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“No,srce,” Vuk said. “You saved mine.”

“Roland—Roman—was the one who carried you out.”

“I’m not talking about the warehouse.”

My breath fluttered in my lungs. His voice was warm, meaningful, and if I hadn’t melted before, I was definitely a puddle of goo now.

I didn’t need to ask him what he meant. Like so much of our relationship, some things were felt rather heard.

Shadow meowed again as Vuk and I exchanged knowing, secretive smiles. We didn’t have to say anything else, and despite my injuries and trauma, I’d never felt happier than in that moment.

Like my mother said, joy didn’t require the absence of grief, and happiness wasn’t always found in the big moments. More often than not, they existed in small pockets of time like these—in a room with an adorable cat, the man I loved, and the knowledge that he loved me back.

CHAPTER54

Vuk

Once the truth came out about Emmanuelle, the rest of the pieces fell into place. By the time the holidays rolled around, and the city was blanketed in snow and festive window displays, Beaumont had been effectively dismantled. The FBI arrested all the agents who’d been complicit in her dealings and repossessed the company offices.

That left its former models agent-less, though that was a good thing in most cases. I paid off all of the models’ existing debts so they could start over with a clean slate. If they wanted to leave the industry and go home, I bought them first-class tickets and supplied them with a year’s worth of living expenses. If they wanted to stay, I had my lawyers review their new contracts to ensure they were fair. I also paid for counseling and medical services for those who’d been forced to participate in Emmanuelle’s illicit activities.

I didn’t know any of the models except for Indira (whose success had shielded her from Beaumont’s ugly side), but they all deserved better than what they got.

Unfortunately, and somewhat shockingly, Hank wasn’t one of the complicit agents. He had, however, been found guilty of invasion of privacy and the unlawful surveillance of Ayana and several other models. I may or may not have leaned on the prosecutors to pursue the maximum prison sentence, and I may or may not have asked the warden to make Hank’s time in there a little more unpleasant.

I also set up Enzo’s family with enough money for life. It wouldn’t bring him back, nor did it fully assuage my guilt over his death, but it was the least I could do.

Meanwhile, Ayana had decided to go freelance. She didn’t want another agent; she wanted full control over her own career and finances. She planned on hiring an assistant in the new year to help manage her calendar and bookings.

Ironically, the months she’d taken off from work had turned her into the industry’s hottest commodity. Everyone wanted to book her, and she had jobs lined up through the end of next year.

We were currently at an event for Stella Alonso, a fashion designer she’d worked with since she was a new model. She was hosting a holiday preview at the Vault, and the club swarmed with dozens of guests.

“It’s good to see you back on the circuit.” Stella gave my girlfriend a warm smile. She was even taller than Ayana, with curly dark hair and green eyes that matched the emeralds around her neck. She also happened to be married to Sean’s old boss, Christian Harper. “We missed you in the European shows this year.”

“It’s been a wild fall,” Ayana admitted. “But I’m happy to be back. I can’t wait for the fall/winter shows.”

“Same. Between you and me…” Stella’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I always thought you were too good for Beaumont. Emmanuelle gave me the creeps. I wouldn’t be surprised if we found out she killed someone too.”

Good instincts. No wonder Harper married her.

“Anyway, enough morbid talk for the night. Let’s meet up for lunch after the new year. I’d love to catch up,” Stella said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to make sure my husband isn’t wreaking havoc in my absence. When Christian’s bored, things tend to…go awry.”

“I understand what you mean.” Ayana gave me a pointed stare.

I returned it with an innocent expression. I’d behaved perfectly this month—except maybe for that time I “accidentally” pushed a guy into an indoor pool for staring at her ass too long. The guy had been undressing her with his eyes in front of everyone at an industry event.

How was I supposed to know he couldn’t swim? He’d survived in the end. Some Good Samaritan had fished him out like a wet rat.

“It was nice to meet you, Vuk,” Stella said.

I inclined my head in alikewisemotion.

You missed this, didn’t you?I asked after Stella left.

It was the week before Christmas. We’d spent most of our post-escape weeks at my house or her apartment, lost in a daze of sex and food and sleep. We’d shut out the rest of the world in favor of each other. It was enough for me, but Ayana was a more social creature than I was, and I wanted her to have an opportunity to shine now that Beaumont was out of the picture.

“I did,” she admitted. “Don’t get me wrong. I loved spending time with you, but it’s nice to see some familiar faces again. There are snakes in the industry, but there are good people too. Speaking of which…” She trailed off and looked past me with a grin.