34. Hazel
Being in Jareth’s arms was now my favorite place to be.
We were lazing around in bed after getting home late last night. The police hadn’t kept us long after we gave our statements about what happened. Terri was in custody while he was being treated at the hospital for the bullet wounds inflicted by Jareth, but he wasn’t dead. They’d also found Tony a few blocks from the warehouse trying to get away.
I snuggled in closer, loving how his arm tightened around me.
“Good morning, Sunshine.” He placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head. The normal everyday moments like this were what I loved most.
I trailed my fingers across his abs, the stark white material of the bandage wound around my raw wrist a sobering reminder of Terri’s betrayal. “Morning.”
Jareth tilted my chin, his gaze narrowed in concern. “How are you doing?”
“Okay, I guess.” I released a soft sigh, not quite sure how to voice my feelings. “Is it weird that none of this seems real?”
“No. Everyone deals with stress differently. And what you went through last night will likely surprise you in ways you’re not aware of yet.” His jaw tightened and anger flashed in his eyes. “You’ll be okay, though. Because your safety and well-being is my number one priority. I will fight to the death for you, Hazel, if it comes to that.” His gaze pierced mine like a deadly spear as his words hung in the air between us.
My breath caught and I swallowed the lump that had begun to form. “I know, and having you here with me makes it all easier to deal with.” I held back a shudder, knowing that if Jareth hadn’t been able to find the strength to walk away from his revenge, I wouldn’t be in his arms right now.
He nodded.
“Last night wasn’t your fault,” I reminded him.
“It was my fault,” he growled. “But I assure you that I will never allow anything like that to happen again.”
I sat up straighter so we were at eye level. “I repeat: None of this was your fault. This is all Terri’s. He’s the one to blame.”
Jareth’s silence spoke louder than his protest.
“You came for me,” I reminded him.
“I’ll always come for you.” He gently picked up my hand, his eyes settling on the bandage, the fire of rage growing with each second. “I hate that he hurt you,” he ground out.
I didn’t brush away his anger or tell him to let it go. It would be a long time before he was able to do that. “I know.”
We sat in silence, each lost in our own thoughts.
“I never thanked you,” I said. My chest grew tight as the moment he decided not to kill Terri replayed in my head.
He shook his head. “You have nothing to thank me for. It was my job to protect you, and I failed.”
I turned my palm over in his grasp to thread my fingers through his, needing the connection. “You didn’t fail. You passed with flying colors. You gave up your revenge for me. You put me first.”
“I gave it up for us, Sunshine. I’d never forgive myself if I made you an accessory to a crime I committed.” He paused and drew in a deep breath. “Getting the chance to build a life with you means so much more to me than the hollow victory of eliminating Terri. I need to see him punished for his crimes, but I can come to terms with not being the one who enforces that.”
I couldn’t stop the thoughts running through my head, wondering if he might one day regret that decision.
“I can see your mind whirling, Sunshine. Stop.”
“I just… What if?—”
“No, I will never second-guess my decision. I may not stop wanting Terri dead, but I wouldn’t ever wish I’d put him before our relationship. And if I let myself sit with my choice, I can admit it’s not what my father would have wanted, either.”
The vulnerability in his voice connected to me deep within my soul. This is the man I’d always known he could be. A man who had once seen the world in shades of gray, and was now letting the beauty of other colors shine through. Bright, happy colors that reflected like sunlight through stained glass and cast rainbow beams on us.
“I love you, Hazel.” His lips met mine with a kiss full of hunger and promise.
The song “Good as Hell” burst from my phone on the nearby nightstand.
“Don’t get it,” Jareth whispered against my mouth.
“Jess wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important.” I reluctantly pulled away from him and answered my phone.
“Where are you?” She yelled into the phone so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear.
“At home. Where else would we be?” She’d been the one to tell us to hibernate at the penthouse and, in fact, had insisted on it when Alden called to let her know I was all right.
“Turn on Channel 10 News.” Her smug tone hinted we wouldn’t want to miss whatever they were reporting. Was it about what happened last night?
Jareth was already reaching for the remote. He flipped on the TV and scrolled through the channels until he found the local news station.
The news station’s set appeared sleek and modern, with polished surfaces and clean lines. Behind the anchor desk, news anchor Joanna Morgan flashed her million-dollar smile, blinding us with her white, even teeth. “Let’s go on scene with our local correspondent, Walter Darsney, with breaking news.”
The television screen displayed a sea of reporters, their cameras poised and microphones at the ready. My heart skipped a beat as I waited to hear what was so important for Jess to call instead of text.
“Thank you, Joanna. I’m at the residence of Harold Richards, the local businessman, who was forced to resign from the Board of Arabian Nights Fabric Design and Production due to the alleged charges filed of attempted sexual assault.”
My chest constricted and my stomach churned at watching Harold being marched out of his home in handcuffs and shoved into the waiting car. Seeing him on the screen reminded me of that moment at the Christmas party when he assaulted me. When I knew he was going to hurt me if I couldn’t get away. The terror returned and I began to shake.
Jareth’s arms, already like steel bands around me, tightened even more. The comforting strength gave me a feeling of safety that allowed my racing heart to slow down.
Knowing that the love of my life would be there to protect me, and that I was strong enough to protect myself soothed my fear but didn’t cease the shaking. If Jareth hadn’t gotten there on time, would I have found a way to escape?
The scene panned across the front yard at the Richards’ home before settling on the reporter, Walter Darsney. “Since the original assault charge was filed, numerous women have found the courage to come forward and share their stories. Through our sources, we have learned that multiple additional charges against Mr. Richards are currently pending the outcome of further investigation. Additionally, in the past few weeks, there has been a significant decline in the stocks of Mr. Richards’s various companies, and he’s been actively seeking buyers. We’ve also heard from a credible source that divorce papers have been filed by his wife. He’s claiming that his accounts have been hacked and his money is being diverted by parties unknown to him. The investigation is ongoing, and we will keep you updated as new findings are released.”
A warm lightness spread within my chest. Watching Harold get what he deserved was so utterly satisfying. Now I knew he was unlikely to hurt anyone else ever again. It made me partially understand Jareth’s desire for revenge.
The screen changed back to Joanna. “Sorry to interrupt, Walt, but we have additional breaking news.” She pressed a finger to her ear. “Well, this is a busy night. In just a moment we’ll go live again with reporter Sheri Zade, who’s headed to a press conference given by the head of the FBI in front of the building of Perennial Prose Publishing Inc., Sheri, what can you tell us?”
“Joanna, this is a developing situation. In an unexpected announcement today, the FBI is arresting the CEO of PPP, Inc.”
The camera panned to the head of the FBI. “We’re processing PPP, Inc. for charges of bribery, extortion, and embezzlement. This is an ongoing investigation and we will inform you as additional information comes to light.”
Jareth leaned forward in a micromovement I might have missed if I wasn’t so intune to him. He turned up the volume.
Jareth’s rapt attention sparked my curiosity as the Director of the FBI outlined the meticulous investigation that had led to the capture of the elusive billionaire, including recent detailed information that had been leaked from an unidentified source.
“Interesting,” I remarked, carefully studying Jareth’s expression. “So, the Feds were suddenly able to take down this company after years of building a case against them? How lucky are they to hear from a whistleblower with just the right information at the right time.” Not even a muscle in his jaw ticked. I had a feeling he was trying to determine what I knew before responding.
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Interesting,” he agreed, his gaze flicking away and back to the TV.
Silly man. I knew him too well to fall for that. “Jareth.” I poked him in the chest. “Seriously?”
He let out a loud laugh. “I should have known I couldn’t hide anything from you.”
I grinned back and gave him an exaggerated wink. “It’s best you learn now you can’t keep anything secret from me.”
“I tried.” He sighed. “I need you to be safe, Hazel. If you know…things, that makes you a liability. I swore on my life I would never let you come to harm again. Can’t you play along?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“How did you know?” He tugged me tighter to him and rested his chin on top of my head.
“I’ll never reveal my sources,” I said, trying very hard to sound serious.
His fingers dug into my side making me squirm.
When it became too much I laughed uncontrollably. “No, stop! I’ll pee myself if you keep this up!”
He continued to tickle me. “It’s been said that I have excellent skills in torture. I think I can hold out longer than you.”
When I was about to lose the battle with my bladder, I cried out, “I give up.”
Jareth’s fingers stilled, coming to a stop at the most ticklish spot, as if giving me fair warning he might start up again if I didn’t give him what he wanted.
I released a happy little sigh. Not a single person would believe that this man could have a goofy side, and I reveled in each new piece of him revealed to me. I loved that I got to be the one to love him and watch him grow.
His fingers began to move again, trailing lightly along my side, down to the valley of my waist and cresting at the top of my hip. “I guess your surrender doesn’t come with answers.”
I snort-laughed. “I might have overheard your monthly conversation one day, and then soon after that same company broke apart and various workers were being charged for federal crimes.”
Jareth pulled me into his lap. His hands rested loosely on the curve of my hips.
My legs snaked around him, knees pressing into his thighs. He didn’t begin speaking until I’d looped my arms around his neck.
“I need you to know, Sunshine, that we only do this to companies or people who are corrupt. Ones who hurt others for the pleasure of it. We’re trying to help in our own ways.”
I loved that he felt the need to stress how they chose their targets.
My fingertips lightly caressed tiny circles on the back of his neck. “I know.”
“I fucking love you, Hazel. I don’t know how I ever got so lucky to have someone as incredible as you in my life. And not a single day will go by where I don’t remind you of that and of how much I love you. Thank you for always believing in me even when I couldn’t do it for myself.” He rested his forehead against mine.
“Jareth, I will always love you and see the good in you. And I will be here to remind you on the days you don’t see it.” Our breaths puffed simultaneously. When I pushed a breath out, he drew one in.
His stare was so intense and loving at the same time I wanted to squirm. It was like he could see into my soul. “I want you to know I see you Hazel Finley.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep shaky breath before exhaling. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear those words or how raw and exposed I’d feel when coming from him.
“I promise to make sure you know how loved you are. And I promise to make sure you know that your true friends, myself included, will continue to give you our love even when you aren’t perfect. I will make sure you understand your worth.”
A slight tremor raced through my body. “I?—”
“Hazel.” I saw the determined glint in his eyes. He’d changed so much over the past few weeks and so had I. He thought I was about to brush off his statement.
Yet, I knew the truth of his words, finally, I allowed them to resonate deep within me to the core of who I was.
I’d learned that my need to be so regimented and people-pleasing was a deep-seated fear rooted in my childhood. A fear that if I didn’t do enough someone would decide to toss me away like my parents had. It didn’t matter that the state took me away. My parents didn’t fight for me or even try to offer me a good childhood. They didn’t even try.
But I was worthy of love. I was loved.
“I know that now. Because of you, I’ve finally realized that all of who I am is perfectly imperfect and that I’m good enough.” Tears pooled in my eyes and ran down my cheeks.
He blinked fast a few times and swallowed hard.
That tight place in my chest released. “I know that there might be some days I struggle to remember that, but knowing you’ll be there to make sure I push past it is all the assurance I need.”
He cleared his throat, a raspy sound emerging. “I will be there for you. Every. Single. Time.”
All I could manage was a nod. I hiccuped while letting the tears flow.
“Sunshine, I hate to see you cry.” He wiped at my tears with gentle hands. “I think the only way to do help would be to tell you an absolutely horrible dad joke.”
I almost choked on my spit when I inhaled too fast. “What?” I whispered. “Do what?”
“Knock, Knock.” He lifted his head from mine and smiled.
“Who’s there?” He hated these things.
“Juno.”
“Juno, who?”
His grin got wider. “Juno, you’re the love of my life?”
I playfully groaned. “I love you, too.”
He nuzzled into the crook of my neck, making my legs go weak. Without his arm banded around my waist I would have likely slid to the floor. “Forever and always you will have my heart,” he vowed.
“And you, mine. Forever and always, through the sands of time.” When his seeking lips met mine it was our promise to each other that our place in the world was together. That when our souls touched and shared space we were our best selves. And that our hearts would forever be intertwined for eternity.
The beauty of our life stretched out before me and I couldn’t wait to experience it all with this man beside me.