Chapter 11

 

Saturday

 

As much as Lena would have liked to discuss her plans with Owen when he returned with Eric, her pain and fatigue had finally caught up with her. She’d drifted to sleep shortly after her soft diet dinner and had only been awoken by her pain when she needed more medication periodically through the night. Saturday morning involved another round of tests, another nap, and a transfer to a new room out of the ICU. By the time she was finally able to be awake and alone with Owen, her mind had worked through the issues as much as possible, practicing possible rebuttals in case he ended up arguing with her ideas.

“It’s good to see those beautiful blue eyes again, baby.”

Owen’s smile was tender but edged in sadness as he took in her weak, bandaged form. Her eyes were guarded, and her expression showed determination. He knew she’d been resisting the full impact of her grief over Nate, but her doctors had advised him not to push her on the subject. Emotional upheaval was hard on her body, and it had been through enough already.

He leaned over her bed to brush his lips carefully over hers, but Lena wasn’t satisfied with that. She hadn’t had a proper kiss in nearly a week, and she surprised Owen by tugging his shirt downward when he tried to stand. They kissed again, their tongues playing gently as they reconnected.

“God, I missed that,” Owen admitted, squeezing his eyes shut against the memory of the explosion and everything that had followed. He’d pulled her from the fire over and over, every time he’d closed his eyes since that horrible night.

“Me too,” Lena smiled softly. “Now, sit down. We have a lot to talk about, and we need to do it while I’m able to stay awake.”

“There’s the bossy woman I fell in love with.” His smile was more genuine as he pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and sat down. “I take it you want a status update?”

“We can start with that. What’s happened since yesterday afternoon?”

“The FBI took a statement from Cook, and they want to come talk to you as soon as you’re up for it. They’ve talked to Sean and Logan too, and I spoke to the agent in charge a little this morning while you were getting your tests run. The guy’s name is Ramsey, and once Valerie vouched for him, Logan and I decided not to hold anything back. Ramsey knows pretty much everything we know and suspect right now, and he agrees that keeping up the facade for Phelps is the way to go.”

“He knows about the embezzlement too?” Lena’s brows lifted.

“He knows that Phelps is suspected of embezzlement, which is why he’s considering him a flight risk. Their cyber and forensic accounting departments will be able to confirm it, but they’ll need you to sign off on that officially. Once that’s done, there will be no way to keep Phelps from knowing he’s under investigation.”

“I have a better idea, but we’ll get to that. First… Did Sean tell you he’s officially representing me at GC now?” She paused as he nodded in assent. “Good. I’m so grateful he stepped up to help when I was unconscious, but now he’ll be able to do more than observe. I need people in the room, Owen. Right now, it’s Phelps and whoever he’s got in his pockets. We don’t know if the embezzlement scheme is limited to him or if there are others in the company who were involved…”

Lena sighed, sick at the thought of potential enemies hidden in every nook and cranny of her father’s company. Owen squeezed her hand and waited for her to continue.

“There are very few people I trust right now, and you’re at the top of the list. I need you in the room… as acting CEO.”

His mouth fell open, and he stared at her wordlessly for several long moments. A dozen thoughts flew through his mind in that short span of time, and he chose the most coherent one to frame his response.

“Lena… You know I’ll help you in any way possible, but CEO? Are you serious?”

“Just for now. As soon as I’m able to work, I’ll relieve you, but there’s no one else I trust to do this,” she said firmly.

“I just don’t know that I’m ready for that. I’ve only been there as an intern for a few months. Who’s going to listen to me?” Owen ran a hand anxiously through his dark hair, trying to imagine himself in such a position.

“You can do it. I know you can.”

“How do you know that? And what makes you think anyone at GC is going to take me seriously?” His self-doubt made her frown, and Lena watched him speculatively for a moment before answering.

“There was a moment yesterday... when I saw a different side of you. You were more commanding than usual, like the natural dominance in your personality had pushed through whatever it is that’s been holding it back. You need to use that dominance, even if you have to fake it for a little while until it feels real.”

“Fake it till I make it,” he murmured. Story of my life. “I’ve always wanted to run a company, but I didn’t think I’d be doing it this soon.”

“Well, consider it a crash course, then. This is just temporary until I’m healthy enough to be there myself. As soon as I’m back, you can go on to do what you want to do. But I know you’re capable. I even told my dad…”

Her own words caught her off guard, and a fresh swell of grief crashed into her, scattering her thoughts like pebbles on a beach after a rogue wave. During that last, terrible conversation with Nate, she’d suggested that Owen take over instead of her. She’d been completely serious at the time, but now it seemed like a cruel joke. Her face crumpled as her throat tightened against the tears. Owen shushed her gently and stroked her cheek.

“I’m honored to have your trust and your confidence, baby. And of course I want to help you. Let’s… Let’s talk it out, okay? What about school?” he asked, trying to distract her from her emotional turmoil. He knew Lena found comfort in planning and organizing, and to his relief, she took a few deep breaths and seemed to come back to herself.

“We can talk to the university and see if you can finish your degree online. These are extenuating circumstances. GC can make a donation or something if need be, but letting you finish your classes by email isn’t going to cost the university anything. I’m sure we can work something out so you graduate on time.”

“And how about you? You still have two years left.” He’d been worried that she might try to take on school as well as GC and her physical recovery, but to his relief, she gave him a very different answer.

“I can’t worry about that right now. I’ve been in a coma through most of my spring break. If that’s not just cause for letting me withdraw from school even after the deadline, then I don’t know what is. I can go back and finish later, but I don’t care about that right now.

“We need to focus on getting everything squared away legally so Phelps can’t throw you out come Monday morning,” Lena told him. “Talk to Sean and see how quickly he can get the paperwork drawn up. And you’ll need to connect with Shirley, my dad’s personal assistant. She’ll know everything that was on his plate before…” Again, she couldn’t finish her statement, but Owen understood.

“I’ll talk to her,” he assured her soothingly. “Do you trust her?”

“I think so. I’m questioning just about everyone right now, but Shirley has always been very loyal to my dad. She’s been with him since before the merger, and she’s a no-nonsense kind of person. I can’t imagine that Phelps would’ve been able to get her on his side of anything. She never seemed to like him the way most people did, and I’ve always taken her to be a good judge of character.”

“Maybe you should have her come visit you here for a face-to-face. We can get a read on her together if you want. Tomorrow maybe, so she’s ready for battle on Monday.”

“That’s a good idea. She might even have some insights into Phelps too. She’s a sharp woman.” Lena took a breath and closed her eyes momentarily, mentally pushing against her relentless headache.

“I need you in every major meeting. Sean too. Phelps’ schedule should be on the mainframe, but I still want someone tailing him and reporting back to us. At least one person at all times. If he buys coffee or picks his nose in traffic, I want to know about it. If it looks like he’s going to run, whoever is on him has my permission to detain him by any means necessary. And while we’re at it, we should have someone on Madalyn too. If Phelps didn’t do this alone, then she would be the most likely accomplice, at least as far as the embezzlement goes.”

“I agree. That needs to be set up as soon as possible. Logan has checked on him a few times this week, usually at night after he leaves here, but he hasn’t been able to follow as closely as before. Phelps is staying at the Four Seasons, and he’s got two bodyguards on him now. We’ll probably need to hire someone new to tail him. After Cook, I really don’t trust anyone but Wyatt.”

What Owen didn’t tell her was that shortly after Cook had confessed his duplicity on Friday, Wyatt had given him a punch to the jaw he wasn’t likely to forget. Owen had been too caught up in the chaos of Lena’s return to consciousness to pay any mind to what the others had been doing at the time, but Logan had filled him in eventually. Neither had ever seen Wyatt even remotely angry, but Logan had remarked that if the bruising on Cook’s face was any indication of Wyatt’s loyalty, then they had nothing to worry about with him.

“Hire at least a half dozen. I don’t want any more bullshit about being spread too thin,” Lena said irritably, referring to the words Owen had relayed from Phelps’ last visit. “That means you too, but I don’t want a stranger in charge of your detail. I want to hire Logan.”

“Um…” Owen looked taken aback at the scenario she was suggesting. He and Logan were on better terms now than they’d ever been, but it still had the potential for awkwardness. “I don’t know that either of us would really be comfortable with—”

“I don’t care. Get to know each other better, and get over it. You’re in danger now too, just by being associated with me, and I’m about to elevate you to a position that threatens Phelps’ authority. I’m not taking chances with your safety.”

“What about you? We’re sure as hell not taking chances with your safety either. You trust Logan, so why not put him on your detail instead?”

“I’m in the hospital right now, and two of those new guards you hire will be hovering outside my door twenty-four hours a day until I’m out of here. That would be a waste of Logan’s talents. Once I’m released, we can re-examine things, but for now, I want you to have the best. And that’s Logan.”

Owen sighed but nodded reluctantly.

“Thank you,” Lena said, giving him a half smile that was almost teasing. “The rest of what I need should be a little easier on you.”

“Lay it on me,” he smirked playfully. “Should I be taking notes?”

“It wouldn’t hurt.”

“We should add finding you a PA to our to-do list.”

“You’ll do for now.”

“I already have a job.”

“You’ll manage,” she sassed. Lena felt lighter at the return of their banter, and for a few brief minutes, she clung to that familiarity in the face of how much everything else had changed.

“Again with the confidence. My ego is dangerously inflated. Alright, Ms. Gardner. What’s next?”

“I need a new cell phone, the contact information for Agent Ramsey, and a number for the Seattle Chief of Police. Someone needs to light a fire under their asses with this case.”

“Babe, it’s only been six days. A lot of their forensics testing can’t be rushed.”

“I know that, but a reminder of whose murder they’re investigating can’t hurt. If nothing else, I need regular status updates from them. You do too, but I hate feeling so out of the loop.”

“I’ve told you everything I know about what’s going on,” he promised. Lena’s determined frown relaxed a little.

“I know. I just hate having to rely on everyone else to take that bastard down. I keep thinking the next time anyone tells me anything, it’ll be that he’s disappeared and destroyed GC in the process, either with more theft or just plain sabotage. Which reminds me…” Her features lit up, and Owen raised a brow curiously. “I want you to hire your hacker friend immediately.”

His expression brightened as well, and he wanted to smack himself for not having thought of it sooner. Between worrying about Lena’s condition and everything else that had been going on, his previous idea of going to Declan Yates for help had completely slipped his mind.

“I don’t care what he wants to charge for his services, but we need him to start right away. Tell him he has full carte blanche, but he needs to come here first and sign a contract and an NDA. We have to make sure everyone’s asses are covered on this.”

“I’ll call him in a few minutes. He can probably get here as early as this afternoon. As I recall, Declan doesn’t have much of a social life,” Owen said with a hint of a smile. He hadn’t spoken to his former neighbor much since moving in with Lena, but they were still on friendly terms. He knew Declan would jump at the chance to take part in something like this. It was a chance to show off, to make money, and maybe even to help catch a criminal. It was precisely the sort of thing that got him excited about his work.

“You sure you don’t mind working for your girlfriend?” Lena asked, once again giving him that sassy smile.

“I hadn’t even thought of it that way,” Owen grinned. “But yes, I’m sure. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, Lena. If this is what you need, then I’m your man.”

As he said the words, his train of thought was derailed by a new realization. As her acting CEO, he would have to spend the majority of each day away from her until she was fit to come to work. She would need help in her recovery, and he’d wanted to be the one to see her through it. Now, they would have to hire someone to help her once she left the hospital until she was well enough to manage on her own. They would still have the evenings together, but even those would need to be dedicated to finishing up his classes.

Owen hadn’t left her side for more than a few minutes at a time since the hospital staff had first let him into her ICU room. Now, she was ordering him away. As much as he hated it, there was really no way around it, and with the end of his constant presence at her bedside came the end of something else as well. Now that Lena was awake and able to grant access to whomever she chose, there was no more need for the ruse of being engaged. The realization left him feeling hollow. As horrible as so much of the past week had been, calling Lena his fiancée had been a comfort to him. It felt right.

“What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly, having watched his emotions play across his handsome face. “You were somewhere else for a minute, and now you look sad.”

“I’m okay,” he smiled, squeezing her hand before bringing it to his lips.

“What is it?”

“Just…” he shrugged. “In spite of everything, it’s been really nice to be able to call you my fiancée this week. I’d never imagined something so simple could mean so much. I was so terrified I was going to lose you, but that one word brought me hope. It was damn near the only thing that did.”

Lena smiled empathetically and used her free hand to caress his face. He closed his eyes appreciatively, savoring her touch, while another part of his body registered the hard surface of the tiny velvet box that had been in his pocket for weeks. He removed it covertly, keeping it out of her line of sight. He’d wanted to make far grander plans than this, but he felt that if another day passed without his ring on her finger, he might just burst.

“You know… I’ve been planning to propose for months,” Owen confessed, watching Lena’s mouth fall open in shock. “I even asked Nate for his blessing. Logan too.”

“Owen…” she whispered, her eyes filling with fresh tears.

“This isn’t the way I wanted to ask, but…” He knelt on the floor next to her bed and held up the small box. “I can’t stand the thought of waiting another minute. I’ve loved you since the moment you looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes fifteen years ago. You placed your hand in mine and trusted me at a time when you didn’t trust anyone. And I’ve never felt more honored than I did in that moment until the day you told me you love me.”

Lena put her hand in his again, smiling through her tears. Owen opened the tiny box to reveal a stunning ring, and her breath caught in her chest at how utterly perfect it was for her. It was timeless and elegant. The cushion-cut diamond was the perfect size for her slender hand, and it sparkled brilliantly even in the low fluorescent light.

“You’ve always been the one bright light in my world,” he went on. “When my life was dark and frightening, it was the thought of you that calmed me. My Ellie. I dreamed of you, I wished for you… I loved you every day that we were apart, and I’ll love you every day for the rest of our lives. Will you honor me once again with your love and your trust? Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” The word burst from her lips with a sound that was part sob and part laughter. “I love you so much, Owen. I always have. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.”

The breath Owen had been holding left his lungs in a rush, and he rose to his feet, seizing her lips in a kiss that left her dizzy. He all but fell upon her, holding her as gently as possible so as not to cause her pain. She leaned into him, her lips still hungry for his, but Owen eased away from her cautiously.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

Lena shook her head and laughed quietly.

“Only you would propose to a woman confined to a hospital bed. God, I must look horrible. No makeup, part of my hair shaved off, my head bandaged up, broken bones—”

Owen stopped her words with a finger pressed firmly to her lips.

“You’re breathtaking. There will never come a day that I don’t find you absolutely stunning. No matter what happens, no matter what life throws at us… You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever known, and that will never change. That comes from here,” he told her, placing a hand over her heart. He leaned forward to press his lips to her forehead and murmured, “And here.”

Lena melted into him. Somehow, in the midst of so much chaos and tragedy, he’d managed to make her feel safe. Owen was her safety net, her sanctuary, her anchor.

Her constant.