Page 70 of Decoded
Damn. Did my daughter marry Batman?
“So, what’s it going to be, Mr. Brenner?”
My former friend looks over at me. “Craig, come on. What do you want from me?”
Years of friendship should have made me feel something. Remorse. Loss. Anger. But when I look at Daniel, I feel nothing. “I want an answer. Will it be option one? Or option two?”
Chapter forty-six
Anna
T
he sound of squealing tires has my head snapping up from the potatoes I’m whipping together. I hear the kitchen door to the patio click and see my husband walk in, my dad following behind him.
“It’s over, Baby. You never have to worry about Daniel Brenner again.” I collapse into Keaton’s arms, the feeling of relief taking over me.
“He took the quiet option. He will be selling the company and leaving the state, hopefully by Thanksgiving.”
“But what if he doesn’t,” I whisper quietly.
“Then we expose him for fraud. I contact the SEC and FBI, and they hit him where it hurts. His pocket. We can also move forward with the civil suit. Press charges for the crimes that he committed against you.”
I reach up and run my hand over the hair covering his jaw. “I don’t ever want to see him again. I just want him to disappear from our lives. If we press charges, there will be hearings, and I don’t know that I can stand being in a room with him again foras long as I live. So, let’s just hope he moves far away and leaves me and every other woman on this planet alone.”
Keaton presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I love you, Anna. Thank you for giving me another chance.”
I smile at him. “Thank you. Not just for what you did, but for believing me. For choosing me.”
He turns his head to press his lips to my hand on his face. “Always you. From the very beginning.”
Across the kitchen, standing with my mom, I meet my dad’s gaze. He looks tired. Hollow.
“Anna Laura, I owe you a thousand apologies, but I’ll start with this one. I’m so sorry for allowing my friendship with someone to hurt the thing that matters the most to me in this world. You.”
“Dad, you don’t,” I begin, but he holds a hand up halting my protest.
“I owe you so many more, but I also want to let you know how incredibly proud I am of you. You stood your ground. You told me your truth. You believed in yourself.”
My dad’s arms are open for me when I reach him from across the kitchen and we pull each other into an embrace. “I love you, baby girl. And I promise to prove it for the rest of my life.”
Keaton and I walk into his place, and I glance around. It doesn’t look any different than the last time I was here. I have to remind myself that it’s only been a couple of days even though the weight of the events have felt like years had dragged on.
I texted Skyla to check in and see how things were with her and if she minded me spending the night with Keaton instead of hanging with her. I feel bad about ditching my friend who flew all this way to see me, but apparently, she’s already become a regular down at Kalli’s Corral and was planning to meet up with someone there. She was, however, very eager for the details of mine and Keaton’s reconciliation.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?” Keaton asks, but I shake my head. It’s late and all I want is the comfort of my husband.
We walk up the stairs slowly, neither of us speaking. The need for one another is so strong that you can feel the desire in the air around us. When we walk in the bedroom, I realize the only thing I need is him.
I reach up, threading my fingers in his hair. “Thank you. I know I said it earlier, but it’s not enough.”
“Baby, you’re enough.” His mouth found mine before I could continue expressing my gratitude for the way he protects me. The way he believes in me. The way he loves me.
The fear, the fury and the ache of the last few days are poured into that kiss as his hands move with purpose tracing the curves of my body. He breaks the kiss, his hands at my waist. “I need you.”
“Me too,” I breathe out.
Keaton’s fingertips skim over my skin with reverence, leaving behind goosebumps in their wake. He takes my lips again, then presses a kiss to my chin. Then to my neck. Then to my shoulder.
