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CHAPTER 16

The heartbreak in Bekah’s voice tore at Josiah.

“No one thinks you did, love.” He sat on the floor next to her, holding her in his arms.

“What does it mean? Am I in any kind of trouble?”

He rubbed his hand up and down her shoulder. “No. Of course not.”

She took a deep breath and managed to push herself up. Once back on a chair, Bekah took another breath. “I’m glad you guys don’t think I had anything to do with this. I didn’t know.” Tears continued to streak down her cheeks.

“No one thinks you did.” Benjamin’s voice was far kinder than it would have been before he married Katrín. “But we do have a few questions for you.”

For the next few minutes, all three men asked her question after question, though their tones remained gentle. As expected, she didn’t know anything of substance or have access to any materials her late husband might have left behind.

Though she wasn’t aware of anything, she would give them access to her home whenever she was able to return.

“Hopefully soon,” Justin told them. “The authorities in Athmetis have no real reason to keep you on the hook, so to speak. They would like to speak with both of you again.”

Benjamin took over. “We think it would be best if you did. We’ll have security and attorneys with you. It will be conducted in a conference room here in person or virtually. They would rather interview you in person, but in Athmetis. We will not allow that.”

“Could they keep us there?” Bekah looked at him, her eyes wide. “Would they be able to do that?”

Justin’s face scrunched up a bit. “Maybe? If they charged either one of you with a serious enough crime, they could go before a magistrate and argue that you are a flight risk for financial reasons. Whether a magistrate would agree or not is a different story.”

“I doubt King Adrian would agree if I confronted him,” Benjamin interjected.

Josiah looked at his brother with a renewed respect. Since his marriage to Katrín, or maybe a little before when King Edward of San Majoria started mentoring him, Ben had become more confident and less outwardly cocky. There was a difference that everyone could see. He stood taller, something difficult for a man already well over six-foot tall, and straighter. He simply exuded more confidence than before. He had become a man comfortable in his own skin and in the role he was born to fill.

For a brief moment, Josiah felt jealous of his brother. He wasn’t quite any of those things yet. Then he remembered the pressures his brother had to deal with regularly and decided being the younger brother wasn’t so bad after all. He’d get there. Eventually. He hoped.

Thor nodded his agreement with Ben. “It’s unlikely King Adrian would hold a hard line, but we’d rather not be in that position in the first place. Here we control access and egress. We won’t send you there.”

“Thank you,” Bekah told them, clearly still reeling.

“Why don’t the two of you get something to eat and get some rest?” Thor suggested.

Josiah stood and held out a hand to his wife. “Thank you. Let us know what we need to do.”

She slid her hand into his for support as she stood up. With his hand on her back, they walked to their apartment.

When had he started thinking of it astheirapartment instead of just his? And when had he started thinking of her as “wife” instead of just “Bekah”?

What did that mean?

Was he committing to this relationship? Was he falling for Bekah?

Could he see himself actually spending the rest of his life with her?

Before he could answer those questions for himself, they were in their apartment, and Bekah was in his arms. Weeping shook her body as she clung to him.

There wasn’t anything for him to do except hold her and let her cry until she was ready to be done.

He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her head. Her arms tightened around his waist.

How could someone do this to her? He hadn’t known her for long, but Bekah was amazing. How could anyone hurt her like this?

Eventually, the body wracking sobs slowed until they were little more than hiccups.