I blinked unsteadily in the morning light. “Were they serious?”
“The Order doesn’t make promises they can’t keep. Your sister will have that kidney within the hour.”
That sent a wash of relief and warmth through me. Reba could really be okay. These crazy, powerful, sadistic bastards really could do miracles. I shook my head in disbelief.
But then I looked back at Sully, stricken again when I remembered what he’d given up for me. “But, Sully, your company!”
He shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal. “It was my father’s company, not mine. It was never mine.”
I wasn’t going to let him off that easy. “But it could have been. It was yours by rights. And your sister’s. They have no right to think they can just auction it off—”
Sully reached out and gently took my hands, squeezing them. “They have every right. This was my father’s world and he loved it. He loved the Order and their power and prestige more than anything. More than his own family, I thought sometimes. I’m sure the old bastard is glancing up from Hell and nodding in approval at everything they’re doing.”
I squeezed Sully’s hand harder. He looked outwards, above my head at the avenue of oaks lining the long driveway. Their leaves were browned by winter. We had similar oaks near where I lived and they’d briefly drop their leaves right before new ones grew in the spring, not true evergreens. But ever symbols of majesty and witness bearers of the ages. A truth echoed by Sully’s next words.
“And today I got a glimpse of at least maybe why he did a little bit of what he did. Supporting his family and always giving us the best was important to him. He fought hard to grow his empire into what it was at its peak. Drove himself into an early grave doing it, but it can’t be said the man didn’t have ambition.”
Watching Sully’s conflicted features as he spoke about his father made me want to wrap my arms around him. And my legs. I wanted to wrap my entire body around him and comfort him and make everything better.
I was so sorry for the deep-down ache his father being so busy and never having time for him had obviously caused. I wanted to go back in time and shake the man and tell him, “Don’t you see what an amazing son you have? Wake up! He’s amazing! Appreciate him and both of y’all learn to love each other better while you have time! The leaves will fall and your time will be through and it will be too late!”
But there weren’t any time machines, of course. And all we could do was love each other now and soothe away the pain our parents had inflicted on us. Rub ointment on each other’s scars so they healed over just like my brand was doing.
“You know I love you, right?” Sully said, out of the blue.
I choked a little on my tongue, but finally managed to stutter, “W-what?”
He looked down at me and smirked. “You love me, too. You probably fell in love with me first.”
I smacked him on the chest. “Did not!” But then I immediately followed it up with a haughty, “Obviously you fell in love with me first. You couldn’t keep your hands off me.”
He laughed, a big, booming laugh that lit me up all the way down to my toes. He said he loves me! It wouldn’t stop pinging around my brain like a little electric shock. He loves me!
“Baby, I hate to educate you in the ways of men, but that does not always equal love.”
I smacked him on the chest again for that one. Hard. And arched an eyebrow at him. “Well, if that’s the way you feel, maybe I won’t be throwing this body around so freely with you in the future.”
I started to pull back from him, but he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back so that I was flush against his pelvis, and suddenly his eyes were serious.
“No, gorgeous, don’t say that.” His eyes searched mine. “And I’m still waiting for you to say it back.”
I swallowed; my mouth suddenly gone dry. But he’d been courageous, so courageous, and I could be, too. “I love you.”
Simple, straight, and to the point.
About a millisecond after the words were out of my mouth, his lips crashed down on mine. We kissed and kissed and kissed, and I tingled deep and was seriously on the edge of coming from a kiss alone when a throat being cleared loudly finally made me pull back and break apart from the most amazing lips on God’s green earth.
It was Montgomery, standing at the bottom of the steps, a smile on his face as he looked at us. “It’s all over. VanDoren Enterprises has been sold.”