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I’ve worked toward this my entire life, and I want to do it justice.

“Go all out. Don’t save anything for next time. I knew which show on Broadway would be my last before having this baby, and I’m grateful. Because if I hadn’t…” She shakes her head.

“Take no prisoners,” I murmur. “You’re a really good friend. You and Beck both.”

Her eyes widen. “Wow. Rae Madani going emo. There must be an apocalypse I don’t know about.”

I force a shrug. “Just the usual. Guys. Gigs. Grudges.”

HARRISON

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

Leni looks up from a lounge chair locked into its most upright position on the patio. She’s wearing a pink robe that hides her bandages and holding a copy of Little Women. “It’s been days. I’m supposed to sit around and get fat on Natalia’s baking? My keeper let me out.”

I picture the nurse in my hallway who gave me a frustrated look on my way out here.

“You need to heal.”

“Fresh air. Look it up. I even grabbed some classic literature. I wanted something lowbrow but couldn’t find anything in your office.” She waves the book. “This Laurie dude has it going on. Loaded, big family house, bunch of girls who worship him… Speaking of healing,” she goes on as I stop in front of the chair, “you cleared the air with your brother yet over the way you acted?”

I narrow my eyes at her. “We have more important things to deal with.”

“Urgent, maybe. That’s not the same thing.”

I shove my hands in the pockets of my trousers. I haven’t been wearing a jacket. The feeling of constriction in my chest is enough without the added weight of another layer of clothing.

Sebastian and I don’t need a heart-to-heart. The few moments this summer when he’s opened up were surprising.

Still, I feel shitty about what went down the night I returned from London. Probably because Raegan planted this seed of an idea that I should’ve been here for him and I wasn’t. And my damn brain weighs everything she says.

“Tell me about these urgent things.” Leni’s voice drags me back.

“They’re above your pay grade. You’re here to relax.”

“Because some asshole stabbed me.”

I shift onto the next chair. “We took Eva’s evidence to law enforcement. They didn’t want to disclose anything or budge on their own plans, but when they heard the detail we had from Eva, they realized this was a rare chance to capture him in a major deal.”

I hope to God it protects Raegan rather than puts her in more danger. Because if this goes off the way it’s supposed to, the police will be inside before a single one of Mischa’s staff is tipped off.

“So, you put all your faith in the cops?” Leni cocks her head. “That’s not the Harrison King I know.”

I shake my head. “I’m trying to find a better way to monitor the situation. To have eyes not only on Raegan, but this deal.” To make sure the two don’t happen anywhere near one another.

I’ve been keeping my composure. In the moments it starts to waver, I remind myself that in a week, Mischa could be in custody and we could be free to live our own lives.

I’ve never wanted anything more. But I’m afraid to hope for it with everything hanging over our heads.

Raegan wants to go to London.

I’d take her to Machu Picchu if she wanted. Hike the damn jungle in boots and cargo shorts just to see her smirk. I’d suffer it all knowing at the end of the day she’s mine.

Through everything.

“What about the robots?” Leni asks.

“The bartending robots Sawyer sent?” I frown. Maybe she hasn’t been taking her medication. I should get the nurse…