Seventeen

Three weeks later

Riley stepped into the elevator and brushed off his brother’s help. Bran had turned into a meddlesome thing, always standing over him and watching. “I’m fine.”

“Dude, you just got out of the hospital where you went through multiple surgeries.”

He had some serious new scars. He really did hope his particular chick dug scars.

Although his wife hadn’t come to the hospital to collect him. She’d come to visit him and she’d held his hand, but she’d treated him so gingerly he wasn’t sure if it had been about love or guilt.

Bran pressed the button to take them up to the penthouse.

“Are you going to tell me if Ellie’s moved out or not?” He didn’t look his brother’s way, merely stared straight ahead.

Bran sighed. “Yes. I’m sorry, Riley. She moved out a few days ago.”

He nodded to himself. “All right.”

It wouldn’t make a difference. As soon as he could pack, he would find a place as close to her as possible. He would start over and do it right this time.

“She said to tell you she was sorry she didn’t come to the hospital. She was surprised you were getting out today,” Bran explained.

“I know. I got the text.” She’d texted him that she wished him a happy trip home. He should have known then and there she wasn’t going to be waiting for him. “I also saw the news.”

“Yeah, I was going to get to that.”

“You can’t keep me out of the loop forever.” Bran, Drew, and Hatch had all been tight-lipped about Castalano and what happened after Ellie had shot him. He vaguely remembered Drew over Castalano’s body and prayed he wasn’t finishing the old bastard off. Not that he didn’t deserve it, but Riley didn’t want Drew to have that kind of blood on his hands.

He could still remember how Ellie hadn’t hesitated. She’d used up the gun when he’d no longer had the strength. She hadn’t fled as he’d asked her to. She’d stayed at his side and taken out that son of a bitch.

Who had managed to survive the three bullets she’d placed in him only to have a heart attack yesterday. The day before he was set to finally talk to police. His lawyer had wanted a plea deal in exchange for full disclosure of Castalano’s activities and his partners.

“I want to know everyone who went into and out of his hospital room,” Riley said.

“Case is already on it,” Bran replied. “Of course you know what Drew thinks.”

“Likely he thinks exactly what I do. Patricia Cain and whoever is left got to Castalano before he could talk. She knew there wasn’t anything about her on Stratton’s thumb drive since someone from the police department leaked what was on the drive.”

A systematic record of Castalano’s deals with foreign companies and governments to sell technology. He’d made millions. Unfortunately, he’d also spent it.

Lily Gallo had left proof behind, too. She’d left a document on her computer detailing everything she’d done to aid in setting up her boss. It was left to send out to Ellie and the police if she didn’t check in on her server every thirty-six hours.

Ellie was free and clear. And gone.

“You know she’s had a lot to do these last couple of weeks,” Bran said as though reading his mind.

The trip to the top of the building seemed endless. He would be going back down as soon as he could. He would march himself to her condo and ask her out. If she said no, he’d do it all over again tomorrow.

He couldn’t lose his wife. She was the most important person in the world to him.

“I know she’s needed to be at StratCast.”

“The whole company was in chaos and there were a ton of legal issues to deal with and her lawyer was on pain meds.”

“I still could have done it,” he argued.

“No.” Bran shook his head. “You’re the stubbornest man I know and that’s saying quite a bit. It used to be Drew, but now it is definitely you. Garrison’s friend did an excellent job. The stock has all been transferred to Ellie via the partnership agreement between Castalano and her father. It all came to her in case he died and had no heirs. Despite the fact that she doesn’t have to since he was under investigation for crimes at the time of his death, she wrote a substantial check to his widow.”

“That’s my Ellie.” She wouldn’t be able to stand the idea of the wife being impoverished. She’d always seemed mousy and quiet, like the kind of woman who had been ground down by life and a horrible husband.

“And she paid for Lily’s funeral,” Bran said quietly.

He was mad at Lily Gallo, but his anger meant nothing in the face of Ellie’s pain. “I wish I’d been there to hold her hand.”

“Drew and I took care of her.”

“I’m a little surprised she let you do that.” He’d expected she would pull away from them all.

The doors opened and Bran put a hand out to hold them. “She’s been very nice and more than a bit bossy about things. Drew got pissy at first, but then she pointed out that she kind of was the woman of the house. He might have said it was his damn house. That was when she threatened to take you and her amazing chocolate chip cookies with her. And that was when Drew decided he didn’t need to call it a war room anymore.”

Riley shook his head. “What?”

Drew was standing in the hallway, a wry smile on his face. “She took exception to the war room. She said she wasn’t allowing her children to be brought up in a home where there was a war room. So now my damn war room is being renovated.”

Bran held his hand up for a high five. “We’re getting a real live game room. Ellie’s geeking the whole place out.”

“Your wife is a pain in my ass,” Drew complained. “But I suppose she’s family so we’ll keep her. And you need to heal fast because her board is also a pain in my ass. I’ve signed over every share of my stock to you. You can deal with the fact that she’s decided to change the world through better management or some shit.”

Riley stopped, staring at Bran. “You told me she moved out.”

“Bran, you’re a mean shit,” Hatch said as he walked toward the elevator.

Bran grinned. “I am. Hey, I’m the little brother who never got to torture his older brothers. I have to make up for some seriously lost time. And the car is waiting for us. I have some amazing strip clubs on the menu for us tonight.”

Drew rolled his eyes as Hatch joined Bran. “I’ll be down in a minute. And we’re not going to a strip club. We’re going to a baseball game.”

“Oh, we’ll see what happens after,” Bran said with a mischievous grin.

The elevator doors closed and Drew put a hand on his shoulder. “You good?”

“I’m spectacular if my wife is still here and she’s fighting you on renovations. You know we can move.”

Drew shook his head. “Don’t. I’ve asked her to please stay. You two will be living here more often than the rest of us. Consider this place a wedding gift. I know eventually you’ll all move on, so let me have a little more time with my family. She did, however, move out of your room. I gave you two the master suite. She had that sucker redone in a week. I’ve never seen contractors work so fast. Apparently I like to live in a cave. Ellie likes the light. I think she’s going to be very good for you, brother.”

“For all of us if you let her. Have you thought about settling down?”

Drew stepped away. “Don’t. Don’t try to go there. I like Ellie, but you need to know I’m not getting married. I’m not having children.”

“Why?” He knew if he’d been asked the same question two months before he likely would have said the same thing Drew had. But now, with Ellie, the possibility of the future dangled in front of him like a ripe fruit he wasn’t about to let go of. “You can have a future, Drew.”

“Only if I let go of the past, and I’ll never do that.” The elevator doors opened again. “I’m going to take down Patricia Cain. I’ll leave all of you out of it, but I won’t rest until she’s in jail or dead. And I will find out who betrayed us.”

The doors closed and he was left alone. Except he was never really alone. Not ever again.

Though he ached for his brother, he needed to see her. She was the light in his life.

He turned down the hallway that led to the master suite.

When he stepped inside, he could see that Ellie had transformed his brother’s brooding masculine cave into something bright and lovely. The living area of the suite was now a beautiful yellow. It was sunny. Like his Ellie.

“They told me you wouldn’t be here for another hour.” She was dressed in a pair of jeans that hugged her curves and a T-shirt, her feet bare. It was obvious she’d been moving things around, trying to get everything perfect.

For him. How could he tell her that the simple fact she was in a room made it perfect?

“My brothers lied. They told me you had moved out.”

She stopped in front of him, her hands coming up to cup his face. “Now, why would I do that?”

He could think of a few reasons. “I lied to you. I betrayed you.”

“You used to be a different man. Now you’re better. You were a bit of a fixer-upper, but then my own father was a murderous tyrant, so you’re really a step up for me.”

“Say it.” He needed to hear the words. He loved how sassy she was, how funny and smart, but now he simply needed to hear the words from her mouth. “Please.”

“I love you, Riley.”

He leaned over to kiss her. “I love you, Ellie. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it. Starting with christening this room. I don’t think this room has seen action in forever.”

Because big brother hadn’t figured out that there were more important things to life than revenge.

“Whoa,” she protested. “Did you forget the surgeries?”

No way she was getting out of this. He kissed her again, fully satisfied when she sagged against him. “You’ll have to be gentle with me, then. After all, you are the boss, Madam CEO. I’m a lowly lawyer.”

She laughed and went on her toes. “I think you know I have a gentle hand. Let’s see what we can do.”

He let her lead him back to the bedroom. It was past time to get started on a new generation of Lawless kids.

That was a plan he was sure his father would approve of.