Page 27 of Wild Card
“…if something happened to you, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I needed you protected at all costs.”
She blinks, caught off guard by the quiet in my voice.
“I wasn’t thinking about being the hero,” I continue. “I was thinking about you. About keeping you safe, no matter how much it cost me.”
“Presley…”
I step closer, my voice barely above a whisper now. “I love you, Aria. I don’t know when it started—maybe somewhere between our first argument and the hundredth—but it’s real. And I would go to the ends of the earth to protect you. Even if that meant putting myself at risk. Even if it meant you hating me for it.”
She stares at me, motionless. The anger in her eyes softens, replaced by something else—something uncertain, fragile, and maybe just as dangerous.
For a long moment, neither of us moves. I reach for her hand, slowly, like I’m afraid she might disappear.
“I’m sorry,” I say, voice low. “For everything. For how I handled it. For hurting you.” I pause, trying to steady my breath.“But if you let me… I want to take the rest of my life to make it up to you.”
Her eyes meet mine, guarded and glinting in the sterile hallway light.
“I’m serious,” I say. “Starting now.”
I gently wrap my fingers around hers. She hesitates for a beat, but she doesn’t stop me. She lets me lead her out of the holding area, out past the frosted-glass walls of the Las Vegas PD lobby, and into the warm desert air outside.
I open the passenger door for her like she’s royalty. She gives me a look—half amused, half exhausted—but slides in without a word.
When I settle into the driver’s seat, I glance at her again. She’s looking out the window, but I can see the tension in her shoulders starting to melt.
“No more secrets,” I promise. “From here on out.”
Still no words. But she nods—just barely—and that’s enough for now.
I lean in and kiss the top of her head. Her hair still smells like jasmine. I pull back and start the engine. As we drive off into the neon glow of the Vegas strip, her hand stays in mine.
I’ll spend the rest of my life making protecting the love of my life.
EPILOGUE
PRESLEY—TWO YEARS LATER
Two years later,and the city still never sleeps. But these days, I do. Usually with Aria wrapped around me and her head on my chest. A lot’s changed.
Miranda and Vincent? Yeah—they’re in prison now.
Turns out conspiring to commit grand larceny, tampering with evidence, and abusing corporate power gets you more than a slap on the wrist when you mess with the wrong people. Namely, Aria and me.
They were sleeping together, of course. Classic.
According to testimony, their original plan was to pin the whole thing on Talia Brandt. A little poetic, since Talia had a long-standing reputation for playing dirty with her fake smile and overpriced foundation. Her makeup company was hemorrhaging money faster than a loose slot machine. They thought they’d frame her, say she stole the jewels to cover the losses.
Which, on the surface, might’ve worked… if not for one glaring problem: Her husband owns an entire damn casino. The guy probably loses more in a single hand of blackjack than her company was ever worth.
But thieves? Yeah, they’re not known for being the brightest bulbs in the chandelier. So when that plan got too complicated, they shifted gears and decided Aria was the easier target. She was smart. Respected. A threat.
And they thought if they painted her as greedy and reckless, it would stick. They underestimated her. They underestimate us. Big mistake.
That night in the station… when she looked at me like I’d shattered every piece of her trust—it still guts me when I think about it. But she forgave me. Eventually. After a lot of apologies. And a lot of coffee.
If someone told me two years ago I’d walk away from the Jade Petal and never look back, I would’ve laughed them straight out of my office.
But here I am—no badge, no brass keycard, no boss breathing down my neck—and I’ve never been happier.
