Page 36

Rhys

B efore Jim left Montana, we had a long conversation and decided it’s possible for the founders to return to San Francisco. We can’t hide forever, and there hasn’t been significant action indicating a threat in San Francisco. There’s also been no further chatter on the dark web about me, so I can feel myself cautiously relaxing. Sort of. My life remains in tatters, and I’m unsure how to move forward, but now, with a full team with us at all times, we can start trying to reclaim our freedom. It doesn’t solve all our problems, but it certainly feels better than hiding indefinitely.

In light of this, Austin, Danica, and I flew back to San Francisco from Montana last Wednesday morning, and Theo flew to Atlanta to see his brother. From here, Austin and Danica returned to Napa to gather their things, but I dove right in at the office. Work is all I have to keep me focused right now, and I’m exhausted.

Austin and Theo will be returning to the office next week, but for now, it’s just me. Mackenzie has kept me on my toes all morning, moving people in and out of my office. I’m grateful to have her directing traffic and imposing some order on the chaos.

“Scott is downstairs waiting for you,” Mackenzie says, her tone gentle, yet offering a firm nudge toward the exit.

I’m late for my lunch appointment. Or about to be. “Right,” I mutter, stuffing my wallet into my back pocket. The private room at Waterbar looms in my immediate future. What I’d really like to do is go find Jade, now that I know she’s returned to the City. But it still doesn’t feel safe for her to be associated with me. It’s not safe for anyone, despite what Jim says. We still haven’t figured out who put the hit on me.

How did Austin manage being the interim CEO without missing a beat? My schedule’s unforgiving grip tightens around my thoughts. There’s still a pile of work awaiting me, but instead, I’m going to lunch.

“Who am I meeting again?” I ask as I head for the elevator.

“You’re at Waterbar in the private room,” Mackenzie replies, looking at her computer screen.

“Thanks.” I sigh, raking a hand through my hair.

Vincent Moreau, another of the guys from Clear Security, salutes me as the elevator doors close. I raise my hand in acknowledgement, when suddenly I realize Mackenzie didn’t answer my question. A blind meeting isn’t how I envision clawing back lost time. I can only hope it’s not someone itching to berate me for being unprepared.

Scott’s waiting by the car when I emerge from the building. I slip into the backseat, cell phone in hand.

“Scott,” I start, leaning forward to catch his eye in the rearview mirror, “do you have any idea who I’m meeting?”

He glances up at me. “Nope. My job is to get you to your lunch in the next twenty minutes.”

I spend the ride going through email, hoping for a hint of who I might be meeting. How have I messed this up? Did I delete something I shouldn’t have? I reply to a half dozen emails as we drive, but nothing I find indicates who will be sitting across the table from me. By the time we pull up at Waterbar, I’m wound tighter than a coil.

“Thanks,” I say, though Scott is already out of the car and rounding it to open my door. He nods, a silent sentinel, as I exit and stride into the restaurant.

The hostess greets me. “Good afternoon. Do you have a reservation?”

“I’m Rhys Smalls,” I reply. “I’m supposed to have a meeting in the private dining room.”

“Ah yes. Reservation’s under your name,” she says, checking her list. “Right this way.”

I follow her, but my footsteps feel heavy, each step an ascent into uncertainty.

The private room comes into view, its expansive windows framing the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island like a postcard brought to life. But it’s not that view that steals my breath. It’s her—Jade, the embodiment of every choice I’ve second-guessed, every night I’ve spent tossing and turning.

“Rhys, we need to talk.” There’s a fire in her eyes I recognize all too well. “And if I have to lock you in here to do it, I will.”

I swallow hard, my heart thundering in my chest as I stand rooted to the spot. She’s here, in front of me, as unexpected as a storm on a clear day. I immediately search the area, looking for threats, but all I find is Scott, who’s entered the restaurant and taken a spot where he can keep watch. He nods and gestures toward Jade.

I turn back to her, and my mind reeling with a maelstrom of emotions that threatens to capsize me. Then I close the distance between us in three long strides and take her in my arms. Her scent envelops me, familiar and intoxicating, and our lips meet in a kiss that carries the charge of a lightning bolt, igniting every nerve ending with a desperate hunger for more.

“Jade,” I breathe. “I’ve missed you so much.” The words are a pale shadow of the longing that’s gnawed at my insides during our time apart.

Her eyes glisten, but there’s a hardness in them that wasn’t there before. “You hurt me, Rhys,” she says, her voice cracking. “I trusted you, and you pushed me away like I didn’t matter. I know you were afraid—I can’t imagine your terror—and I didn’t tell you how important you are to me, and that’s my fault. But I was scared too. We should have managed that together, but instead, you just up and left.”

I wince. “I know. But the threat against my life… It’s not some abstract danger. It’s real. Whatever is going on chased Justin away. And there’s a chance it’s chased Crystal away now too.” I cup her face, thumbs stroking her cheeks. “I couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to you because of me. I love you too much to put you at risk.”

Jade’s anger blazes with a ferocity that roots me to the spot. “You had no right to make that decision for both of us without even talking to me about it. You were cruel, Rhys, and you didn’t need to be.”

She pushes me away. It knocks the breath from my lungs, leaving me gasping for air and for words.

“Jade, I—I never meant to hurt you.” I struggle to articulate the guilt and love swirling within me. “I couldn’t put you in danger. We shouldn’t even be here now. It’s all too risky. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you.” I reach out, but my hands hover just shy of touching her, afraid she might recoil. “Please,” I plead, searching her face for any sign of softening, “can you forgive me?”

“Clear Security thinks there will always be some sort of risk?” she finally asks.

“It’s not just paranoia, Jade,” I insist. “Someone tried to put a contract on my life. I know Clear is confident they got it down before anyone could act on it, but what if someone tries again? Or what if they’re wrong? Until we figure this out, every step we take has to be measured. I can’t risk losing you.”

“For how long? A month? A year?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

She huffs, crossing her arms. “Look,” she says, “you’re a billionaire, Rhys. That means security, scrutiny, and hate. People will blame you for everything from accidents to bad luck. It’s part of your life. Accept it.” She paces back and forth. “And let’s not forget the envy because you’re enormously hot and great in bed. Get over it, Rhys. This is your life, and it’s never going to change.”

Her words halt my breathing, and I stare at her in astonishment. “You think I’m enormously hot and good in bed?” The question tumbles out before I can stop it, my surprise wrestling with a flicker of pride.

Jade pauses mid-rant. “Did you hear anything else I said?” she demands, but a smile plays on her lips.

“Yes, I heard you,” I concede, warmth spreading through my chest. “I didn’t realize how much I mattered to you. I’ve missed you so very much.”

It’s a moment of vulnerability, of truth laid bare. In her fiery tirade and teasing smile, I find something far more valuable than any corporate success, a connection I can’t let be shattered by threats or fear.

“Are you ready to pick up where we left off before you played the hero and broke us apart?” Her voice is brittle, yet beneath it lies a hope that echoes my own desires.

I move close, my hands finding the familiar warmth of her waist. “I did it because I love you,” I reiterate. “But I was wrong, and I’ll do anything, everything to make this right.”

She searches my face for a moment longer. “I still have the key to your house. Is it okay if I stay with you?”

My hands tighten on her. “Jim had me living at the Fairmont at first, but thankfully, since I returned from Montana, I’ve been back at home. I think the only way we can continue is if you move in with me.” I pause. “You need to know that security will be part of our lives, probably always.”

Her eyes never leave mine, and after a suspended heartbeat, she nods. “I spent the weekend in my loft, and it was awful. I can endure anything if it means being with you.”

I feel a weight lift from my shoulders, a burden I’ve been carrying since the day I pushed her away out of fear. “Then it’s settled,” I say.

I lead her to the table, and as soon as we’re seated, a server appears and sets down a bottle of Pellegrino. I keep my fingers entwined with Jade’s, her warmth a balm. “How did you pull this off?” I ask. “My schedule these days is no joke.”

Her eyes crinkle with a silent laugh. “I called Mackenzie,” she says simply. “She suggested Waterbar, booked the private room, and put this on your schedule.”

I shake my head. “I’m going to have a talk with her.” Though what I really mean is I owe her a debt, a bonus for seeing the forest for the trees when I was lost among the evergreens of my own stubbornness and fear.

The happiness bubbling up within me can’t be contained, and it spills over in words brimming with emotion. “Jade, I love you. After the stunt I pulled, I will work hard to earn your heart every day.”

Her grip tightens. “Rhys.” She says my name like it’s a promise, a secret we share. “I loved you long before we went to Colorado.”

Her gaze holds mine, steady and sure, and I feel the weight of the past two and a half weeks begin to lift. The threats, the uncertainty, the sleepless nights—they’re still there. But with Jade by my side, they don’t feel insurmountable.