Page 54 of Culmination
And fuck me, I hadn’t been prepared for the anguish I’d seen on his face as he gave Brie one last look before disappearing.
But that’s where we are. I’m sitting in Theo’s grand study, his blood and guts on me, holding on to the woman I love more than anything. The woman I nearly lost.
I catch sight of Adrian just inside the side door. His gaze catches mine, and his chest heaves a heavy sigh. Something passes between us and understanding dawns on me. He’s giving me this. He’s giving me her. He’s giving up.
I nod, and with one last look, Adrian disappears.
Agent Howard’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “Where is he?” he asks, glancing around.
In all the chaos of the SWAT team entering, he didn’t see my brother. And in this moment, I give something back to Adrian.
“He’s gone, Howard. Leave it.”
Howard’s eyebrows furrow at me. “But, Matthews—”
“Leave it.”
Before he can respond, Brie’s arms wrap around my waist, her soft, brown eyes staring up at me.
“Now I know how you felt that day I nearly drowned,” she whispers, her voice catching as a tear runs down her cheek. “I thought I was going to lose you. God, Rafe.”
I bring my hands to her face, brushing a tear away with my thumb. “You’ll never lose me, Brie. I promise. The only reason I stayed with the agency as long as I did was to take Theo down. Now that Adrian did it for me, it’s done. I have a family to protect, and I plan on sticking around for a long damn time to watch this baby—and all the ones that come after it—grow up and have their own.”
Her sleepy smile warms me all the way to my soul. “Let’s get through having this one before we start planning out our brood.”
A throat clears, and I glance up to see a tight-smiled blond woman peering down at us. “Why don’t we get you two out of here? I think Ms. Latham could use some warm tea and a more comfortable location.”
I nod.
And just like that, our moment is over. We’re whisked away from the mansion to the agency’s headquarters in Chicago, where we’re questioned for seemingly endless hours.
By the time we make it back to the hotel, I can barely keep my eyes open. I power through, mindlessly allowing Brie to strip me down, lead me to the shower, and wash every inch of my skin with her soft, delicate hands, careful to avoid my cuts and bruises. It’s a testament to my exhaustion that I don’t push her up against the shower wall and have my way with her. As much as I want to, I give her space. While she moisturizes and does her nightly routine, I walk out and take a seat on the edge of the bed, breathing in sweet relief for the first time in what feels like forever.
God. It’s finally over. Finally fucking over. No more Theo. No more Adrian. No more looking over our shoulders, wondering when the other shoe is going to drop.
“Thank you, Rafe,” Brie whispers, climbing onto the bed and resting against me, her chest to my back. Soft hands slide around my neck and settle on my chest. “You didn’t have to let Adrian go, but you did. That was kind. It means a lot to me.”
“He saved your life, Brie. Hell, he saved mine. He ended this nightmare for us once and for all, when I couldn’t.”
“Rafe, you may not have pulled the trigger, but you had as much to do with ending this as he did. Besides…I’m glad it was him. I think… I think Adrian can handle what he’s done. But you? I wouldn’t want that guilt on your conscience.”
I could sit here and tell Brie it wouldn’t have been the first time I’d have had to discharge a weapon in the line of duty. I could allow masculine pride to swell, insisting that Adrian wasn’t more of a man because he could handle the guilt. I could…
But why? None of that matters. It won’t change anything.
So, instead of speaking, I wrap my woman in my arms, right where she’s meant to be, and whisper words of love that will never, ever get old.
“Are you sure about this, Rafe?” Brie asks as we stroll along the Magnificent Mile.
It’s our last night in Chicago before our brief return to Philadelphia, where I’ll hang up my badge for good. I stop, turn her in my arms so she’s looking up at me. My hands cup her cheeks. I wish I could make her feel the relief that courses through my blood.
“Baby, I’ve never been more sure of anything. This was the first case I took, and I want it to be my last. I wanna be Rafe Matthews of Matthews Construction. I want to settle with you, our baby, and just be at peace. For both of us.”
She smiles warmly at me. “You don’t know how good it is to hear you say that. I feel like I’ve been consumed with grief for years and now I can finally, truly move on.” Then she nibbles at her lip.
“What, baby?” I ask.
“Now that the case is wrapping up, do you know what they plan on doing with Adrian?”
