Chapter Thirty-Eight
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
Scarlett made it to the police station before Brayden was released.
She ran at him as soon as he came through the door, unshaven and wearing gray sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt.
He could have been dressed in a garbage bag for all she cared.
He dropped the bag he was holding and caught her in his arms.
She couldn’t squeeze him tight enough. “Goddess, I’m so happy you’re free. I love you.”
His grip on her tightened. “I love you too.”
There was so much she wanted to say as he set her down carefully and held her face in his hands, his gaze boring into her soul.
Then all the words left her mind as he kissed her deeply.
She clutched at him, and he ran his hands over her as if assuring himself she was truly all right.
Scarlett never wanted to let him go again.
The outside world faded away, and there was just him in her arms. His lips on hers.
She wanted him with her every day for the rest of her life.
Someone whistled, bringing Scarlett back to reality.
She reluctantly pulled away to find several people filming them or taking pictures with their phones.
Brayden turned his body to try to block some of the cameras, but it was impossible to hide.
Cass was having to actively work to keep some space between them and the onlookers.
Good for our public image, but bad for my life.
“Let’s go,” she said, taking his hand.
He picked up his bag. “Yeah, I want to get the fuck out of here.”
Hand in hand, they rushed outside to where Charlie was waiting in the Heroux speedboat, and soon they were on their way toward the Sapphire Canal as the midday sun sparkled on the water around them.
Brayden yanked his sweatshirt over his head, revealing a white T-shirt underneath, and Scarlett brushed her fingertips over the short beard he’d grown in the several days he’d spent in jail.
As she drank in the man she adored, reality flooded back into her mind. “There’s so much I have to tell you about the past few days, but first, there’s something big you need to know. Evory declared war on Sigur Vieur today.”
The light dimmed in his eyes. They both knew what it meant. He’d have to go home, and soon.
He pulled her into his lap. “Tell me some good news. Moira Ashworth was arrested, right?”
Grinning, Scarlett rested her head on his shoulder. “Yes, and Laylani. She’s gone. Probably for a long, long time, and if she ever gets out of prison, everyone she meets will know what she did.”
“Thank fuck for that.” He pressed his lips to hers as he held her.
“There’s more,” said Scarlett, running her hand over his warm chest and breathing in the scent of him for the first time in days. Even after a stint in jail, he still smelled like fir trees in the rain. “Elestine discovered Alastair hired the men who assaulted us at the National Theater.”
Brayden’s grip on her tightened. “You could have died. I’ll fucking kill him.”
With a quick glance toward the front of the boat to confirm Charlie and Cass were still both facing away from the enclosed cabin, Scarlett rose to her knees, straddling Brayden so she could look him dead in the eye as she threaded her fingers through his hair.
“You won’t. I just got you back, and he’s not worth it.
I’m pressing charges. He’ll pay with his freedom and his reputation. And he’ll be banned from Parliament.”
He relaxed slightly, and Scarlett settled back in his lap as she relayed the full conversation with Elestine.
“Did I make the right decision?” she asked once she was finished.
“Undoubtedly. He deserves it. I can’t wait to see that prick get flogged publicly.”
“No more seeing him at work.” She gave him a small grin. “Do you think the public will turn on the border legislation because of this? Elestine is worried it’ll hurt our cause.”
“Even if it does, you’ll work through it. I’d bet on you every single time.” He sighed. “I wish I could be here to see him locked up.” He shifted Scarlett in his lap and ran a hand through his hair.
“Will you have to leave right away?” she asked.
“Soon,” he said. “I wish it weren’t so, but Lachlan will need me.”
“I know. And now I’m safe here. You won’t have to worry about me.” Images of Brayden in an active war zone burst into her thoughts. “But what if something happens to you? I can’t lose you again,” she whispered, her voice catching.
“I’m invincible, remember?” He stroked her back, soothing her.
“You’re hard to kill, not impossible to kill.” She met his gaze. “While you were in jail, I realized some things.”
“Like what?” He stared back at her, something that looked like uncertainty flickering across his face.
Her heart raced as she searched for the right words. Their marriage had been hasty, but she wanted all of him, forever. Scratch that—forever wasn’t enough. She needed the North Star runes and forever.
She swallowed. “Like, I can’t live without you. The North Star stuff was a lot when you first told me about it, but now I wish we’d gotten the runes when we had the chance.”
Light filled his eyes, and everything tumbled out of her in a rush.
“I hated not knowing what you were thinking and feeling, like maybe you were sitting there slowly growing to hate me for bringing you here—”
He put a finger to her lips to silence her.
“That could never happen. I was only afraid of losing you. I don’t resent you for anything that’s happened.
Watching you get attacked and grabbed at the theater—it was the worst moment of my life.
I was cursing myself for not begging you to go through the North Star ceremony, because I can’t live without you either, Scarlett.
I’d marry you all over again today. And not for a visa. ”
She started to laugh as her eyes filled with tears. “I wish we had more time. You’ll be shipping out to Evory—” Her voice cracked.
“Come back to Clair de Lune with me.” He threaded his fingers into her hair and brought his face so close to hers their noses were touching.
“I’ll have to stop there before I deploy.
Let’s go to the Forest Temple for our North Star ceremony.
If we do that, we’ll be able to talk to each other whenever we want, and if you have the phoenix valor afterward, you can protect yourself and Beni while I’m gone. ”
“You want that? Really? You think we’re ready?” Longing for him was all she could feel. She didn’t doubt she’d want him always.
“I feel the same way you do. The worst part about being locked up was not being able to communicate with you. While I was in there, I wished we’d already done it, because then I could have talked to you all night when I was in jail not sleeping, or at least until you had to go to bed—”
“I wasn’t sleeping either,” said Scarlett with a shaky laugh. “I was too worried about you, and I hated being separated.”
“So does that mean you’re open to going through with the ceremony? I know it’s fast, but with the war breaking out… I already told you I regretted waiting as soon as we were attacked. It would give me a lot of peace while I’m gone.”
“I want to,” she said. “I want every part of me to belong to you.”
He loosened his hold on her, but all his attention was on her. “Scarlett, my soul will belong to you until I stop breathing, and probably even after that.”
Their lights circled each other rapidly.
“Say you’ll come with me. We could go to Clair tomorrow, do the ceremony at night. You’d be back the next day.”
A sudden lightness filled her. “I’ll come with you.”
His lips found hers, and they kissed until Cass coughed at the door of the cabin to let them know they’d arrived at the house.
Scarlett pulled back, glancing at Cass, who looked like she was holding back a smile. With a wave, she disappeared, and Scarlett turned back to Brayden. His flushed cheeks sent a shiver down her spine.
He stared back at her. “Your room. Now.”