Page 73 of Home for Justice
“And it’s only fair that you know,” she continued, her thumb brushing against his knuckles, “I’m falling for you, too. I love how you care about what my dad feels. I love that you ran headfirst into danger without thinking twice about yourself. So whatever’s coming after us…” Her voice wavered slightly, but she tightened her grip on his hands. “We’ll face it. Together.”
He lowered his head, brushing a kiss across her lips, savoring the softness, the sweetness of it. When he pulled back, their foreheads touched, and he whispered against her skin, “Together… perfect.”
He felt her smile against his throat as she tucked her head close, the small, breathy laugh she gave going straight to his heart… and lower. Tyler held her there for a moment, breathing her in. His hands cupped her face, and he trembled just slightly from everything building inside him.
There was no rush. No desperation. Only the aching need to show her all the things he hadn’t yet found the words to say.
In the quiet of the room, with moonlight bleeding through the blinds and brushing her skin, she looked almost otherworldly. Her hair shimmered like spun silk, and her skin held the soft glow of ivory. When she looked up at him, it was as though he could chase away the shadows, and he knew he’d found home.
He touched her face again, reverently, his thumbs grazing her cheeks as he leaned in. Their lips met in a slow kiss, deeper this time, his mouth molding to hers with the ease of someone who’d been waiting a lifetime to find this exact shape. Her lips parted for him, and he took his time, his tongue gliding gently against hers as the kiss deepened.
Everything about her… her smile, her strength, her giving spirit, the quiet intelligence behind her eyes felt like home. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve a woman like her, but he vowed, right then and there, to spend every day proving he was worthy of her love.
With his arms wrapped around her, he lifted her and carried her the few steps to the bed, laying her down with care. This was something deeper than lust.
This wasn’t about wild abandon. Tonight was a slow worship. As he kissed her, suckled her, and traced the silken skin of her body with lips and tongue and gentle hands, Tyler memorized every reaction. The way her breath caught. The way her fingers clutched at him, guiding him. The quiet sounds she made that he already knew he’d hear in his dreams.
When they were ready, his fingers linked with hers. He pressed inside her with slow, sure strokes, their bodies finding a rhythm that belonged only to them.
Their sighs turned to moans. Whispers melted into promises. And when their release finally overtook them, it was with each other’s names on their lips, cried out into the night.
Tyler held her afterward, skin against skin, heart against heart, and knew with bone-deep certainty that this was what he’d been waiting for. She was who he’d been waiting for.
And he wasn’t letting go.
32
The first hint of dawn barely touched the horizon when Tyler turned his SUV off the gravel road, approaching the gates of the LSIMT compound.
Now, the cool Montana air clung to the earth at the compound. Rolling down his window, he punched in the security code. A red light blinked once, then turned green, and the heavy gate slid open silently.
As he parked, he saw Cory leaning against the building, phone pressed to his ear. Spotting Tyler, Cory offered a quick nod, wrapped up his call, and joined him. Together, they walked inside, greeted Mary at the front desk, and headed straight to the secure workroom.
Inside, Frazier sat focused in front of multiple screens, fingers flying across the keyboard. “Morning,” Tyler murmured, scanning the monitors.
“Check this out,” Frazier said, leaning back to allow Tyler a clear view. “We tapped into an email account of Anthony Milton that’s linked to the investor. Not very secure. He’s cocky and careless.”
Tyler squinted at the email chain, one particular subject line catching his eye:
We need this deal done. No excuses.
The latest message caught his eye.You told me you had someone handling the holdouts. You said you could get them out. I don’t care how—just make it happen. My patience is gone. You want my money, then finish it.
Anthony’s reply was swift and cryptic.Everything’s moving as promised. They won’t hold out for long. I have someone already working to shift their priorities. It’s being handled.
Tyler felt a cold knot tighten in his gut. He tapped the screen, eyes narrowed. “Thissomeonehe refers to. That’s our key. That’s who’s actively doing shit to us.”
Cory folded his arms, leaning thoughtfully against the desk. “Anthony never dirties his own hands. He’s paying someone local. Could be Jordy and Debbie. They have motive and they’re close enough to stir trouble.”
“One or both of them could be in league with Anthony? But what’s the motivation for them? If Jack sells to Anthony, then they aren’t entitled to any of that money. The property is Jack’s free and clear,” Tyler said.
“I don’t think they have all their oars in the water,” Todd answered as he walked over and sat next to Tyler.
“We need to look closer at their bank accounts, besides just what overtly might have come from Anthony. Maybe they’re getting a payout from this investor,” Frazier said.
Sadie quickly pulled up financial records. “Fucking hell… I missed an account that is in Debbie’s name only—Jordy and Debbie McClay got four substantial deposits from the same bank account over the past six months, just under amounts that trigger scrutiny.”
“Who’s sending the money?” Tyler asked.
