Page 75
“Yeah, well you deserve it,” he said softly.
“Thebabydeserves it,” Gage nodded.
Juliana’s chin dipped in contemplation of everything that was going on. I could see the conflict behind her pretty eyes. She’d been so decisive, so sure of herself about everything. But maybe for the first time ever, I saw that she was torn.
“I have to go,” she said, turning to face the others. “For now, anyway.”
The others’ expressions changed quickly. Devyn looked forlorn. Gage outright flinched.
“But not forever,” Juliana added carefully.
Gage coughed, then cleared his throat. His own eyes were glassy.
“Promise?”
She paused, then nodded slowly. “I… I promise.”
We closed around her again, this time in a hug. Her body was so incredibly warm. Her face was far too beautiful to be crying.
“We’re here whenever you need us,” I said, although I couldn’t promise it would always be true. “This place is forever yours.”
Gage smiled, rubbing her belly. “Andhis.”
“Or hers,” Devyn grinned.
Juliana sighed, sniffed, then used one sleeve to wipe her eyes. She glanced up at us, and I nodded.
“Let this be your getaway from the chaos of that city, if nothing else,” I told her. “An oasis, for you and your baby.”
She managed a cute little laugh. “My oasis in the desert.”
I squeezed her tightly.
“Whenever you want it.”
Forty-Three
JULIANA
“Go on,” I boomed, loudly enough to be heard throughout the office. “Send him in.”
John James of Skyline walked down the long L-shaped hallway that led to my office, before finally ducking inside. I could see him the whole way, of course. After all, the walls were glass.
“Ms. Emerson,” he smiled, closing the door behind him. “Thanks so much for seeing—”
“Get to the point,” I cut him off quickly. “Thereisa point to you being here, right?”
Peripherally, my eyes scanned his Brioni suit up and down, along with his Gucci belt and Balenciaga sharkskin shoes. The man was tall and thin and immaculately groomed, from his styled, gelled hair to his cuticle-less fingers. Right now those fingers were tapping the back of the chair in front of him.
“Shall I sit?” he asked politely.
“No need,” I told him. “This isn’t going to take long.”
I knew what the man wanted, and I knew exactly why he was here. Aric had tried keeping me from even taking this meeting, but I’d never been one to shy away from a good confrontation.
Besides, after flying all the way home for nothing but bad news, I could really use a laugh.
“Very well then,” said John James. “Let’s start with the facts, shall we?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75 (Reading here)
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99