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“By taking over as CEO of Emsworth.”
“Co-CEO.”
He laughed. “Not a chance in hell, sweetheart.”
“I’m not talking about you. Father has agreed that Knox and I will run things together until Ben-Ben is ready to take the helm.” She turned to me. “Knox is my husband, and Ben is our son and the next heir apparent.”
“Unless you run the business into the ground,” Brand teased.
Their relationship reminded me so much of Kima and me, and I missed her. I hadn’t seen her since July and worried about her every day. The news of her father’s betrayal hit her hard. That Hornet was with her eased my mind a little. Perhaps when we returned home after the wedding, El and I could make plans to get together with them.
“There you are,” said El.
“Are you getting tired, my love?” I asked when she wrapped her arm around me and I did the same.
“A little. Fancy a walk on the beach on our last night before we go home?”
“I’d love it,” I said.
We walked for a while, then sat like we always did. Her between my legs, her body against mine, and my arms around her, resting on her stomach.
“Did you feel that one?” she asked. “My little footballer is quite active tonight.” She guided my hand to where our son was kicking up a storm.
I said it so often I probably drove El crazy, but I couldn’t imagine a better life. We’d decided to make Casa Melro our permanent home but planned to travel to London occasionally, mainly to see Kima, then back and forth to Brighton, so El could work in her studio. I’d offered to build one for her in Portugal, but I could tell the connection to Michael Beaumont was still important to her.
While we hadn’t settled on a first name, she’d cried the day I suggested our firstborn’s middle name should be Beaumont.
“Not Michael?”
She’d laughed through her tears, then told me she preferred Beaumont too.
“We should head back,” she said, shifting to stand.
“Hang on, my love.” I gathered her in my arms and carried her down the beach. “Oh drat, who could that be?” I said when my mobile vibrated in my pocket, then twice more since I wasn’t able to reach for it.
“Put me down and answer it,” said El, as concerned as I was at the caller’s persistence.
“Hornet, what are you doing, calling at this hour?” I barked after putting the call on speaker. “It’s two in the morning in London.”
“Have you heard from Kima, by chance?”
My stomach dropped. “Why would I have?”
“I woke a little while ago and went to check on her, but she’s gone. She left her mobile here. I have no idea where she could be.”
El gasped and covered her mouth.
Since she was staying in my former apartment and Hornet was there on her detail, I had no idea where she’d be either.
“Get in touch with Nemesis. Let her know what’s happening. El and I will depart as soon as I can make arrangements and be there by morning.”
“Thanks, Typhon.”
“Try not to panic,” I said to him even though, inside, I was. “We’ll find her.”