Page 151 of Fall of a Kingdom

And then I got back to reading.

Ainsley Rivers had worked on The Fifteenth Floor of The Dallas Rex for just over a year before abruptly quitting. I didn’t remember hiring her, so Genevieve must’ve been the one to take care of it. I read through all the documents, including Ainsley’s obituary.

There was no mention of a woman named Lex.

Anger boiled to the surface of my skin. The woman had played me. She’d taken me for a ride and then stabbed me, leaving me bleeding out to die.

When I faced her again, there would be hell to pay.

Epilogue #4

BARRETT

Flynn shutthe door to the house. I leaned against him, feeling tired and weak.

“You can’t even tell there was a fire in here,” I commented.

“The damage wasn’t as extensive as I originally thought. Installing the sprinkler system to automatically turn on in case of smoke detection saved a lot. The Persian rug had to be replaced. And I spent a small fortune to have everything repainted. I wanted the house finished so that…”

“So that I could recover in peace,” I finished for him. I pressed my head to his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Let’s get you upstairs.”

“It’s so quiet,” I said as I allowed Flynn to bear the brunt of my weight as he helped me walk.

“I’m not sure how to tell you this, but I sent our children off to be with Moira and James.”

“Youwhat?” I demanded.

“You can yell at me after I get you upstairs to bed.”

We took the stairs slowly and by the time I got to the top of the landing, I was winded.

Flynn opened the bedroom door and a chorus ofsurprise!rang out. Our boys bounded off the bed and came to me.

I shot Flynn a look which only made him smile. Jules approached us with Piper in her arms. God, I missed her. Missed all of them.

“Okay,” Bella announced. “Let’s all head downstairs and give your mom time to settle in.”

There were presents on the bedside table. Some were beautifully wrapped, no doubt the work of the nannies. The other gifts, gifts I knew were from the boys, were a mess. Scotch tape, blue ribbons, and far too much wrapping paper. Those would be the gifts I opened first.

Flynn helped me into bed and then settled down next to me.

“Tell me it’s all going to be okay,” I whispered. “Tell me we’re strong enough to get through this. Tell me I can survive the treatments that are coming.”

“You can survive them. Youhaveto survive them. Because I don’t have a life without you, Barrett.”

I looked him in the eyes.

This man was my world, my everything.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“For what?”

“For walking through hell with me.”

“Woman,” he began. “I’d burn it all to the ground to save you. That’s how much you mean to me.”