Page 115 of The Mastermind

Remi helped me find myself again.

Daddy, I hope you can rest in peace now. I hope Mochi is keeping you company.

Hot tears flowed down my cheeks, and I let them. They needed to be released. Overwhelmed, I had cried in the hospital, but now, I was crying for the closure I finally felt. Fate had made me go home early that day to witness my uncle’s crime.

I shoved Derek and all the ugly things aside. They didn’t deserve my time. I had to focus on myself and what I wanted. I went to my desk and retrieved my journal, where I kept marketing plans for Epiphanii and where I wrote my haikus when the mood struck. Staring at the brand and its meaning, I grabbed a pencil and drew the three “i’s” for my logo.

I remembered the idea for my new Dynamic Line Segments collection. I turned to a new page in my journal and began drawing simple line art.

I should be resting, but creativity flowed effortlessly right now.

Then I wrote a haiku.

Love is a bright gem.

I wear my Epiphanii,

Life gleams like Remi.

I heldthe journal to my chest, feeling the truth in my heart. The doorbell rang, and I wondered who it could be since Remi had a key to my place. With all that had happened, I walked over cautiously and peeked through the peephole.

My heart raced as I opened the door. “Why—”

Remi wrapped his arms around me, lifting my feet off the floor. With my arms pressed to his chest, I inhaled the familiar scent of him and surrendered to the safety of his arms. Carrying me into my apartment, he kicked the door shut.

He pressed his face to my hair, breathing me in just as I had done to him.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” I muttered, wrapping my legs around his hips.

We stayed that way for a while. Finally, I planted my feet on the floor, veering back to look at him. “Why didn’t you use the key?”

“I wanted you to greet me.” Remi rubbed his thumbs across my cheeks. “I don’t want you out of my sight ever again.” His lips found mine.

The kiss was soft and sensual, more intimate than the previous kisses. Maybe it was the same, but I was now different. Perhaps we were both different. We had both survived a storm and emerged as new people with brighter outlooks.

“Are you alright?” His eyes looked tired, but something sparked in those aqua blues that had hooked me from the beginning.

A smile slid onto his lips. “I’m not the one who’s injured.”

“Is Slash okay?”

“No.” Remi led me over to the couch. “There was an explosion at his restaurant. He didn’t make it. No one else was hurt.”

“Oh my goodness!” A lump formed in my throat. Today had been a horrible day for everyone.

I inquired about Maria’s well-being, and he told me she was doing her best. Her family would be helping her with the aftermath. He also said that we couldn’t attend his memorial for safety reasons, which I thought was odd.

Remi turned to me, looking serious. “I have a lot of things to discuss with you.”

I braced myself. “Okay.”

“I want our relationship to work. Itwillwork. I don’t want anything to wedge between us. No more secrets.”

“I don’t have any secrets you don’t know about.”

“I know.” He interlaced his fingers with mine. “I want to tell you a story about how I met Slash. Fifteen years ago, I witnessed a murder.”

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