Chapter 25
Mason hadn’t left her side since she got off the plane and had even sat with her while she provided background for the officers investigating the incident.
“I have a proposal I’d like to make,” Evelyn said.
Her granddaughters gave her their full attention.
“Charge Brendan with a misdemeanor of your choice,” Evelyn said to the officers, “and make him reimburse the town and the state for the expenses incurred by his stunt today.”
“In exchange for what?” Nikki asked.
“I want several things,” Evelyn said. “First, he signs the divorce papers. Second, he makes a public statement on his social media taking responsibility for his own mistakes and making it clear to his lunatic supporters that Jordan was an innocent party in everything that happened. He needs to tell them, in no uncertain terms, to leave her alone. And third,” she said, looking to Jordan, “he agrees to never again contact my granddaughter or come anywhere near her or her family.”
Jack, the state police officer in charge, looked to Nikki and Jordan. “What do you think?”
“It’s up to Nik,” Jordan said. “She’s the one who was held hostage by him.”
“I’d take that deal in a hot second,” Nik said, “if it meant we’d seen the last of him.”
“In that case, I’m willing to offer him the deal,” Jack said. “From what I’m told, he’s awake at the clinic and asking to see Jordan.”
She felt stricken by the idea of seeing him again, but knew she needed to so she could close the door on that part of her life.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” Mason said to Jordan.
She looked to Jack. “Would you mind if I outlined the offer to him?”
“Be my guest.”
To Mason, she said, “Will you come with me?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m making dinner at the house,” Evelyn said as they were leaving the conference room. “Everyone is invited. We’ll see you there?”
Jordan wanted to be alone with Mason, but they’d have time for that later. She looked up at him.
He nodded.
“We’ll be there.”
Evelyn crooked her finger at Mason, bringing him down so she could kiss his cheek. “Thank you for taking such good care of my granddaughter.”
“It’s my pleasure, ma’am,” Mason said, his face flushing with embarrassment that Jordan found adorable.
Then again, she found everything about him adorable and endearing and sexy.
While Blaine offered to drive the others home to Eastward Look, Mason took Jordan to the clinic. When they were in his SUV, Jordan reached across the center console for his hand, turning it palm up and examining the healing wounds. “I’m glad you didn’t reopen them while I was gone.”
“I was careful.” He turned his hand to rest it on her leg, under the hem of her dress. “Were you really only gone one night? It felt like a hundred years.”
“It did for me, too. You need to know I was going to come back as soon as I could, even if this hadn’t happened.”
He glanced at her. “That’s good to hear. You should know that I was going to come after you if you were gone too long.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. Would that have been okay?”
“Hell yes. As long as you didn’t quit the job you love for me.”
“I would’ve done it if I got to be with you.” He squeezed her leg, his hand inching upward until she stopped it.
“Hold that thought.”
“You’re coming home with me later.”
“Try and stop me.”
The noise that came from him was part growl, part moan as he squeezed her leg. A few minutes later, after parking at the clinic, he looked over at her. “You gotta at least kiss me, or I’ll never make it until later.”
She had her seat belt off and was halfway across the car in the time it took him to finish the statement.
Like it had from the start, the intense connection between them ignited when her lips touched his.
They gorged on each other, neither having a care about who might see them making out in his town-issued vehicle in broad daylight.
Those concerns were for other people, Jordan thought.
Her only concern was getting closer to him.
“Fuck,” he muttered when he finally pulled back. “You’re going to get me fired.”
“That won’t be my fault,” she said, laughing. “You’re the one who started the tongue action.”
“Can’t help it.” He caressed her face as he gazed at her. “So much I need to tell you. Not sure I can wait until later.”
“I’d call in sick to dinner, but since it was my ex who held them hostage…”
“I know. We’ll eat quickly.”
She glanced at the doors to the clinic, noting two police vehicles parked outside. “Let’s get this over with.” They walked into the clinic together and went to talk to a cop in the lobby.
Mason introduced her to the officer. “Wyatt, this is the suspect’s wife.”
“Ex-wife,” Jordan said. She would be soon enough.
“Ex-wife,” Mason replied with a small grin for her. “He asked to speak to her.”
“Come on back.” Wyatt led the way to a cubicle, where Brendan was handcuffed to the hospital bed. Had he always been small, or did he just look that way in comparison to Mason?
His eyes went wide at the sight of her. “They said you weren’t here.”
“I wasn’t. I flew back here after I heard you’d taken my family hostage.”
“I didn’t take them hostage.”
“You showed up uninvited at our home with a gun and wouldn’t let them leave until you got to see me. That’s the definition of taking someone hostage.”
“Your sister gave me a skull fracture.”
“That’s the least of what you deserve.” Standing before him, she realized two things. One, she didn’t love him anymore, and two, she was no longer afraid of him. “You and I were done long before you pulled this stunt.”
“You wouldn’t talk to me! I got clean for you, and then you wouldn’t even see me!”
“Oh, please, you’ve never done anything in your life unless it benefited you. Don’t waste my time telling me how you got sober for me. Here’s the deal. We’re over. You may as well sign the papers and be done with it, because after today, you’ll never see me again.”
“I have things I want to tell you.”
“I don’t care. There’s nothing you have to say that I want to hear. I gave you every chance. I gave you chances you didn’t deserve, like after you taped us having sex and posted the video? Remember that?”
“I didn’t mean for that to happen! I told you that!”
“I don’t believe you. And frankly, I don’t care anymore.
I’ve moved on, and my life no longer includes you.
As to the shit you pulled today, you’re lucky my grandmother and sister are in a forgiving mood.
Otherwise, you would’ve been charged with multiple felonies.
” She outlined the deal the state police had agreed to and put the papers that Gigi had printed on the table next to his bed.
“Do everyone a favor, take the deal, sign the divorce papers, take responsibility for your own shit and tell your fans to leave me the hell alone. Go back to rehab, and don’t leave until you’re well.
Get your life together, and stay the fuck out of mine. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
“Jordan!” The cuffs clanked against the metal rail when he tried to get up to give chase. “You have to listen to me!”
“Go fuck yourself, Brendan.” Jordan hooked her hand through Mason’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Under his breath, Mason said, “I’m a little turned on after hearing you tell him off.”
“Is that right?”
“Oh yeah. Seriously sexy, babe.”
Jordan laughed, feeling freer and happier than she had in years. “You know what the best part is?”
“Better than you telling him to go fuck himself?”
“Yep.”
“Lay it on me.”
“We’ve got time before dinner to stop at your place. If you can get out of work, that is.”
When they got to his car, he opened the door for her, put his hands on her hips and lifted her into the passenger seat. “You want to know the biggest benefit to dating the chief?”
“Other than having him save my life?”
“Even better. I get to set my own hours.”
“That’s really convenient at times like this.”
“Seriously convenient.” He kissed her and pulled back before things could get out of hand again.
“Hold that thought for ten minutes.” His driving on the short ride home reminded Jordan of Gigi darting through traffic earlier in LA.
Had that really happened today? It seemed like a week ago after the longest flight ever to get to her loved ones.
On the way home, Mason called Dermot. “You’re in charge for the rest of the day. Don’t bother me unless the zombies show up, you got me?”
“Yes, sir. I heard your lady was back—”
Mason ended the call.
“That was rude,” Jordan said, laughing.
“He can go fuck himself.”
She laughed harder than she had in years, her heart full of love for the second man she’d ever slept with.
Jordan didn’t care what Gigi said. Sometimes you could fall for the second guy you ever slept with.
Sometimes he was just so right and so perfect that looking beyond him simply wasn’t necessary.
In that moment, she decided that if the network didn’t go for her idea for a show on Gansett, she’d buy her way out of the contract, even if that would take most of the money she’d made since the show became popular. She could sell the house in Bel Air and use the proceeds to finance her new life.
And she would apply for that activities director job at the senior center.
The feeling that came with the pieces falling into place was one of peace and contentment and excitement for what was ahead.
“Wait for me,” Mason said gruffly when he pulled into his driveway, leaving a cloud of dirt in his wake as he brought the car to a quick stop.
Jordan buzzed with desire and love and so much happiness as she watched him come around the front of the truck like a man on a very important mission.
And then he was reaching for her as she reached for him.
He picked her up and kicked the door shut and kissed her all the way into the house, even going so far as to press her against the front door until they were in danger of consummating their reunion right there in the open.
Behind her, he fumbled with the door until it flew open and nearly sent them flying.
Jordan shook with laughter as he swore viciously under his breath.