Chapter Forty-Five
Elise
Brady’s hands weren’t steady on the wheel as we left the hospital.
We’d been offered an escort home, but he’d chosen to drive the truck a friend had lent him instead.
He kept starting sentences, then abandoning them halfway, his gaze fixed on the road like it might vanish if he blinked.
After two blocks I reached over and rested my fingers on his forearm.
“Pull over.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re exhausted. And you’re shaking.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I said I’m fine.”
“And if you accidentally run someone over because you’re fatigue-impaired? Is that fine too?”
He pulled the car over. I got out, circled to the driver’s side, and waited. He slid across the bench seat. I climbed in, adjusted the seat forward, and secured my seatbelt.
“Where do you want to go?” I asked.
He stared straight ahead. “I don’t know.” His voice was scraped raw. “I can’t go back to my father’s house right now. And I can’t leave town.”
That was enough information.
Despite how late it was, I pulled the black card from my purse, snapped a photo of the number, and opened an encrypted thread.
Elise: Need a secure location for Brady. Easy to defend, close to town for family access, private enough for us. Can you help?
The reply was almost instant.
Alethea: Am I your Airbnb now?
I almost smiled: Please.
Alethea: I can’t believe you’re using your one call on this.
Elise: When this is over, I’ll buy you lunch. Right now I need a warm, furnished, secure location. Close to Firebrook Valley but not in the middle of everything.
Three dots.
Then: Lunch promise logged. Old Davis place.
Guest house on the property. Older couple built it for kids who moved away.
Main house is too big for them now. Guest house is furnished, cozy, wood stove, hot tub on the deck.
Easy drive into town. I spoke to them earlier today.
Figured you’d need somewhere to stay. They’re expecting you. Directions incoming.
Elise: Thank you. I owe you big.
Alethea: Don’t worry, I’ll collect on that someday.
That was a concern for another day. I slipped the phone away. To Brady, I asked, “Do you know where the old Davis place is? We can stay there. It’s all arranged.”
“Wow.” Brady blinked, slowly coming back to the present. “Yeah. That’s the perfect place. How did you manage that?”
I put the car in gear and pulled onto the road.
“A friend of mine arranged it.” Okay, that was a stretch, but it was also a comfort when I most felt in need of having one.
When Brady looked at me in question, I rolled my eyes.
“Your guardian angel struck again, but this time scored us a place to stay.”
As we drove, Brady mused. “You’re not jealous of her, are you? She’s like twice our age.”
I shot him a dark look. “I’m not the jealous type.”
He nodded.
I took a turn too sharply and he held on to the handle above the door. “I’m grateful she’s helping . . .”
“But?”
I groaned, and did something I never usually did, I let down my defenses. “I’m going to say something that sounds bad.”
“Okay.”
“I’m used to being the most intelligent person in the room and it bothers me that she’s always a step ahead of me.” When he didn’t immediately say anything, I added, “It makes me feel . . .”
“How?”
The truth was unnerving. “Scared. Like I will never be enough again.”
“Enough? For who?”
That one had me looking deeper. “My family, I guess. If I’m not the one who’s finding and resolving all the program’s weaknesses . . . if there is someone out there more skilled than I am at this . . . then our work won’t hold up. And then who are we? Who am I?”
His hand settled on my thigh. “You’re Elise Steele.
You’re brilliant. Beautiful. And someone I can no longer imagine my life without.
Don’t compare yourself to others. If there’s one thing my father taught me, it’s that when you look for validation of your value from others, it leads to a lifetime of chasing a mirage. ”
Those weren’t just inspirational words. He meant them. They were what he’d chosen to guide him through.
The truck’s headlights carved tunnels through the dark trees. After a mile I reached over and laced my fingers with his. He squeezed back hard enough that I felt the tremor in his grip.
Another mile passed before he spoke.
His hand tightened on my leg. “I get scared too. Afraid that all of this is my fault. Afraid that if I trust that this will all work out, I’ll leave all of us open to things getting worse.” In a rush, he said, “Take a left here.”
I did, placing my hand over his. “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”
He smiled in the dim light of the cab. “We’re something.”
I glanced over, letting my gaze linger to make my point.
“I never thought hearing someone say they’re also afraid could make me feel so safe, but you do that, Brady.
When I’m with you, I believe all of this can work out.
So, don’t you dare change. I don’t want to go back to seeing the world the way I did. ”
“Well, you have taught me the value of having a plan.” The slow rub on his hand up and down my thigh scrambled my thoughts, shifting the mood quickly to a more intimate one. “So, you bring out the good side of me, as well.”
The truck climbed the ridge. The guest house came into view. It had warm windows, a small deck, and a hot tub under cover. Beneath a porch light, an older man waited on the steps with keys, waving us in like it was normal.
I parked. Brady didn’t release my hand right away. Instead he lifted it and pressed a slow kiss to my palm, lips lingering. Heat licked up my arm.
“Thank you,” he murmured against my skin. “For driving. For the place. For everything.”
I leaned across the console and kissed him properly, deep, unhurried, tasting the exhaustion and relief on his tongue. When I pulled back, his eyes had darkened in a way that promised more later. We stepped outside of the car together.
“I hope this isn’t the sort of place where they put us in separate bedrooms,” I said, voice low.
A ghost of his old smile appeared. “Hadn’t thought of that.”
“I’m old, not deaf.” The older man handed over the keys with a grunt. “And you’re adult enough to do as you please. Anything you need, just holler. Glad they found your brother, Brady.”
“Thank you,” Brady said, then shook his hand.
The man gave me a long look before adding, “We stocked the fridge for you if you’re hungry. See you in the morning.”
“That’s so kind of you,” I murmured.
He nodded then turned away.
Inside, the guest house smelled of cedar and fresh linens. Warm. Secure. Private. The wood stove was already lit. A bottle of wine and two glasses waited on the counter like someone had known exactly what we’d need.
Brady closed the door behind us and leaned back against it, watching me as I set my bag down. The air between us was heavy with the day, but charged now with something hotter.
“Come here,” he said quietly.
I crossed to him without hesitation. His hands settled on my hips, pulling me in until our bodies aligned. He rested his forehead against mine.
“I’ve missed you,” he admitted.
“Same.” I slid my hands up his chest, feeling the steady thud of his heart.
His mouth curved. “You have too much clothing on.”
I laughed, my mood lightening. “I thought you were tired.”
“Not that tired.”
I kissed him again, slower this time. He made a low sound against my mouth that had nothing to do with amusement. His hands tightened at my waist, then eased, like even now he was checking himself.
That undid me more than urgency would have.
I pulled back and met his eyes. “Brady.”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t have to be careful with me.”
Something raw flashed in his eyes. “I’m always careful with you.”
My throat tightened. “Then be carefully rough.”
For one suspended second, neither of us moved.
Then his mouth was on mine again, hungrier.
I slid my fingers into his hair and tugged him closer.
He turned us, pressing my back against the door, the solid weight of him making my knees unreliable.
His lips moved down my jaw, warm and deliberate, and I tipped my head back, letting him taste the day on my skin.
The wood stove clicked softly. Outside, the ridge was dark and quiet.
Inside, Brady’s hands finally steadied.
He drew back, resting his forehead against mine, breathing hard.
We folded into each other, releasing all of the emotions of the day in the heat of our connection.
I let him peel away the day one careful, reverent touch at a time that became wilder and more primal until we were both swearing and calling out each other’s names.