“Lila, don’t—”
Again, her fingertip to my lips. “Please. Let me finish.” I pause steeling my heart for what she is about to say. “But then you came along, and somehow that changed.” The words are a whisper, and I am not sure I hear them right. “You found a way past my defenses. And I fell in love with you.” The rush of emotion I feel makes me dizzy. I pull her hand to my chest, wanting her closer. With a smile, she leans in and kisses my lips. The touch is heaven. She is not leaving me. We have a chance.
Epilogue
“And we still have no leads on who the attackers were or who might have hired them?” Madison asks through the speakerphone sitting on the side table. She and Claire are honeymooning somewhere in the Caribbean after Claire insisted they simply elope. Considering the scary outcome of their last wedding, I don't blame her. In the end, it was clear the two of them genuinely only cared about being together, and no fanfare was needed.
As for me, I am resting under a blanket on the long, leather couch in the library of Lila’s English estate. She sits perched at the edge of the wingback chair beside me, holding my hand. All through my recovery, she stays at my side. As a fire glows in the giant fireplace, warding off the chill of an early spring day, the scene could not be more perfect if the topic of conversation was not so dire.
“Unfortunately, no,” Zena’s voice replies. “If Georgia DeLane is telling the truth, and considering she was almost a casualty, I believe her claim she is not behind it.”
More puzzled than ever, I furrow my brow while I continue to listen. Val chimes in. “So, all this time, we have been trying to block her from us? And she's not the problem?”
“I don’t think that’s true,” Lila adds catching my eye. I nod in agreement. Georgia is still very much a threat. Maybe even more so now that we were vital in her arrest. “She still wants to know who we are and use it to her advantage.”
I hear Chloe snort a laugh. “Good luck with that being she’s behind bars.”
Someone clears her throat pausing a moment before speaking. “That’s not exactly true,” Kris says, and my heart drops. This can only mean the worst has happened. “She's out. Check the internet.” Grabbing up my phone, I flip to the recent news and see that it is true. Due to a legal technicality, Georgia was released an hour ago. Her team of lawyers apparently earning the millions in fees she is paying them. The thought of a bribe somewhere high up crosses my mind. We should have known it was too good to be true.
Madison swears a string of choice words that echo through the phone and seem to be the best sentiment for the moment while the rest of us absorb the terrible news. “So now we need to be even more on guard,” Zena says at last.
“No. That is not enough. As I have said before, we need to make the right decision,” Val says. “It is no longer safe to talk like this, let alone meet. We must disband the club.”
“Now wait just a moment—” Chloe starts, but the voice of Yuki, the billionaire I know is from Hong Kong, cuts her off in a quiet voice.
“This seems the best recourse.” It is the first she has added to an argument in a long time. The phone goes quiet while we all wait to hear what she is going to say. “I no longer feel secure our identities are entirely confidential.”
“Why?” Madison asks.
There is a pause. “I have received a threat,” she replies. A chill runs through me at this news. This means more of the billionaires are known and being targeted.
More swearing from Madison. “We can’t let them send us running scared,” she finishes.
“Then, I call for a vote,” Val says. “Let the group decide.” A murmur of ascent by more of the members comes through the phone.
I hear Zena exhale a long breath. “So be it,” Zena replies. “I will poll the group.” She starts with Val, who adamantly votes to dissolve the alliance.
Then Lila, who answers immediately voting to keep the group together. “We are stronger as a whole,” she says, her voice thick with emotion. Zena goes through the others on the phone, leaving the vote at six against and five for ending the club. Her vote is last and could deadlock the group. After a long pause of deliberation, she votes.
“For everyone’s safety, we need to stop meeting,” she says.
“Then we are deadlocked,” Madison growls. “What good is that?”
“Yes, this is ridiculous—” Val starts.
Zena interrupts. “No,” she says. “There is one other person on the phone. Jael. She is skilled in matters of security and can give an unbiased recommendation.”
Val laughs, harsh and with no humor. “Unbiased?”
I bristle at the comment. Never a fan of Val's remarks on the phone, I consider replying with an explanation about honor, but let it go. This is no time for another argument. I am being asked a question with extreme consequences attached.
“Do you have a better suggestion?” Zena shoots back, her patience clearly growing thin. “Does the group agree Jael should make a recommendation?” A round of yes seals the decision. I feel Lila looking at me, but I won't return her gaze. After a pause, she gives my hand a squeeze of reassurance, her message clear. No matter how I vote, it won't change what we mean to each other. Swallowing hard, I gather myself. I must be sure. Finally, Zena asks the question. “Jael, based on what you know regarding our circumstances and your secret service experience, what do you think is best for the group?” Zena asks.
The right answer is clear to me, yet I hesitate for a moment. This decision will impact them all. Finally, I let out a deep breath. “I believe the Lesbian Billionaires Club should be dissolved.”
THE END