Page 80 of Made For You
“I’ll call you when I land.”
“Sounds good. Please tell Gigi that I’m sorry.”
He didn’t say another word. Instead, he leaned down and left me with a kiss that promised his return. And as I watched the two of them hop into the back of the waiting SUV, I couldn’t help thinking it was the last time I’d ever see him.
Chapter Twenty-One – Talon
After spending the last few months in Ashfield curled up around Aurora every night, Miami held none of the appeal it once had. Other than Gigi and Dean, there was nothing here I cared about. The bustling city couldn’t compare to the small downtown area and its people I’d grown attached to in Aurora’s hometown. They looked out for each other in ways the people I passed on the busy streets around the hotel did not. My apartment didn’t hold the same appeal as Aurora’s tiny home. It wasn’t the size, the furnishings, or the location. It was allher. She made that place feel like a home in a way the apartment never could.
The police had been investigating my grandfather’s death for the last two weeks and were getting nowhere. My uncle swore he was still alive when he left the Wilder mansion, but the police, and Gigi, feared the elderly man had been poisoned. We were supposed to get the toxicology reports back this morning, and then I could finally make my way back to my wife.
“Gigi!” I called out as I waited in the massive foyer. This house always reminded me of a prison, despite its lavish fixtures.
“Coming!” she shouted back from somewhere down the hall. I was taking her to the lawyer's office for the reading, and hopefully the arrest of my uncle. My grandfather had been sick but stable, and the doctor said his death was unexpected. We’d know soon.
While I waited, I sent a message to Aurora. I knew she was in the middle of class but figured she’d see it when she checked later.
Me: How’s BOB holding up this morning?
Last night, during a voracious round of phone sex, I made Aurora use her vibrator while I watched on the videocall. She came three times with the toy and had to replace the batteries before we were finished.
Aurora: Any news? How’s Gigi?
Me: Aren’t you in class?
Aurora: They’re taking a test. Update me.
Me: Gigi is holding up—probably better than your battery-operated boyfriend. I’m taking her to the lawyer’s office.
Aurora: Give her a hug from me. And one *for you* too. Good luck.
“Who has you smiling? That beautiful wife of yours?” Gigi asked, as she finally graced me with her presence. Most women mourned their dead husband by wearing all black. Not Gigi. Today, she was wearing a bright-orange business suit.
“Aurora sent you a long-distance hug,” I replied, my chest a little looser than it was when I left Tennessee. With our messages and video calls a constant since we parted, the closeness I felt to Aurora that I worried would wane was just as strong.
Tucking Gigi’s arm through mine, she said, “Such a sweet girl.”
“Yes, she is.”
As I helped settle my grandmother into the seat of the town car, my cell buzzed in my pocket. It was a forwarded email from Dean. I’d normally wait to read the message, but he tagged it as urgent, so I opened the email immediately and read through the information.
It seemed my assistant, Olive, was the cousin of Allison, the woman I’d scorned months ago. At first, I didn’t think anything of the message, until I noticed there was a zip file of images attached. Extracting the contents of the folder, I found about a hundred pictures of Olive and Allison together, and then quite a few more of each of them with my uncle inverycompromising positions. There were even some of the three of them hooking up at a popular sex club.
I wasn’t sure what the information meant, other than I was going to fire my assistant, but I sent a thanks to Dean.
Once I buckled myself into the town car, I shot human resources an email with some of the less lewd images of Olive with my uncle and requested her termination due to the fraternization policy we had in place. Despite me being the interim CEO until recently, Olive was stillhisassistant whenever he decided to show up for work. The timestamps showed their relationship had been going on for a while. Allison seemed to have joined in within the last few months. I sighed with relief, knowing that she wasn’t fucking me and my uncle at the same time.
“Everything all right?” Gigi asked as the car left the gated exit.
“Just fine. A little issue with work, but that will be solved soon.”
As we continued toward the lawyer’s office, she asked me for updates on the Wilder lodge. I knew Dean had most likely shown her the pictures of the renovations I’d been sending his way. I even video-called them when we finalized the new designs for the bedrooms. But it was nice to talk about something unrelated to my grandfather.
As the car approached the office, reporters were scattered along the sidewalk. News of my grandfather’s death had been rampant, especially after the coroner stated it might not have been from natural causes.
I helped my grandmother out of the car and kept the photographers at bay as they tried to encroach on our space. We nixed the security detail, and I was second-guessing that choice. Thankfully, the security guard at the office assisted when he noticed we were swarmed and quickly got us inside.
The large conference room was filled with doctors, lawyers, and officers. There were only a few vacant chairs remaining and Gigi took the one closest to the door. My uncle paced by the window, mumbling about having to be there. On the couch sat his estranged wife, Kate, who was my aunt and mother’s sister. She stared at the wall in a trance. Their children Delilah and Charles Jr. were busy on their phones. I was surprised to see them in attendance. I hadn’t seen them in person in years. I wondered if Gigi requested they all attend the meeting or if my uncle demanded it.
