I was still a bit unsteady on my feet, but the running countdown in my head motivated me to keep going.
The three of us hurried out of the room and down toward the back of the boat where Newsome said there was a lifeboat.
“Four minutes, fifteen seconds,” Newsome called out as Piers stepped into the lifeboat and then helped me in.
“Come on,” Piers said, holding out his hand to Newsome.
But the older man shook his head. “I wasn’t lying about the six months, and I’d rather go out my way. I wrote everything down and mailed it to the address on the card you left.” He looked at his watch. “Three minutes, twenty seconds. Plenty of time for the two of you to speed away. Go on. Now.”
Piers didn’t want to leave him, but it became obvious Newsome wouldn’t get on the boat with us. At two minutes, fifty seconds, Piers started the lifeboat, and we drove off as quickly as we could.
Neither one of us looked behind when we heard the explosion.
Chapter 25
BRI
Those who saw it would later describe it as a sudden spark, followed by what appeared to be the boat imploding rather than exploding. The initial investigation attributed everything to a mechanical issue supposedly overlooked during its last inspection. But we, of course, knew better.
The day Piers received the materials Newsome said he’d mailed, the UK announced the arrest of one of the nation’s most-wanted fugitives. At the time of his arrest, the man in question went under the alias Adam Barnes. Less than twenty-four hours after his arrest, they found him dead in his cell.
Apparently, Piers wasn’t the only one Newsome had mailed.
After arriving safely back onshore that fateful day and checking in with Tenor and Mia, Piers took me to one of his lesser-known properties in Greenwich, Connecticut. The sprawling waterfront property was meant to be a retreat for both of us. A chance to relax, reconnect, and recover. We always planned to return to the city.
Two months later, we had no formal plans to leave. We were both perfectly okay with that. The quiet lifestyle was soothing for both of us and welcome after so many years of uncertainty.
I looked up at Piers at the sound of the doorbell. “They’re early.”
Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but they were very early. And Piers and I were naked. Thinking we’d have plenty of time before they arrived, he’d slipped into the shower I was taking, which led to him carrying me into the bedroom, and well… I hadn’t found the time to put on clothes.
Piers gave me a quick kiss and sat up. “You take your time getting ready. I’ll go let them in.”
Fifteen minutes later, I met everyone in our sunroom. Mia’s eyes danced with mischief when she asked me how I was doing, and I knew she was aware of just what I’d been doing before her arrival. I gave her a grin and went to sit next to Piers.
“What do you have there?” I asked, pointing to the paper in his hand.
“Apparently some documents pertaining to my inheritance were delivered to the Bachelor International office,” he said.
“I didn’t know you even knew who your father was,” Tenor said.
Over the past few months, the two men had slowly been rebuilding their relationship, but Piers had been hesitant to discuss his father with anyone.
“I learned about him first through Barnes,” Piers said. “And later through the letter Newsome had mailed me.”
Tenor knew about the Newsome letter. How the man had apologized for his actions so many years ago. He admitted the promise of wealth caused him to turn from everything he’d ever been taught.
About a year ago, he’d gone to the doctor and learned he had a terminal, degenerative neurological disorder, and he’d fallen into a depression. He happened to come across a newspaper that mentioned Piers and began looking for a way to contact him without alerting the ever-watchful Organization.
Having long since lost his reward for splitting me and Piers up and witnessing Barnes’s true self on a personal level, when Piers showed up at his townhouse, Newsome knew what he had to do. Days before, Barnes had called him to brag about his plans for me and Piers.
Newsome saw this as his one chance at redemption and made his way onto the boat before anyone else.
“I wasn’t sure there was anything left of my father’s inheritance,” Piers said. “But according to this, that’s not the case.”
“What are you going to do with it?” Mia asked.
“I’m not sure.” He took my hand. “Bri and I have talked about staying here. I can still do a bit of legal consulting if I want. Bri’s agreed to manage the properties I own if we decide to rent them out. And I can do pro bono work as well.”
“Speaking of your property,” Tenor said. “We’re going to Italy for a wedding in a few months for one of our friends. Didn’t you mention a place you had on a Spanish island?”
“Formentera, yes,” Piers said.
“I want to rent it,” Tenor said with a teasing smile at Mia. “I think I’ll finally get Mia to agree to marry me if I can get her away from work for a real vacation.”
“Hell,” Piers laughed. “If Mia will agree to marry you, you can stay there for free.”
And just like that the conversation turned away from the inheritance. At least until I brought it up later that night.
I’d wanted to discuss it with Piers earlier but hadn’t been sure of the best way to go about it.
“I was thinking,” I said as he pulled me into his arms. We’d left the curtains in the bedroom open, giving us a view of the full moon outside.
“About what, love?”
“About what to do with your inheritance.” I waited for him to nod before I continued. “What if we put it in a trust for our son or daughter?”
We’d spoken about getting married and raising a family, though it always seemed to be in the future. I knew how badly he wanted to be a dad.
He thought before replying. “I wouldn’t have a problem with that, but neither of us is getting younger, and the older we get, the less likely we are to be fertile.”
I drew figure eights on his chest. “What if we were certain fertility wouldn’t be an issue?”
“I don’t see how that’s possible.”
“Really?” I took his hand and placed it on my still-flat belly. “You don’t?”
He blinked several times. “Are you? You aren’t joking? Really?” At my nod, he pulled me tight. “I can’t believe you’ve known longer than five minutes and you didn’t tell me.”
I laughed, relieved he was as happy as I was.
“You’re going to marry me, right?” he asked. “I want our child to have my name.”
“Yes,” I said, barely getting the words out before his lips crushed mine.
He placed a hand on my stomach and bent his head down to place a soft kiss right below my bellybutton. “Hello, in there. This is your dad. Your mom and I can’t wait to meet you. I promise there will never be a moment you won’t know how much you’re loved.”
I felt a tear roll down my cheek. Piers saw it and kissed it away. “And you, my love, will never experience another one either.”