Chapter Fourteen

Leo

Everyone had cleared out of my office, leaving just me and Apollo. I leaned back in my chair, watching him settle into one of the large seats in front of my desk. He had that look on his face—the one where I could tell his mind was working overtime. He wasn’t the kind of guy who hesitated often, but something about this whole thing with Candace had him on edge.

“You really think this is going to work?” Apollo finally asked, his gaze fixed on me.

I shrugged, leaning back a little further. “We’re closer to her than we’ve ever been since we figured out Candace was the one behind all of this.”

Apollo nodded slowly. “Not wrong about that.”

I studied his expression. He was usually all-in, with no hesitation when it came to making moves, but something had him holding back. “What’s got you hesitating?” I asked.

Apollo shrugged, his hands clasped together in front of him. “It’s all just happening pretty fucking fast. I never thought in a million years Brynn would be at the center of us taking Candace down. Hell, I didn’t even think we’d see her again, let alone have her staying here at Wyndemere.”

“Yeah, but you know as well as I do that sometimes life throws you a curveball, and you just have to swing.”

I never thought any of this would happen, either. Brynn had been a ghost from my past, a part of my life I never expected to cross paths with again. But here she was, right in the thick of things.

“A week ago,” I continued, “I was resigned to the fact that Brynn had her life in South Carolina, and I was never going to be a part of it again. Ever.”

Apollo raised a brow. “And now?”

I shook my head. “I was wrong.”

Apollo leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. He was quiet for a moment before asking the question that had probably been on his mind since this all started. “So what happens with Brynn after all of this is over?”

I turned my chair toward the window, staring out at the grounds of Wyndemere. The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow across the lawn, and I imagined what life would be like once this whole mess with Candace was done. “I can tell you this much—it isn’t going back to us not seeing each other for another twenty years.”

Apollo nodded, but I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for more. “Yeah, I picked up on that. She feels the same way?”

A smug smile pulled at my lips as I recalled last night in the kitchen. The heat between us, the taste of her lips. “If last night in the kitchen is any indication, yeah, I’d say we’re on the same page.”

Apollo let out a low chuckle. “Even after everything that happened?”

That was the sticking point, wasn’t it? The past. Brynn and I had a lot of history—some of it good, some of it complicated as hell. We hadn’t really talked about any of it. Just pushed it to the side because there were bigger things to handle right now.

“We haven’t hashed out the past,” I admitted, my voice low. “We haven’t talked about what went wrong, why things ended the way they did. If that conversation doesn’t go well, maybe Brynn and I won’t be back together.” I sighed, the weight of that possibility hanging heavy in the air. “We’re taking it slow. With all this shit going on with Candace, we’re both focused on that for the most part.”

Apollo gave me a knowing look, his lips curling into a grin. “Except for last night in the kitchen.”

I glared at him, knowing exactly where this was going.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his grin widening. “You forget we’ve got twenty-four-hour surveillance around here, and guess who was on duty last night?”

I stared at him, trying to keep my expression neutral, but inside, I was kicking myself. I hadn’t thought about the damn cameras. Not for a second. All I could think about last night was Brynn.

“And I’m assuming the cameras in the kitchen were down last night for a little bit?” I asked, my voice dry.

Apollo chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, yeah. They were. Just for about twenty minutes, though. Must have been a glitch.”

I shook my head, biting back a smile. “I wasn’t exactly thinking about the cameras last night, man,” I confessed.

“No shit,” Apollo laughed, leaning back in his chair again. “I figured you had other things on your mind.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, a grin tugging at my lips. “Like tasting Brynn.”

Apollo’s laughter filled the room, and the tension between us eased. But I knew the serious question still lingered, unspoken.

After a beat, he looked at me, his laughter fading into something more thoughtful. “You’ve been haunted by her for a long time, Leo. Even when you were trying to move on, she was always there, wasn’t she?”

I didn’t say anything, but he wasn’t wrong. Brynn had always been a part of my thoughts, even when I tried to bury it, move on, live my life without her. She’d never really left me.

Apollo ran a hand over his face, then leaned forward again. “Listen, man, I just want to know that this is really what you want. After everything that’s happened—the years apart, the way things ended—are you sure about this?”

I met his gaze, my voice steady as I answered. “Yeah. I’m sure. I’ve never been surer about anything.”

Apollo studied me for a long moment, then slowly nodded. “Alright, then.”

I could tell he wasn’t going to press any further, but his loyalty to me meant he had to ask. I appreciated it, even if it wasn’t something I needed right now.

“As long as you’re happy,” Apollo said, his tone lighter now. “And if being with Brynn is what you want, then go for it.”

I didn’t say anything at first, just looked at him, feeling the weight of what we’d been through over the years. Apollo was like a brother to me, always watching my back, always pushing me when I needed it. His blessing, if you could call it that, meant something.

“I appreciate that,” I said quietly. “And yeah, she’s what I want.”

Apollo stood up, stretching a little before making his way to the door. “Then make sure you don’t fuck it up,” he said with a grin.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll do my best.”

He opened the door, pausing for a moment to look back at me. “You know,” he said, his voice softer now, “it’s good to see you like this. I think… I think she’s good for you, Leo.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded. Apollo gave me one last smile before stepping out, closing the door behind him.

As I sat there in the quiet of my office, I let out a long breath. Everything was in motion. Candace was within reach, Brynn was back in my life, and for the first time in years, I felt like maybe things were falling into place.

But there was still a long way to go. Candace wasn’t down yet, and Brynn and I had a lot of unresolved history to sort through.

But for now? I’d take it. Because being this close to Brynn again… well, that was something I wasn’t willing to let slip through my fingers. Not this time.