Page 109 of Forty, Flirty & F*cked

"How did you?—"

"I know everything. I did some reach after Monaco. That ‘lifestyle change’ of yours? Yoga and crystals and fucking namaste’ing with Jenny on every continent. A cover. For every transaction. Every fake account. Every time you used people like Gideon Bristol’s name to line your own pockets. Guess Drake PR wasn’t as profitable as you made it out to be. And I’m sure the SEC would love to know more about that.”

He whitens. “You can’t prove?—"

"I already have."

I let him go, watching as he staggers, gasping for breath. "Stay gone, Will." My voice is steel. "Because if you ever come near her again, you won’t have the chance to walk away."

Will’s gaze lowers, reality finally sinking in.

Then he runs.

Again.

I take several seconds before turning to head back in. I stop.

The guys—Luke, Callum and Grayson—are already at the doorway, smiles barely suppressed as they take in the scene.

"Well," Luke sighs, "that was anticlimactic. Connor, your timing could use work."

"My timing?"

"For realizing you're in love with your wife." He grins. "Though, sprinkling death threats in there was definitely the icing on the cake of you falling in love.”

I nearly laugh. But the sound gets caught in my throat.

Because he's right.

I do love her. Love Ariana.

I love her chaos and her complications and her complete inability to let anyone handle their own crises. I love how she color-codes her protein bars and alphabetizes her emergency contacts and tries to fix everything through sheer force of will.

I love that she makes me brave enough to want more.

To be more.

To fight for more.

“Fuck, guys, I have to go." I'm already moving. "Tell Alex?—"

"That you're finally growing a pair?" Grayson suggests. "Way ahead of you."

"Though perhaps," Callum calls after me, "I know a man with a helicopter..."

I flip him off as I run into Seattle's rain, pulling out my phone:

ME: I'm sorry

ME: For running

ME: For not being brave enough

ME: For everything

The message fails to send.

Because of course it does. Because I blocked her number like the coward I am.

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