I stood and brushed dirt from my dress. “For what it’s worth, my money is on you being the next president, Humphrey.”
He clutched his chest. “Slayed! Again!”
Laughing, I gave him a final wave, then ducked close to the door to make one final call as I eyed the jubilant Codex team through the window. Louisa’s voice, when she answered, was strung tight with nerves.
“It’s a very, very long story,” I began. “But I just watched Bernard Allerton be placed in handcuffs.”
I could hear her sharp intake of breath. “Where was he?”
“London,” I said, smiling up at the starry sky. “In Adler’s Bookshop living in a secret apartment built behind a bookshelf.”
“My god,” she said.
“I’ll be in tomorrow,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll be receiving a call from the authorities soon. And I’ll tell you everything. But my contract has been completed.”
Nothing about this case had gone as I’d envisioned it. Yet everything missing in my life had suddenly appeared and made my success possible.
“Thank you, Sloane,” Louisa said. “You did an amazing thing tonight.”
I hung up. Smiled again to myself. And finally opened the door and entered the pub.
“There she is,” Freya cheered, waving a bottle of champagne. “Our sixth team member.” They gave me a silly round of applause, and I paused to bow, catching Abe’s flirtatious grin.
“How are Humphrey and Reggie doing?” Henry asked.
I took the glass of champagne Delilah handed to me. “Heartbroken yet strong. I have a feeling Humphrey and Reggie will be in our lives for years to come.”
“I’d welcome that,” Abe said. “There’s a lot that we don’t know about tonight. Bernard’s ultimate plan, who he was using, the key players. The fates of James Patrick, of Eudora, of Peter. It might take a while, but I look forward to doing that work with all of you.”
Henry raised his glass of champagne and faced all of us. Delilah was wrapped around his side, gazing at him with pure devotion. “I’d like to give a toast to Bernard.”
“Uh, what?” Freya said.
Henry smiled. “That man did his best to destroy everything he touched, let money and greed take priority over our shared culture and history. And instead of believing in the power of books, he used them. Used people, too. The night I first met Abe was the worst night of my entire life. But—” Henry paused to kiss the top of Delilah’s head. “He’s the reason we’re all here, together. He is the reason I’m going to marry Delilah in three months. He’s the reason Sam and Freya reunited. And he’s the reason Abe Royal is spending time, romantically, with Sloane. He’s the reason Codex exists.”
Abe smiled, looked down at his glass—cast a raised brow at me. “You told them we were romantically involved?”
“Oh, she didn’t have to tell us Abe,” Freya said. “It was obvious the second we saw the two of you together. We never knew you were such a reverse cougar. Damn.”
I held up a finger. “I believe I’m the reverse cougar in this situation.”
“I stand corrected.” Freya beamed.
Abe kissed my hand to the cheering laughter of his team. I winked, chugged my champagne to another roar of applause.
“To Bernard,” Abe said. “And to all of you.” He squeezed my hand tight as he set his glass down. “Contrary to popular opinion, I am a man able to love. And I might not be the best at showing it, or saying it, but I do love all of you. Very much.”
For once, Abe’s team didn’t tease or joke. They came around the table to wrap him in a messy and clumsy group hug.
“Aw, we love you too, boss,” Freya said.
And over the tops of their heads, Abe stared at me with the full force of his emotions, vulnerability and all.
I’m still here, I mouthed.
Outside this pub, Sherlock Society members were clamoring, gossiping, standing around in a daze. Cop cars took up the street, police officers patrolled and questioned people, and Bernard Allerton was on his way into custody.
And inside this pub, clutching a glass of champagne and smiling at Abe, I finally found my family.
48
Sloane
It was past dawn the morning after we’d caught Bernard Allerton. Abe looked relaxed and handsome in his sleep. There was no white whale to chase; he was no longer Ahab on an endless hunt. He was merely the brilliant man in my bed.
The brilliant, naked man in my bed. And I knew just the way he deserved to be woken up.
I crawled onto his naked body. His skin was hot from sleep. His eyes, still sleepy, fluttered awake. I kissed his chest. His smile turned dirty. His breathing hitched.
“Aren’t you a beautiful sight to wake to,” he said, voice gravelly. Rough.
I bit his nipple.
He hissed with pleasure. He wound his fingers in my hair and dragged me up. Our lips met in a kiss that was both harsh and tender, bruising and sweet. He looped my hair around his wrist, holding me in place. I could tell by the look on his face what he wanted to do. With a sly grin, I shook my head, kissed his jaw. Kissed down his strong throat—his chest, my fingers threading through the silver hair. Tugging. Another sharp breath from him, followed by a sigh. Sexy man. Strong man. Last night was the highlight of my professional career. And stepping through that hallway and into a room that held Bernard fucking Allerton was only made more perfect because Abe was by my side.
And last night, surrounded by Freya and Sam, Delilah and Henry, getting tipsy on champagne and laughing at their stories—I could feel the complicated knots of my heart unravel. Fall away. It was so much more terrifying to be vulnerable in this world. And so much more possible with a man like Abe, gently encouraging me to open.
“Sloane,” he whispered. A plea. His fingers were still in my hair, but my mouth was trailing open kisses down his stomach. So fucking gratifying to mess with this man’s control, to be the one to bring this level of unfettered pleasure onto his face. “What are you doing?”
“You know what I’m doing,” I said. I licked my tongue across his skin, tasting him. He groaned, fingers tightening. His cock was hard, like steel, pressed to my body the farther down I explored. The second I reached his cock I sat back on my knees to admire it—the delicious, veined length of him. All that primal, raw strength. It didn’t matter how many bespoke suits Abraham Royal had, how many college degrees or years of FBI agent promotions.
Beneath all of that was a hard, hungry man who was twisting my hair in his fingers and yanking my head to the right.
I ran my tongue along my teeth. “Do you have something to say?”
A snarl threatened to overtake his mouth. “I won’t last. Not with you. Not like this.”
I held his gaze. Lowered my mouth to his cock. “I believe in you.”
It was a privilege to take that man into my mouth, to take him as deep as I could. To taste him, tongue him, indulge in the simplicity of his moans, my sighs. His fingers, my hair. His cock, my mouth—the heady, rich taste of him was immediately addicting. And so was watching him come fully undone, give in to his urges when he had nothing to do except receive sexual pleasure. The harder he pulled my hair, the hotter I got, the deeper I took him, the more intense he became. Our eyes remained locked until he couldn’t stand it anymore—head falling back, hands dragging me off his cock and up his body. There wasn’t even a question. Abe shoved me back, kissed me breathless, and slid his cock slowly, slowly inside.