“Oh, honey, what happened?” She rushed inside in full tizzy, and only stilled when she had my face cradled in her smooth hands. “Oh, your poor head.”
I’d looked in the mirror and seen the dark bruise marring the skin of my temple. The dried blood matting my hair had been rinsed away, and the wound had stopped bleeding. The nurse who’d just left hadn’t thought the cut was deep enough to need stitches. I’d taken in all of this and built a wall of clinical detachment. It was the only way I could deal with people poking and prodding me anymore.
My father was usually right behind my mother in situations like this, but he hadn’t yet come through the door.
“Where’s Dad?”
My mother pressed a kiss to my forehead and released her hold on my face before stepping back. “He’s talking to the police. They wanted to fill him in on what happened, and he definitely wanted answers.”
“Where?” A trickle of apprehension pooled in my belly. “On the phone?”
My mother shook her head. “No, in the lobby. Well, now they’re in a private room because they needed to get out of earshot of everyone else.”
Who was my father talking to? Rhett? Or was Rix here?
Everything Rhett had said in the car while I’d been barely holding on had played through my mind the entire time I’d sat in this room.
He’s exactly the same guy you’ve always thought he was. He just happens to be on the right side of the law.
The cut on my hand where I’d squeezed the glass shard had been the deepest and needed a few stitches. Everything else was fine.
I was fine.
My head had been cleared by the doctor, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t still jammed full of questions.
My mother stepped out of the room, and I pulled on a clean Love NOLA T-shirt my father had bought from the gift shop at her request. I’d cried when he’d delivered it to the room and hugged me. He’d also told me I wasn’t allowed to get kidnapped again because his old heart couldn’t take it.
I promised him I wouldn’t.
Both my parents had given me space, and I was taking it.
What was I going to do?
What did I want?
Trust your gut. That was what Rhett had told me.
I swallowed, standing with my hand on the door. Hesitating for long moments, I pulled myself together.
I am not a victim. I am a survivor. I am whatever I want to be.
And I wanted to be Rix’s.
Did his name matter when I knew his heart?
Did which side of the line he stood on matter when he made me feel safe either way?
I gave myself a mental slap. He was one of the good guys. Someday, maybe we could be seen together in public. We wouldn’t have to sneak around anymore. We could have a normal life. Together. Out in the open. I could introduce him to my parents. I could have it all.
The epiphany washed over me.
I can have it all.
I opened the door and stepped out to find my future.
VALENTINA AND HER MOTHER WALKED into the lobby side by side. Harold Noble stopped midsentence.
“There’s my girls.” He crossed the room to them and hugged Valentina.
I wanted her in my arms. Needed her in my arms.
Fuck, I just needed her.
When her father released her, her eyes finally met mine. For long moments, no one spoke.
Noble broke the silence. “Valentina, have you met—” He paused when she ran to me and threw herself into my arms.
I wrapped them around her. Thank fuck. So good.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Noble murmured.
Tears wet my shirt, and I pulled back to see her dark eyes shining with them. Using my thumbs, I wiped them away.
“No more tears, duchess. It guts me to see you cry.”
She sucked in a breath. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have gone outside. I thought it was you. I’m such an idiot. It was all my fault.”
Her words didn’t make sense. “What are you talking about?”
“The Escalade. It stopped in front of the house. I thought it was you. I went outside. You told me not to, but I didn’t listen.”
That answered the question of how they’d nabbed her, but I didn’t care anymore. Not when she was back where she needed to be. “Doesn’t matter.”
But she kept going. “And I’m sorry. I—I let them break me. I lost my grip, but I don’t want to lose you.”
“Shhh, duchess. You can’t lose me. I’m here. No matter what. And they didn’t break you. No one can break you. You’re the strongest woman I know.”
“But I walked away from you.”
I shook my head. “You threw yourself into my arms just now. Does that sound like you walked away from me?”
“I love you,” she whispered. “Don’t ever let me go.”
“Never.”
“Does someone want to explain what’s going on here?” Noble asked, his confusion obvious.
Valentina’s mother tugged at his arm. “I think it’s obvious, dear.”
I PRESSED PLAY ON THE voice mail for the fourth time.
“I’m gonna get you home safe. Stay strong, duchess. I love you. Just hold on, and I’ll be there. I’m coming for you.”
Squeezing my phone tight, I blinked back tears. Happy tears this time.