Page 123 of Rio

“Will it damage the company?”

“He’ll smooth it over.He owns the board.But I made it clear where the blame lay.He felt it, and so did everyone else.No doubt about it.The dynamic’s starting to change.We’re fixing it from the inside, and I think we’re all working towards the same goal.”

He presses another kiss to my lips.

“You said I wasn’t like him,” he murmurs, his breath warm and sweet.“Now I finally believe it.”

“You were worried that you might be?”

“Sometimes, you become the very thing you try to resist.”

I scoff.“Never.Not even close.”

He smiles, then says, “Dex says we need to celebrate.He says this was a big step, exposing the old man in front of the board.”He pauses.

“You don’t feel that way?”I sense his hesitation, and I wonder if he regrets it.Going up against a monster can’t be easy, especially if the monster is your father.

“I agree.He’s talking about renting out that fancy rooftop place where he proposed to Dani.It’ll just be for us.I swear that dude just want to relives his engagement scene over and over again.”

I can’t help but giggle.“It’s nice of him to suggest that.I think it’s a great idea for you all to celebrate this big milestone together.”I pause to consider my words carefully.“I don’t have any siblings, and neither does Dani.You’re lucky to have so many.Even if you didn’t all grow up together, it’s never too late to forge a bond.You’re all brothers and nothing will ever change that.”

“Do you want to go?”he asks.“We don’t have to.We can hang out here.”

I hesitate, not because I don’t want to go, because I do.“I’d love to.But more than that you need this time with your brothers.You’re healing.You’re finding each other again.I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

He cups my cheek.“You wouldn’t.You’re part of this now.All of it.You’re part of us.Dani and Cari will be there.”

My heart swells.I think of Dani.Of Cari.Of the way this strange, powerful, messy family has started to come together.“It would be good to see them again,” I whisper.“This feels like a family.”

He kisses me again, deeper this time, and as our lips and tongues mesh and intwine, the world begins to make sense again.I begin to find some clarity in the debris of my world.

“I was thinking of getting the ethics board to open an investigation into Pierce and the abuse of power.”

I shrink back, but Rio’s hold on me tightens.He shakes his head.“I’ve got you.I don’t want you to worry about him.”

“It’s not worry.It’s a dull ache.Something irritating that gnaws at me each time I think of him.”

“I know what that feels like.Just tell me what you want me to do.”

I consider his proposal, then decide against it.“I would rather let karma come for him in her own sweet time.”

The man fired me, and though I didn’t want to be let go of in that manner, I was looking to move anyway.Now I have other things to look forward to.

“I was going to get Knight Enterprises to issue a public apology to you on behalf of the company.It’s not going to be from the old man directly, but it will clear your name publicly.”

I think about that for a moment.“I would like that.More than anything, I want EcoGuardians to know that I wasn’t completely careless.”

“Completely careless?”

“I shouldn’t have used your data.I should have recused when we came back to the US.I shouldn’t have gotten involved when I did.”

“You make it sound like you did it single handed.”He cups my chin.“I was just as complicit, but know this.If you hadn’t used the data, the old man would have found another way to bring you down.That’s who he is.”

Chills zig zag along my skin.“It never ceases to surprise me the lengths bad actors go to.If they only used that energy for good.”

We fall silent for a while.

“What are you thinking?”he asks, quietly.