He glances in the direction of Rich’s office and then back to me. “I don’t see why we have to stay. If they need us, they’ll call us.”
Ten minutes later we’re walking into an Irish pub in Faneuil Hall, sliding up to the bar and each ordering up whiskeys. Alexander rolls the glass in his hand, staring at the amber liquid for a moment before raising it up, holding it out to me.
“I owe you for this, Brecken. For trusting me once you discovered what Rich was up to. In addition to his insider trading, he stole millions off the top, laundering it through various trading accounts but it was done so slowly and in such small amounts, we never caught on. You also did it discretely and with any luck, none of this will hit the press.”
No one was allowed to leave the floor today without signing an NDA, but despite that, I can’t imagine this will stay as quiet as Alexander is hoping.
I tap my glass against his with a small clink, taking a sip of the smooth whiskey, enjoying the warmth it provides on its way down. It’s been a hell of a day. A hell of a month. A hell of a few months. At first, I wasn’t sure how this would turn out.
There was a very real chance I could have gone to jail or lost my trading license.
I stole from Rich’s computer. I made trades that were illegal. Monitored, discussed and agreed upon, but technically illegal though I never profited from any of it nor did any of my clients. It was a risk that paid off in the end, but still a risk.
Checking my phone, I don’t see anything from Rina. Just a couple texts from Wes and Aria saying that Margot is doing well but will have to have another surgery on her kidney in a day or two. Damn. Poor girl. I can’t imagine the pain she must be in, both physically and emotionally.
I should head back to the hospital. I should find Rina and make sure she’s okay. I know she has to work tomorrow because I heard her talking about it, but I want her to be with me tonight. I need to hold her. Be inside of her. Know she’s mine.
And then together we need to figure out what to do about Aria.
Last time we didn’t handle it the right way. I should have never let Rina do what she did without me there to challenge Aria. To explain my side.
“Breck, are you listening?”
I snap back, downing the last of my whiskey and turning to Alexander. “No. Sorry. I was lost in my head.”
He chuckles, his dark eyes sparkling in the dim light of the bar. “I guess I can’t blame you for having a lot on your mind. But I was saying that I hope that now this is all done you’ll come back to New York. With a raise and a promotion, of course. You’d be Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Investments.”
I stare at my boss, my eyes widening with shock. That’s a two-step up promotion. That’s a step above even what Rich was.
“That would make me second-in-command.”
He nods, smirking at my reaction, signaling for the bartender to pour us another round. “It would. And when I retire in a few years, you’d be the one I’d want to take over.”
I’m floored. I went from losing a multimillion-dollar deal and having my wrist slapped, being forced to move states, to thinking I was going to lose everything, to this.
It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything.
It’s the brass ring. I’m only thirty-two years old. Conceivably, by the time I’m thirty-five, I’d be running an international investment firm with billions of dollars in investments and thousands of clients. But I’d be in New York. Not Boston.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Instead of clinking glasses, I tip mine in his direction before drinking it down.
He grins, sipping at his drink and pinning me with a look not to be ignored or bargained with. “You say yes, Brecken. You say yes.”
34
Rina
I don’t think I’ve ever been this relieved in my life. Not even when I woke up in the hospital and Harrison was dead. We’ve been doing this in shifts. None of us wanting to go. All of us wanting to stay with her but because it’s the ICU—and in the ICU we have rules, even when you work here—we can’t all do it together.
“Will you just go already,” Halle blusters, practically shoving me to the door. Margot is awake and kinda smiling though you can see the pain she’s in etched all over her.
“Why don’t you go home to Jonah,” I counter. “Have dinner with him. Between Aria and me, we can handle it.”
“Or you can both go.”
I flip Margot off because she doesn’t get to do that. “Margot, I had my finger in your renal artery. You don’t get to tell me what to do ever again.”
“Fine. But I’m fine. Dandy even. And Drew will be back soon. I’m going to be sleeping anyway.”
“No one is actually fine when they say they’re fine and since you topped it off with the word dandy, we know you’re lying.”
Margot rolls her eyes at me because that’s probably the only thing she can physically do without pain.
“Rina, you have to be back here tomorrow morning,” Halle argues, pushing me once again toward the door. “I’m staying until Aria returns and then you’ll be here to spell her in the morning. That’s what makes the most sense.”
“She’s right. Go.”
I huff out a breath. “Okay. I’ll go. But for the record, I’m not happy about it.”
“I love you too.”
I smile at my friend. “Feel good and call me any time and I’ll be here.”
“I know. Thank you. Leave.”
And with that, Margot closes her eyes because that was a lot of talking for her and she’s exhausted. “Go on. I mean it. Aria said she’s going to come back later. Wes is still on his shift and I think she’s meeting him for dinner before coming to sit with Margot for a bit.”
“Alright.” I kiss Halle on the cheek and finally after another shove head out, stopping at the nurses’ station and making them triple promise to text me if anything changes with Margot.
Then, on an exhausted exhale, I leave the ICU.
Only I don’t make it very far because Brecken is leaning against the opposite wall just beyond the doors. His face stuck in his phone until he sees me.
“Hey,” he says, pushing off to meet me halfway. “I was just about to text you. I got all the way here and then realized you might not be here anymore.”
“You came back for me?”
He looks at me like I’m crazy. “Yes, Rina. I came back for you. I mean, I also wanted to see how Margot was doing, but the nurse told me she already had too many visitors and I didn’t want to intrude. I was going to see if I could bring you anything. Have you eaten?”
And if I had any doubts about loving Brecken Davenport before, they’re all gone now. Just like that. A plume of smoke quickly dissipating into the air. Before I can stop it, my face falls into his chest, my eyes closing.
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
His lips land in my hair, his arms around my back as he holds me up because I can barely do it myself. I must smell awful. I must look even worse. He doesn’t seem to care either way.
“I have something I need to talk to you about. Something kinda big. Something I’m not sure how you’ll react to.”