Page 68 of Submitting to Them
Kingston nods.“That equipment Crowley was using was pretty fucking expensive.Nobody ever said how he could afford it.”
“So he was working for Joel,” Sebastian says, looking disgusted.
“Or possibly his mom and stepdad,” Kingston adds.“But Joel was involved if he knew about Ella’s keyboard.We have to talk to Detective Baldwin about this.”
I nod.“Yeah.”
Kingston grabs his phone and dials the detective, but hangs up after a few moments.“No answer.I’ll try again later.”
The three of us just look at each other.Everything is so fucked up—Bryan’s death, Kristin’s kidnapping.When did my life become a murder mystery, with corporate espionage?
Not only that, physical shivers take me as I think about Joel watching whatever footage was gathered from my apartment.My apartment was my home, the refuge where I could let down my guard.It was where I allowed myself to be comfortable.
I’m glad I moved in with Kingston.I’m glad I don’t have to go back to that place after knowing Joel set up cameras to watch me there.
“You’re shaking, baby girl,” Kingston says.
I shrug.I don’t know how to explain it to them.
But I don’t have to.Kingston lifts me up and over to his lap, where he cradles me.I breathe in his warm, comforting scent, reminding myself that we’re safe here, that no one could get in and put up cameras, and these men would never let anything happen to me.
“Wait a minute,” I say, remembering how Joel barged in here one night—that first night I slept with Kingston and Sebastian.“Is this place safe from cameras?Joel had access.”
Kingston holds me tighter.“I had the entire penthouse and elevator professionally searched after what happened to your apartment.Not because I thought Joel had anything to do with it, but because I wanted to reassure you, if it ever came up, that the place is clean.I revoked Joel’s access back in January.”
Sighing, I snuggle against him.We remain like that, with Sebastian on the other couch, just quietlybeingtogether.None of us is comfortable with everything that has gone down, but there’s something comforting about sitting with these men, even though none of us is talking.
After a few minutes, Kingston’s phone buzzes with a call.
“It’s Baldwin,” Kingston says, swiping his phone screen to answer.“Kingston Tyler here.”
A brief pause while Baldwin talks on the other end of the line.
Kingston responds, “No, I was calling about something else—Bryan Crowley, the apartment manager—wait—what?”
The shock is evident in his voice, and alarm travels through me, potent as tequila.
“What is it?”I ask, squeezing his hand.“What happened?”
“Kristin is back,” he says.“She’s alive.Baldwin wants me to come into the station and go over a few things.”
“They…don’t thinkyoudid this, do they?”Sebastian asks.
“No.At least, I don’t think so.He wants to talk about my ex-wife and her husband.”
He puts on a pair of dark jeans and a button-up shirt.I go with him to the bedroom as he dresses and stand on my tiptoes to run my fingers through his hair, which is a little mussed from his swim.
“Are you going to be okay, Daddy?”I ask.“Do you want us to go with you?We will.”
“I’m going to be fine, little one.”He bends and kisses my cheek, then leaves.
I curl up with Sebastian, watching the elevator for a long time and hoping that everything goes all right for Kingston.Kristin has been found, and I can only hope this is the first step to resolving all of this drama.
Kingston
The night air cools my face as I walk from my car to the station.Lin is standing out front, and I wave her down so we go in together.
“What are you doing here?”I ask her.
