For so long, I’d wallowed in burdensome guilt, and I’d deserved to. But perhaps the time had come for me to acknowledge the truth. I’d never intended to kill Henry. Not even close. All I’d wanted was to save Samuel, to get that brute off of him and put an end to the horror.
Where was he?
Why couldn’t Joseph find him?
He had to be out there somewhere. People didn’t just vanish without leaving a trail. Even if he’d died, there’d be records. Evidence that he’d existed, that he’d lived, that he’d been loved. That he’d mattered.
I hadn’t even known him all that well, yet the events of that night had bonded us in a way I could neither explain nor shake. I didn’t want to, either. I only wanted to find him, to know that he was okay, that he was happy. Married, possibly, with children. Ineededto know that Henry’s abuse hadn’t ruined his life. God only knew Henry’s death had ruined mine.
Until Lee.
I gazed down at her. She had to be dreaming. Her eyelids were darting from side to side. I kissed the top of her head.
“Dream of me, baby.”
Closing my eyes, I let sleep take me.
* * *
I woke to the sound of the shower running. Groaning, I rolled over in bed and rubbed my eyes. I squinted at the clock on the nightstand. Seven thirty-five. We hadn’t planned to leave until ten o’clock. Lee must be eager to be on her way, and I couldn’t blame her. We’d done what we came to do, and my dreams of our fake relationship turning into a real one might come true. If it wasn’t for Benedict’s suggestion that he had an idea of what had happened in Switzerland, I’d call this weekend a major success.
How the fuck did he know? If he did and wasn’t fishing like Lee had said. I didn’t buy that, though. If he was fishing, he might have accused me of being a playboy, or into polyamorous relationships, or some weird kink that’d turn Lee off. But to blurt out what he had… no way had that been a shot in the dark.
For years I’d lived with the fear of what I’d done making it to the press, but so far, my father had kept a lid on it. He had the power and the contacts to close down any attempts at a story. I’d have to tell him about Benedict, though.
I rubbed my brow. Wasn’t looking forward to that. Dad and I hadn’t spoken about that night in a long while. We had in the beginning, but over time, it’d stopped being a conversation piece between us. He thought I’d moved on because I let him think that. To know how much I’d suffered would hurt my father terribly. He’d blame himself, and that was the last thing I wanted. My dad was one of the best humans on the planet.
I couldn’t hide from the conversation, though. Dad would need to get his lawyers ready to quash any signs of an ambitious journalist breaking the story. NDAs remained in place, but times changed, as did laws of different countries. Dad needed to know so he could line up a defensive strategy. Just in case.
I threw back the covers and got out of bed. I raised my hand to knock on the bathroom door, then changed my mind. I’d surprise her, slip into the shower with her, and give her three orgasms before breakfast.
The shower stall was steamed up. I slipped inside and captured Lee around the waist. She startled in my arms.
“Jeez, Kadon. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Duh!” She pointed at her face. “Does this look like a person who heard you?”
“I don’t know. What is that supposed to look like?”
She palmed my shoulder. “Funny.”
“I thought so.” I moved my hands to her ass and tugged her against me, bending to kiss her. Would I ever get used to being able to kiss her and put my hands on her ass? “You taste of mint.”
“And you taste of morning breath.”
I grinned. “Is the honeymoon over already?”
I expected her to laugh. She didn’t. Fear curdled in my stomach. She’d changed her mind. She was about to tell me that what had happened between us was a mistake and it was over before it’d begun. I readied myself for a broken heart, one that I’d never recover from.
“I dreamed about you last night.”
Not what I’d expected her to say.
“You did? What was I doing?”
She glanced down at my cock. “Stroking yourself while I watched.” Her eyes lifted to mine. “You know the other day, when I left you by the bonfire?”