24. Alex

Chapter 24

Alex

C losing the bedroom door behind me, I lean against it and blow out a long breath. I suppose I should be grateful he's here; I'm falling for her harder by the minute. If I stay for the rest of the trip, I'll never give her up. Just seeing him here has me wanting to steal her away, never looking back.

What am I saying? I'll never give up Jaclyn.

She may remain legally married to him, but she's my wife.

Fuck. This.

As I'm about to storm into the room and tell my brother to give up the woman I love, a slew of vibrations in my pocket stop me. Taking out my phone, I find several messages from Finn Gallagher.

Finn Gallagher

As you have discovered, your brother decided to pay you a visit.

Get back to Washington so we can hash out the details.

Mickey is fucking pissed.

I reluctantly shoot off a quick reply, letting him know I'm on my way. As much as I loathe being tied to the Gallaghers more than I already am, I need to ensure Jaclyn's safety.

Chris' clothes are long gone, and while I love the idea of leaving him with nothing to wear, I'll enjoy him not fitting in my clothes more. I take out a fresh pair of shorts, boxer briefs, and a tee, then strip out of my clothes I went running in to take the fastest shower of my life.

Once I'm showered and dressed, I grab my phone and scroll through my contacts. How do I not have her number? Taking a quick glance around, I spot a small pad of paper and a pen with the resort logo. I rush across the room and pull the cap off with my teeth.

I meant what I said, princess. You're mine. If you need anything, I'll take care of it.

346-555-1234

I bring the pen to the cap that's still between my teeth, then toss it onto the table. Ripping the paper from the pad, I begin to fold it, but I do a double take of the logo. At second glance, there's a small snake wrapped around the palm trees.

Snake ?

It's odd for Hawaii. Shaking away the thought, I fold the paper and tuck it in my pocket. With a final survey of the room, I walk out, finding Jaclyn sitting rigidly at the table, her ankles crossed, and it's as if all the warmth I've come to love about her has left. She looks ready for a job interview, not like a wife enjoying coffee with her husband. I shake my head with a small chuckle as I move closer.

Chris' voice is low, and I'm unable to make out what he's saying by lip reading, but his eyes are pained. Hope fills my chest that she's not forgiving him for what he did, as if I could be so lucky.

"Hey, pri— Jaclyn , I seem to have misplaced my ereader. Have you seen it?" I pull the paper out of my pocket, keeping it hidden in my palm.

"Is it in the car?" Jaclyn asks curiously. "I think you took it on the waterfall tour."

We didn't see the waterfalls; that was on today's agenda. Perhaps my little wife has more fight in her than I give her credit for. Without waiting for a reply, she stands and rushes into the kitchen. I'm able to discreetly slide the paper into her hand as she passes me. Jaclyn squeezes mine for a fraction of a second before releasing me, taking the note and pocketing it as she grabs the car keys.

"I'll be right back," she announces.

As soon as the door closes, I growl at Chris, "If you dare cheat on her again, you'll find yourself in another accident ."

"Is that a threat?" he laughs, making his way into the kitchen to dump his coffee in the sink. While he's generally getting around okay, there's a bit of a limp.

"A fucking promise. She's too good for you." My voice booms enough to echo through the villa. "She's Mozart and you're… Well, you're a four-year-old with a keyboard. You'll ruin her."

"Aw, do you have a crush on my wife? I can't say I blame you; she's beautiful."

"She's my wife more than she's yours," I spit. "I stood at the altar with her, swearing to love, protect, and cherish that perfect woman until my last breath. I'm a man of my word. If you hurt her, I'll fucking end you. I don't give a fuck that we're family."

"And how do you intend to do that?"

I cock an eyebrow and reply, "Who do you think cleaned up your accident? Mickey will be all too happy to take care of a second one." His eyes widen. I may have hopped across the aisle, but the Gallagher brothers have no issue with politicians on both sides in their pocket. I'll do whatever it takes to keep Jaclyn safe from him. No matter the cost.

My phone vibrates, and I check it, keeping one eye on Chris.

Unknown

If I'm Wolfgang, you're my Constanze .

I try my hardest not to laugh at Jaclyn's eavesdropping as I stuff it in my pocket.

"You're right about one thing," I tell Chris loudly enough that she'll hear, "I care about Jaclyn. Get your shit together and make her happy." I bite my lip as a smirk tugs at the corner of my mouth. "Or I will."

The front door opens, and both of us turn to the sound. My brother's behavior has my blood boiling, but the mere sight of her grounds me. "Sorry, Alex. No sign of the ereader. Maybe we left it somewhere here, or on a hiking trail somewhere? If we find it, I'll mail it to you."

"Thanks for checking. Don't worry about replacing it; I'm sure I can buy a new one somewhere before my flight. I was in the middle of a memoir that I was enjoying a bit too much." Jaclyn draws her lips into her mouth for a moment, stifling a laugh. "Well, I best be off."

This is it. This is where I lose her.

At least for now…

I take the wallet with the fake ID and credit cards in my name, even though I still have my own, and swallow thickly. My heart is already aching for her, and I haven't even left. I was always supposed to walk away, but was foolish to think it would be easy.

Making my way to the door, quickened footsteps follow, and I turn to Jaclyn barreling into me, wrapping her arms around my middle. I hold her close, not giving a shit what Chris might think, and kiss the top of her head as I whisper, " Make him watch the whole series. It's the wet tunic, or nothing."

She sobs a laugh into my chest. "Damn it, Alex. I'm falling in lo?—"

"No, princess, don't you dare fucking say it." With Chris approaching, I release her. "I'll always be here for you. Enjoy your honeymoon."

I can't get out of the villa fast enough, and, fuck , leaving her with him doesn't just hurt; I can't seem to unclench my fist long enough to open the car door. With my jaw tight, I take a deep breath through my nose, unlocking the door on my exhale.

As I take a final glance at the front entry, a stupid part of me begs for her to chase after me. I finally fling open the car door and slide in. It takes several minutes before I'm calm enough to start it.

Checking the rearview mirror, sure enough, there's a damn wheelchair. There is no way in hell I'm going to use it. Chris was in an accident, and he's not experiencing any mobility issues; there's no reason why my fake accident wouldn't have me walking around.

If it ever got out that I pretended I needed a wheelchair, I'd never live it down. Ben, one of the guys in my virtual running group, has a prosthetic leg. I'm sure he would fly his billionaire British ass all the way here just to lecture me… and maybe also a well-deserved punch to the face .

I roll the windows down and drive to the airport, wanting the sweet Hawaiian air in my lungs as long as possible. When I'm almost there, I roll them up to call Ned wanting to see what he knows about all of this, but there's an incoming call from Ileah. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I answer, "Hello?"

"Alex! You're okay! We heard about your accident. Tim and I were so worried when you missed the wedding."

"Oh, right, yes. The accident." Fuck, I hate lying to my friends. "I'm all right. Thank you."

"Sorry we haven't called sooner. We figured you were still recovering. That's not why I'm calling, though."

"Is everything okay with Tim?"

She chuckles nervously. "Yes, he's great. But I'm wondering if you could tell me what you know about Mickey Gallagher. I know he endorsed you… and you didn't accept his campaign contribution. He offered to donate to Tim's campaign. Between you and me, the Gallaghers seem sort of… shady ." It comes out almost as a question.

I bark a laugh, but my friends wouldn't be getting involved with the Gallaghers unless… "Ileah, are you in trouble?"

"Oh my gosh, no! I just thought it was strange that he approached me and not Tim, that's all. Forget I said anything… So, are you back in Houston? Or still in D.C.? "

Taking the exit for the airport, I don't have time to probe further about Mickey. "Sorry to do this, but I'm almost at my destination. Can I call you or Tim later?"

"Of course. So glad you're doing okay. I'll tell Tim you said hello."

"Okay." I huff a small laugh. "Talk to you soon."

We hang up, and I call Ned, who picks up on the first ring, "Hello, Mr. Blake. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You failed to mention Chris was on his way to Hawaii, Ned ," I growl.

"It seems your brother doesn't listen to Daddy Blake." He lets out a long sigh. "Meet with Mickey and Finn. They'll decide what to do about the face-fucker." Ned pauses again. "I don't think the accident is all you have to worry about."

I pull into the lot for the rental cars, one of the attendants waving me down. "I'll see them tomorrow."

This charade ends right fucking now .