Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Parker
“Elias is dead.” I stared at my brothers. “It’s over.”
“Is Paige okay?” Roman asked.
“She said she was fine.” I rubbed the back of my neck.
“Now what?” Julian asked.
“We go back to our normal lives,” I told him.
An uneasy feeling settled inside me. Now that Elias was no longer a threat, I was afraid Paige would take off, and I’d never see her again.
“What’s wrong?” Julian asked, placing his hand on my shoulder.
“Nothing,” I sighed.
“You should be happy that Paige got Elias and ended this bullshit,” Roman said.
“I think I know what his problem is,” Julian said. “He’s afraid Paige is going to take off.”
“That isn’t true,” I lied.
We arrived back at the marina. As we stepped off the boat, I saw Paige standing on the dock in the distance. Walking up, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a warm embrace.
“It’s finally over,” I whispered in her ear.
“It is.” She broke our embrace and smiled.
“Darling, we can’t thank you enough for saving our son,” Pippa said, hugging her.
“You’re welcome. I was only doing my job.”
“I’ll see you, guys, later,” I said, hooking my arm around Paige and walking to her car. “So, are you going to tell me what happened and how you did it?” My brow arched.
“It’s probably best you don’t know.” A smirk crossed her beautiful lips. “The only thing that matters is that Elias and his men are no longer a threat, and you’re free to move on with your life.”
I didn’t say a word as I stared out the passenger window.
“Are you okay?” She glanced at me.
“Yeah. I’m just happy it’s over.”
The moment I stepped into the house, I poured myself a scotch and paced around the living room while Paige went upstairs to change.
I was relieved all this bullshit was over, but at the same time, I wish it weren’t for my own selfish reasons.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.
When I answered it, Simon stood there with his hands tucked into his pants pockets.
“Hey. Come on in.”
“Thanks. How are you holding up?” He placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Good. I’m happy it’s over. Scotch?”
“Thanks, but I’m still on duty.”
“Simon, I thought I heard your voice,” Paige said, walking down the stairs.
“I just left the warehouse that was reduced to a pile of ash. The fire department said that some military-grade explosive was involved.” His brow arched.
“Wow. Really?” Paige smirked.
“And you’re sure Elias didn’t get out of there before the explosion?” Simon asked.
“I put a bullet in each leg and then one in his head. He was dead before the explosion.”
I stared at her with furrowed brows. She spoke as if it were just another day for her.
“The FBI has launched an investigation. Are you positive Sophie Long won’t say a word about your visit to the houseboat?”
“She’s already on her way to Canada. She has family there, and she’s starting a new life with her son and Elias’s fortune,” Paige said.
“Good.” Simon nodded. “I have to get to the station.” He headed toward the door, placed his hand on the handle, and turned to Paige.
“We could use someone like you on the force. Any chance you’re interested?”
“I don’t do cops.” Paige smiled.
“Didn’t think so,” Simon smirked, opening the door.
“Detective?”
“Yeah?”
Paige reached into her pocket and handed him a flash drive.
“All of the names of the dirty cops and a few bad FBI agents who were on Elias’s payroll are on that.
Before I killed him, he said that this goes higher up than we could imagine.
I’m thinking maybe the mayor, governor, attorney general, who knows. But they need to be stopped.”
“Thanks for this, Paige. I’ll be in touch.” He walked out and shut the door.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” Paige said.
“Me too.” My lips forced a small smile. “But first, we need to go see my dad at the hospital and tell him it’s over. Then, I’ll take you to dinner.”
“It’s not a date, Hamilton,” she said, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
“I didn’t say it was.”
“Then let’s go.” She smiled.
She kept herself carefully guarded with her ‘don’t mess with me’ stance.
Seeing her smile set something off in me.
It was like catching a glimpse of something rare and precious.
Her eyes, which normally assessed everything with seriousness, suddenly sparkled.
It did something to me that I couldn’t quite explain.
When we stepped into my father’s room, Love was by his bedside, holding his hand.
“Son,” my father said. “Paige.”
“Hi, Dad.” I walked over and gently hugged him. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m on the mend. Nothing a whole lot of love from this little lady can’t fix.” He smiled.
“It’s over, Dad. Paige got Elias.”
“Did you make him pay for trying to kill my son, and for what he did to me?” He held out his hand.
Paige walked over and took hold of it.
“I did.” Paige winked.
“I want to know how?” my father said.
“That’s not important, Harrison.”
“It is to me. How did you do it?”
“Dad, nobody can know Paige was involved,” I said.
“And who the hell am I going to tell, Parker?”
“Let’s just say bullets and explosives were involved,” Paige said.
“That’s my girl.” He smiled, placing his other hand over Paige’s and gently patting it.
“We’re going to head to dinner,” I said, hugging him again. “Did the doctor say when you can get out of here?”
“A couple of more days and I should be good to go.”
“My bed is so lonely at night without you next to me,” Love pouted.
I inhaled a sharp breath. “Come on, Paige.”