Chapter 24
Dahlia
“Are you feeling okay?” Troy asks from beside me.
“Yeah. I feel like I was kidnapped and was then in a car accident. You know, just another day.”
He’s not entertained by my antics. The sour look on his face makes me laugh.
“I have to laugh about this, Troy. If not, a deep, dark hole is waiting to crush me. Oh, speaking of crashes, if I weren’t the one being thrown into the door with a maniac with a gun sitting beside me and a pizza guy in the trunk, that would’ve been really hot.”
He groans, looking at the ceiling of Jason Brewer’s plane.
“I can’t imagine what your forearms looked like controlling the car like that,” I say, licking my bottom lip. “And the way your face gets all linear when you’re focused. Maybe when I’m better, we can figure out how to replicate that without the broken humerus and concussion and various lacerations.”
“You’re going to pay for this.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
He looks at me through the corner of his eye and tries not to smile.
I rest my head on his non-broken humerus and yawn.
Thanks to the Landry connections, doctors saw me right away. I’m going to live, which I knew as soon as I saw Troy climb out of the car, although with a little less blood and a lot more inflammation.
“We need to make sure we send a sizable tip to the pizza guy when we get home,” I say. “Freddy told me he killed him. He really thought he was dead.”
“Already took care of it.”
I flinch. “You did?”
“Yeah, since the bastards wouldn’t let me go back with you for all the tests, I had time to process every fucking minute of that ordeal. Becca’s getting the contact information so I can take care of it this week.”
I lift my head and look at him curiously. “Becca, huh?”
He smirks.
I’m just screwing with him—he knows that. Becca is the sweetest person I’ve ever met, and Troy almost killed a man for me.
Lights twinkle on the ground below as we sail quietly through the night sky. Everything’s a bit more tonight. The stars are prettier. The cookies the stewardess served us when we got on board were sweeter. The guy next to me is more irresistible.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks, stretching his legs out in front of him.
“Just that when we land, things will be different. There’s so much to figure out and navigate.”
“Like what?”
“How do I work with a broken arm? Will Ford even let me work after I broke protocol and answered the phone, which caused this whole damn thing? I’m also screwing my co-worker, and that’s probably against the handbook.”
He exhales. “Freddy didn’t track your phone. He had a tracker in your bag. He knew where we were the whole time.”
“What? Are you serious?” The thought of him watching us, sneaking around, preying on us for those days makes me ill. “How do you know?”
“People say things when they’re under duress.”
“Did you find it?”
“Grey did. It’s tech that’s not mainstream yet. It’s still in beta. I don’t know how in the hell he got it, but he did.” He pulls his phone out and opens his camera reel. “Here. I saved this for you while you were getting your X-ray.”
I take his phone and look at the picture.
Breaking News: All charges against Dallo dropped by prosecution.
I gasp. “What?”
“That’s what Ford was calling to tell us. Or a part of it, anyway.” He takes his phone and slips it back in his pocket. “The forensic accounting firm discovered money laundering and other things happening with Dallo Metalworks. But a few months ago, they arrested a bunch of cartel guys in Atlanta and got some of them to turn State’s evidence.” Troy yawns. “Turns out that your grandfather really was a bad apple, and two of his seeds were still working for your father. The CFO and CIO, I think. Your dad cooperated with them for weeks and helped them build their case. It’s a tangled web.”
My heart warms, either from the pain medication or because my father isn’t a con man. Maybe both.
“They got indicted last night,” he says, furrowing his brows. “Or tonight. Hell, I don’t know what time it is. We were in the marsh, and they were getting indicted.”
“Does my father know about Alexis?”
“I’m going to let the two of you have that conversation. Short answer is yes. But that’s all I’m saying.”
I shrink against the seat.
Although I’m not close with my father, hearing that I’m probably going to lose him stings more than I anticipated. Like he said, I’d hoped we could figure things out and maybe have a real relationship. But everyone has choices. I don’t know why I expected his to be different.
“What’s that about?” he asks.
“Nothing.”
He winks. “Don’t draw any conclusions from what I said. Keep that sunny optimism you annoy me with,” he says, teasing me.
I roll my eyes.
“I do have a problem I want to discuss with you.” Troy clears his throat and sits up. “Might as well do it now.”
“You don’t get to be mean to me. If you have bad news or think we need some space apart, you’re wrong. I do not agree. And if you think I’m a fool now because of the phone thing, even though that actually didn’t cause any problems … you’ll be right.”
He smiles.
“If it’s an employment situation, I can’t work anyway,” I say, looking at my arm that needs a cast tomorrow morning. “I’ll quit. You don’t get Becca, but I’ll quit and work at a bakery. I’d be good at a bakery.”
He starts to laugh.
“I’m not laughing,” I say. “You’re stuck with me, Castelli. I learned stalking tips thanks to this unfortunate incident. I will stalk you. You’re mine.”
His smile softens, and his head cocks to the side. “Say that again.”
“You’re mine.” I blush under his gaze. “You’re mine even though you force me to lift weights and get sugar and cinnamon all over the counter in the mornings when you make toast. And you can’t get a stain out for shit. You ruined that white shirt with spaghetti sauce.”
He shakes his head, amused.
“And you can be super bossy,” I point out. “I hate to bring this up, but your driving could use some work. You can’t park a truck, and then you spin the pizza car so that I hit the door when you could’ve hit it the other way and slung me into the center. I wouldn’t have a broken humerus.”
“Will you shut up?”
“I’m just pointing out all the things that most women may not like. But me? I like them. I like you just the way you are. Remember that if you want to go fuck around.”
“Don’t you think it’s too soon to joke about all of this?”
I try hard not to smile. “I’m not joking. My arm hurts.”
He carefully grabs my face and brings me in for a kiss. It’s soft and sweet—the most tender kiss he’s ever given me.
And I just found a new reason to love Troy Castelli.
“I’m glad you’re not joking,” he says, sitting back. “Because what I was going to say before your inane monologue was that I don’t think I can sleep without you. And I’m probably going to be slightly overprotective for a while. You can’t use your humerus, as you keep pointing out. You might need help.”
“What’s your point?” I ask, my spirits rising.
“We should live together. And if you’re thinking it’s too fast for that, then just for a little while. I just …” He sighs. “I love you.”
The bridge of my nose burns like it does before I cry. I start to climb onto his lap, but my seat belt and the searing pain in my arm stop me.
“Sit still,” he says. “We’re getting ready to land.”
I turn as much as I can to face him. “Since I’m so totally in love with you, I’m glad you want to live together. I was thinking?—”
He swallows the rest of the words with a kiss—one that doesn’t stop until the pilot asks us to please leave the plane.