“God, Vikki,” Brody finally said, breaking our seal and pushing me slightly away. His gaze deepened as he asked, “God, you taste so fucking good. I’ve missed seeing you like this.”
I reached for his chest and buried my cheek in his shirt. With the sound of his steady heartbeat, my body melted. Pent-up tension oozed from every pore until all that was left of me was liquid, held in place by his embrace. Fighting the desire to take our vertical connection horizontal, I stiffened my neck. “Brody, I-I can’t. Not today.”
“Are you all right, baby? You seem so… I don’t know… like you’re ready to explode. Or implode?”
I stepped back and walked toward the sofa, adjusting my dress and ignoring the part of me that longed to be lost in his arms.
“Why would you think I wasn’t coming?” I asked. “Our agreement was for 1:00 PM, and it’s barely one.”
“You didn’t reply to my last text. I was afraid someone else might have seen it.”
“No,” I said definitively. “Believe it or not, my phone stays with me. I did delete the text. There’s no sense taking unnecessary chances. Now, tell me what’s happening?”
His brow furrowed. “How’s Stewart?”
I shook my head and looked down. It was the same speech, with the same all-important non-verbal cues that I’d given to anyone who asked. “Not well. The doctors seem to think that it could be any time. When he’s awake he’s lucid, but when he’s out, he’s out! I think it’s the medications. Though he hasn’t complained, the doctors say that this form of rapidly progressing leukemia is extremely painful. They have him pretty drugged up on painkillers. They’re doing all they can do to help him go peacefully.”
Brody reached for my hand. “Bravo. That’s a beautiful speech, Mrs. Harrington. Now tell me how the motherfucker is really doing.”
My downturned lips twitched as my eyes darted toward his. “He’s dying. He’s suffering. Karma’s a bitch and though he deserves every damn second, I wish Karma would get her ass in gear and finish him off. Watching him die is sucking the life right out of me.”
“Oh…” The aquamarine of his eyes shimmered. “I’d be glad to suck some life into you.”
The tension of the last few months seeped from my taut shoulders. “Don’t tempt me, Mr. Phillips. I’m not a stable woman.”
“Don’t say that. You’re a fucking rock. I’d wish more years of suffering on him, if it wouldn’t be so hard on you.”
“I met with his oncologist yesterday. They’ve exhausted all the treatment options. It really is just a matter of time. But now he is arguing about the pain medicine. I like that it makes him sleep. I’m hoping one day he will go to sleep and not wake up.”
Brody’s forehead furrowed. “Did you know Parker was at your apartment yesterday?”
“No.” I bristled. I didn’t like the idea of Stewart meeting with his private attorney and one of the founding partners of Craven and Knowles without me. Honestly, I didn’t trust either one of them.
“He was,” Brody confirmed. “It was yesterday morning.”
“I was out,” I said reflectively, thinking back over the last twenty-four hours. “The first and third Wednesday of each month I meet with the Harrington Society. My sister’s spearheading another medical mission trip.”
Brody nodded. “The good Doctor Conway. There isn’t a selfish bone in her body.”
“No.” I genuinely smiled. When it came to saints, Valerie was next in line for canonization.
“I got the feeling that timing was everything,” Brody continued. “Parker made a comment about you not letting Stewart out of your sight or vice versa.”
The small hairs at the back of my neck stood to attention. “Do you know what they discussed?”
“Not for sure. Last evening, I overheard him asking his assistant to pull some old files. When I heard your name, I texted you. From all of my snooping, the only thing I could determine was that it involved Stewart’s will, but I know for sure she also pulled the contract.”
I stood and paced the length of the room. “Why? Why would they be looking at that contract?” I lowered my head to my hands to think. “Brody, everything, all of our investments, all of his stock, holdings, everything is in both of our names. Tell me, what could he possibly do in a will to combat that?”
“As long as they stay that way, I predict nothing. Maybe he just wanted to be sure everything was in place. You know? If he’s feeling the finality of his situation, he probably doesn’t want anything to be out of place.” Brody shrugged. “Being the standup guy that he is and all.”
My mind raced. “My name was added after our marriage, over ten years ago. I’ve followed that damn contract to the letter.”
“Vik, you don’t want that contract going public. Let’s watch. I wanted to see you today to let you know I have my eyes and ears open. I’m watching your back. You don’t need to worry.”
“So help me God, if he screws me… after everything.”
Brody’s brow arched. “I’d say you’ve been royally screwed already, but what are you going to do, Vik? Kill him? The man’s dying.”
He wouldn’t be the first person I had killed. Slowing my breathing, I said, “I know Craven and Knowles represents Stewart, but, damn it, they’re supposed to be representing my best interests, too.”
I reached for his chest and buried my cheek in his shirt. With the sound of his steady heartbeat, my body melted. Pent-up tension oozed from every pore until all that was left of me was liquid, held in place by his embrace. Fighting the desire to take our vertical connection horizontal, I stiffened my neck. “Brody, I-I can’t. Not today.”
“Are you all right, baby? You seem so… I don’t know… like you’re ready to explode. Or implode?”
I stepped back and walked toward the sofa, adjusting my dress and ignoring the part of me that longed to be lost in his arms.
“Why would you think I wasn’t coming?” I asked. “Our agreement was for 1:00 PM, and it’s barely one.”
“You didn’t reply to my last text. I was afraid someone else might have seen it.”
“No,” I said definitively. “Believe it or not, my phone stays with me. I did delete the text. There’s no sense taking unnecessary chances. Now, tell me what’s happening?”
His brow furrowed. “How’s Stewart?”
I shook my head and looked down. It was the same speech, with the same all-important non-verbal cues that I’d given to anyone who asked. “Not well. The doctors seem to think that it could be any time. When he’s awake he’s lucid, but when he’s out, he’s out! I think it’s the medications. Though he hasn’t complained, the doctors say that this form of rapidly progressing leukemia is extremely painful. They have him pretty drugged up on painkillers. They’re doing all they can do to help him go peacefully.”
Brody reached for my hand. “Bravo. That’s a beautiful speech, Mrs. Harrington. Now tell me how the motherfucker is really doing.”
My downturned lips twitched as my eyes darted toward his. “He’s dying. He’s suffering. Karma’s a bitch and though he deserves every damn second, I wish Karma would get her ass in gear and finish him off. Watching him die is sucking the life right out of me.”
“Oh…” The aquamarine of his eyes shimmered. “I’d be glad to suck some life into you.”
The tension of the last few months seeped from my taut shoulders. “Don’t tempt me, Mr. Phillips. I’m not a stable woman.”
“Don’t say that. You’re a fucking rock. I’d wish more years of suffering on him, if it wouldn’t be so hard on you.”
“I met with his oncologist yesterday. They’ve exhausted all the treatment options. It really is just a matter of time. But now he is arguing about the pain medicine. I like that it makes him sleep. I’m hoping one day he will go to sleep and not wake up.”
Brody’s forehead furrowed. “Did you know Parker was at your apartment yesterday?”
“No.” I bristled. I didn’t like the idea of Stewart meeting with his private attorney and one of the founding partners of Craven and Knowles without me. Honestly, I didn’t trust either one of them.
“He was,” Brody confirmed. “It was yesterday morning.”
“I was out,” I said reflectively, thinking back over the last twenty-four hours. “The first and third Wednesday of each month I meet with the Harrington Society. My sister’s spearheading another medical mission trip.”
Brody nodded. “The good Doctor Conway. There isn’t a selfish bone in her body.”
“No.” I genuinely smiled. When it came to saints, Valerie was next in line for canonization.
“I got the feeling that timing was everything,” Brody continued. “Parker made a comment about you not letting Stewart out of your sight or vice versa.”
The small hairs at the back of my neck stood to attention. “Do you know what they discussed?”
“Not for sure. Last evening, I overheard him asking his assistant to pull some old files. When I heard your name, I texted you. From all of my snooping, the only thing I could determine was that it involved Stewart’s will, but I know for sure she also pulled the contract.”
I stood and paced the length of the room. “Why? Why would they be looking at that contract?” I lowered my head to my hands to think. “Brody, everything, all of our investments, all of his stock, holdings, everything is in both of our names. Tell me, what could he possibly do in a will to combat that?”
“As long as they stay that way, I predict nothing. Maybe he just wanted to be sure everything was in place. You know? If he’s feeling the finality of his situation, he probably doesn’t want anything to be out of place.” Brody shrugged. “Being the standup guy that he is and all.”
My mind raced. “My name was added after our marriage, over ten years ago. I’ve followed that damn contract to the letter.”
“Vik, you don’t want that contract going public. Let’s watch. I wanted to see you today to let you know I have my eyes and ears open. I’m watching your back. You don’t need to worry.”
“So help me God, if he screws me… after everything.”
Brody’s brow arched. “I’d say you’ve been royally screwed already, but what are you going to do, Vik? Kill him? The man’s dying.”
He wouldn’t be the first person I had killed. Slowing my breathing, I said, “I know Craven and Knowles represents Stewart, but, damn it, they’re supposed to be representing my best interests, too.”
