Anger squeezed my chest.
That crusty, nasty bitch.
“She’s trying to scare me into doing what she wants me to do,” Maggie rushed. “She did it for years, twisted everything about me into a lie. And I believed it, Rhys. I believed it. But no more. For the first time in my life, I’m taking a stand. I’m doing what’s right. And there is no one who can stop me. And I’m asking you…begging you…to stand by my side while I do it.”
Charcoal eyes filled with moisture.
With determination.
This sweet, amazing, beautiful girl.
“Baby.” It was a whisper. “Of course, I will stand with you. Fuck…not gonna let you out of my sight.”
The most tentative smile played across her delicate mouth, and she reached out and traced mine, those fingertips dancing across my lips. “Thank you.”
My nod was slight, and then I inhaled and pushed ahead.
“How much?” I dreaded asking it.
“Five million.”
“What the hell? Maggie.” I blinked through the outright shock. “Where is it?”
Guilt raced across her features. “Under my bed. In duffle bags.”
My mind raced back to the day I’d helped her bring in her things. She’d almost come out of her skin when I’d tried to take them from her.
“Maggie…that’s fucking…crazy.”
It was.
Reckless and foolish and the bravest thing I’d ever heard.
“Maybe, but it’s the right thing to do.”
“What are you doing with it?”
“Lily…Violet’s sister. She’s helping me find the women who need it most. So they can restart their lives. Their lives my father stole from them. This is owed to them, Rhys, and no, money can’t cover it or erase what’s been done, but it can give them something to rebuild on. Hope that’s been missing.”
“And you’re not telling your brother…”
“You know why, Rhys. You know he’d stop me. Intervene. And he’s already given too much. I can’t ask this of him, too.”
Overcome, I wound my arms around her and hugged her hard.
Probably too hard.
But she was hugging me just as tight.
And there was nothing between us.
No barriers.
No space.
All except for the glaring hole that roared inside. A violent echo that rang in my ear, reminding me that I couldn’t have this.
My debt was too great.
My life too wrong.
Her words were suddenly rasping at my ear as she clung to me, “Be with me for now, Rhys. Tell me that right now, I belong to you and you belong to me. I feel your burden, I feel your heart, and I know you’ll never love me, and I know we’re not supposed to pretend, but I need it, Rhys. I need to feel this for a little bit. We never know how long we have, and this is the first true, real thing I’ve ever had.”
My soul shook with her statement.
Hitting me like stones.
This precious girl.
My arms curled tighter, and I breathed out the agony, the need and the devotion and that feelin’ that I couldn’t acknowledge. I edged her back so I could meet her eye, and I brushed away the wispy locks of black waves that stuck to the side of her face where the tears had fallen. “This is real, Maggie. Whatever you’re feeling. But you deserve to be loved with every fuckin’ part of someone. Completely and without a lick of reservation. Want to be him. Fuck, I do. But I’m not.”
“Be him now. Just for a few days. Until I have to go.”
I nodded at her, but then I was making my own demand. “As long as you promise to let me be the one to do it. Whatever shady as shit plans you have, they just got shadier, you got me? You’re not doin’ this. If someone wants that money? They’re gonna have to go through me to get it. You don’t leave my side until it’s done. Deal?”
Maggie swallowed, and her nod was small. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Relief slammed me, and then that relief was transforming.
Growing bigger.
Stronger.
Fiercer.
Because Maggie was kissing me, and I was kissing her, and I was carrying her to my bed.
And I was terrified that whatever she was feeling, I was feeling it, too.
Twenty-Six
Maggie
“Auntie Mag Pies!! Happy birthday! Oh, it’s gonna be the best day in the whole wide world because guess what? We’re makin’ pancakes.” Daisy was pure excitement from where she stood on the stool at the kitchen counter in front of a whipping bowl.
The softest smile pulled to my mouth while my heart threatened to explode.
I hovered at the edge of the kitchen while Emily and Violet bustled around.
“Happy birthday,” they said almost in unison when they could get in a word with Daisy’s exuberance.
Warmth radiated from them. A blanket of welcome and love.
“Thank you,” I replied, shuffling a little deeper into the kitchen.
I was still wearing sleepy eyes, sleep pants and a tank, and probably a loved-up glow that I really should try to cover.
But right then, I couldn’t bring myself to be concerned.