Font Size
Line Height

Page 62 of Midnight’s Captive (Stroke of Midnight #2)

Ash paced back and forth in the Tremaine headquarters lobby. When Tremaine Security had come to his cell, he’d been sure he was done for. Instead, they’d escorted him up here. They were still loosely gathered around him, but no one had drawn their weapons. “What am I doing here?” he asked for the millionth time.

Like all the other times, they ignored him.

The elevator opened and his breath caught. Taryn stepped out, looking 100 percent like the Jack.

“What did you do?” He hurried toward her, half expecting security to restrain him. They didn’t.

He engulfed her in his arms. “Where were you?” His voice was gruff and slightly muffled since his face was pressed into her hair.

Her arms wrapped around his waist. “Meeting with Portia.”

He let her go and stepped back. “What?” He couldn’t possibly have heard that right. “Are you okay? What did she want?” He had so many questions.

“It wasn’t about what she wanted. It was about what I wanted.” She looked triumphant.

“What did you want?”

“You,” she said. “And Hope. I know you’re a package deal.”

“But how?” None of this made sense. “What did you do?”

“I got your freedom. And I kind of got you a job, too.”

Ash’s jaw dropped. “What?”

Taryn’s smile was soft. “Look. I’ll fill you in on all the details later. Let’s get your stuff and get out of here. Before she changes her mind.”

Panic welled in his stomach. “It’s just stuff. Let’s leave it.”

“Are you sure?” She leaned close and pressed her lips to his ears. “What about the cure?”

“I’ve got it,” he said. They hadn’t bothered to search him when they’d taken him to a cell. After all, he hadn’t been going anywhere.

She tucked her hand into his elbow and led him to the exit. He kept looking over his shoulder, waiting for someone to stop them. Someone to raise the alarm. While security watched them leave, nothing else happened.

Once outside, Ash took a deep breath. “Is it real? Am I free?”

Taryn stopped them on the sidewalk and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Would I lie to you? You’re free. Hope’s free. Well, you’ll still have to do some work for Portia. She wants to know who else helped Brunswick. And all the other stuff her father was hiding.”

His eyes widened. “What?”

“Oh, and you’ll get paid for most of it. I hope that’s okay. I needed to give her something in exchange for getting you out.” Her smile lit her up from the inside.

“I’m... I’m in shock. Thank you. That’s amazing.” He blinked and tried to corral his thoughts. “Later, when my brain is functioning again, I want to hear all about it.”

“It was interesting. She’s a tough negotiator.” She paused, then added, “I liked her.”

There was wonder in her voice. Ash knew exactly how she felt. “She grows on you, doesn’t she?” He grabbed her hand and she smiled at him.

“Yeah, maybe.” Taryn pressed a kiss to his cheek, then started walking again. “There’s something about her that reminds me of the girls from the streets.”

It was his turn to laugh. When he saw she was serious, he asked, “What do you mean?”

She led him to a car parked on the next block. “There’s this lost quality to her that I think she’s trying to hide. Maybe you didn’t see it, but I did. I recognized it.”

Ash thought back over his interactions with Portia. Maybe there had been something... He wouldn’t have ever pegged her as having anything in common with young prostitutes. “Still not seeing it,” he admitted.

“Because you’ve always had your sister.” Her voice was pensive.

“What do you mean?” He didn’t like it when she sounded sad.

“You and Hope are close, right?”

He nodded.

“You had family. You faced everything together. I didn’t,” she said. “I don’t think Portia did either. Now she’s all alone.”

“She was raised by her father. She had Tommy and Killian. And now she has Dizzie.” As far as Ash could tell, Portia was surrounded by people.

“Her father was an asshole, right? I’m guessing he really wasn’t there for her as family.” She stressed that word. “Tommy was her family, but she lost him in the bombing.”

Ash flinched. He would live with that regret for the rest of his life.

When they were in the car, Taryn placed a comforting hand on his leg. “Killian was family, but I think she believes that he abandoned her for Dizzie. That’s got to be hard for her to swallow. Not to mention she’s probably got a lot of guilt about surviving when Tommy didn’t.”

Christ, another jab in the heart.

“Dizzie may be her biological sister, but they don’t have a relationship. Maybe they never will. Right now, she feels all alone. And still, she wakes up every damn day and gets things done. That woman is strong.”

Ash cupped Taryn’s cheek. She pressed against his palm and looked up at him. “I love you,” he said firmly. “You are amazing.”

The words felt right coming out of his mouth.

Her cheeks flushed. She turned her head and pressed a kiss against his palm. “I love you too,” she said softly. “But what was that for?”

“You’re this amazing person who helps others. There aren’t too many people who would look at Portia Tremaine—look close enough,” he emphasized, “to see that she was hurting. That she might have been hurting for a long time.”

She dropped her eyes.

He’d embarrassed her. That hadn’t been his intent. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life.” Then Ash stopped. She hadn’t said how exactly the meeting with Portia had gone. “I do have you in my life, don’t I?”

“I’d like that,” she said. “Shall we go home?”

“I like the sound of that.”

Ash asked questions the entire way back to the bar. And all the way back to her room.

“So, do I get my own room? Or can I stay here with you?” he asked. He was really hoping it was the latter, but he would respect Taryn’s decision. He never wanted her to regret spending time with him. Regret freeing him.

“I’d like you to stay here,” she said shyly. “If that’s what you want.”

“Oh, I want.” With a wicked grin, Ash shifted his weight and tumbled Taryn backward onto the bed. He braced his head on his arm and stared down at her. “I’m free. We’re free.” He leaned in for a kiss.

His lips met hers, scattering soft kisses over her mouth. Each one was filled with the emotions he didn’t have words for. Excitement. Terror. Uncertainty. Ecstasy.

She’d faced the Ice Queen to free him. The thought staggered him.

When he’d walked into her bar, freedom for Hope was all he could dream of. Taryn had managed so much more than that.

She’d given him his family back. His freedom. And her love.

He was the luckiest man in the whole world.

He slipped a hand under her head and threaded his fingers through her hair. “You are amazing,” he repeated.

Ash kissed the little divot at the top of her lips and she gasped. He took advantage and nipped at her upper lip.

She arched toward him. Nipping him back, she fully engaged his lips with hers.

Their tongues tangled. The hand that had pressed against his cheek now grabbed his shoulder and pulled him closer.

He went willingly, his lips glued to hers. His tongue caught in a delicate dance with hers.

His heart was filled to bursting. This was his life now. With her.

He pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers. “I can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life like this, here with you.”