’s age. You’re a grown-ass man. What are you going to do, finish raising her?”
“Fuck off. I called to give you a heads-up. I plan to dust Paul Carboni pronto so he can’t come after me again. I can do Donzelli, too. Since I’m a ‘dead man,’ neither will see me coming and no one will suspect me. God knows they deserve it for selling human beings like sacks of groceries. It will also get you a step closer to getting out of this shitty mess. What you do with the opportunity is up to you. I’m hanging up now.”
He’s got a point. More than one, actually. I have to get out of this fucking mess right now, too. But my brother? I’m worried about him getting mixed up with some barely legal chick who will fuck him up like his ex from high school. “Wait! I didn’t mean to piss you off. I’m just saying Lydia did a number on you, and this girl?—”
“Havana.”
I snort. Ransom always did have his priorities in his pants. “With a name like that, I’m guessing she has a fuck-me mouth and great tits.”
“Shut up.”
“So she doesn’t?” I wait. Silence. “That’s what I thought. You can’t be into Havana for her intellect.”
“You don’t know her, so stop making assumptions. She’s way more mature than Lydia, who had everything handed to her as a kid. Havana has been on her own for two years. She’s got the biggest fucking heart. She wants to be a vet. She’s smart enough to do it, too. And by the way, I’m still here for you to bitch at because she saved my life last night. So back the fuck down. I’m telling you I want out, and this is how it’s going to go down.”
