Chapter 50 #2
The knock came again, and I opened the door to see four federal agents standing on the porch. They wore dark jackets, badges, and no expression.
The lead agent stepped forward, “Mr. Hawk?”
I held his gaze. “That depends on who’s asking.”
His expression never changed. “Special Agent Morrison,” he said, using his thumb to point to the three men standing behind him, “and these are Special Agents Roberts, Clarke, and Boyd.”
I waited as he produced their credentials. I glanced up, seeing behind him two black SUVs running and waiting at the curb.
“Mr. Hawk. We have a warrant for your arrest.”
I never looked away from the agent. “On what grounds?”
The agent opened a folder. “Conspiracy to conceal financial assets, obstruction of an ongoing federal investigation, and suspected participation in a criminal enterprise tied to offshore entities under review.”
Jesus Christ. I almost laughed, not because it was funny. It was fucking absurd. Every word in that sentence pointed to one thing and confirmed everything we already knew.
This shit was all my father. It was the fear I’d carried for years that one day the blood on his hands would become a debt I was expected to pay for him.
The difference was that I wasn’t a fucking idiot. I’d spent twenty years knowing this day would eventually find me. I just didn’t expect it to be now.
I inhaled slowly. Then exhaled.
The agent continued. “You are being taken into custody pending further investigation.”
I nodded once. No matter what evidence they’d found, I would stay calm and composed, processing and calculating.
This wasn’t about me being guilty. This was only about those dickheads starting a war between us.
I kept my eyes locked on the agent. “Who filed this?”
The agent remained silent.
That’s a fucking interesting response.
Men in this position almost always responded by immediately claiming innocence. Instead, I was asking where the goddamn attack originated.
The agent’s hesitation told me everything I needed to know. Someone had spent a long time building a case and orchestrating this. It was obvious to me that it was Christian Jameston. That was why the cocky bastard had a smile on his face the first night I was face-to-face with him.
I smiled at the realization that the slimy bastard had actually made it this far with everything.
The agent frowned. “You find this amusing?”
“No.” I shook my head and sighed. “I find it expensive.”
Cat moved beside me, and when I looked at her, the sadness and fear in her eyes nearly broke me.
I reached for her hand and held it. “Listen to me carefully.”
“Titus—”
“Listen, preciosa.”
Her red, puffy eyes immediately filled with tears.
I lowered my voice.
“This isn’t the end of anything,” I said to reassure her, but mostly to reassure myself.
The agent shifted. “We need to leave.”
I ignored him. “My head of security is on his way to you now,” I said as I brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
I watched as understanding immediately flashed across her face.
“I love you,” she said, my heart constricting at hearing those words, even though I truly believed she was questioning the emotion after I told her what I could.
“I love you beyond words, mi amor,” I answered.
I reached for her, then stopped myself.
God help me. If I kissed her right now, I wasn’t sure I’d ever let go. Suddenly, the charges didn’t matter. Being handcuffed and hauled away didn’t matter.
The only thing that mattered was the woman standing in front of me.
Three days ago, she told me she loved me. Last night, I fell asleep holding her after we discussed where we’d eat breakfast on our drive back home.
And now I was standing here, trying to memorize her face, knowing it might be the last time I saw it for a while.
Jesus Christ. Nothing prepares you for this moment. Not power, wealth, or success.
Nothing prepares a man for the possibility of losing the woman he loves.
“Jim is aware,” I told her. “If you are able, you might find some peace with his wife and the rest of the ladies while I’m gone.”
She nodded and sniffed.
Then, slowly and reluctantly, I extended my wrists. I watched, hating my father more than I had growing up, as the cuffs clinked in place around my wrists.
I’d spent my entire adult life preparing for the possibility that one day my father’s enemies would come looking for me. And here we were.
The agent began leading me toward the waiting SUV. I took three steps, then stopped to see her once more, not knowing when we’d be reunited, given the charges.
The entire group with me froze as I looked back toward Cat.
She was more than beautiful, but seeing her standing in the doorway, wrapped in a blanket and heartbroken over this? For the first time this morning, I felt anger.
Anger because someone had created this moment, and she ended up being fucking traumatized by it. Not just that, someone had interrupted the one thing I’d spent months trying to build. Someone had frightened her.
My eyes narrowed, and suddenly Christian Jameston’s future looked considerably shorter.
I turned back and climbed into the SUV, the door slamming shut behind me and the locks engaging with a heavy mechanical click.
Through the tinted glass, I caught one last glimpse of Cat standing alone in the doorway, still wrapped in a blanket and barefoot. She was completely unaware that she looked like home to me.
The cottage disappeared behind a line of trees, and then she was gone.
And for the first time this morning, I felt something dangerously close to fear.