Finally. And your secrets are safe with me.”
He flinched slightly at that. “Are you sure? I’m no saint. What if I told you that a lot of the rumors are true about how I made my first fortune?” he asked bitterly. “I
am
guilty of colluding for gain when I was eighteen years old. I’d have done almost anything to make myself powerful.”
“It’s not too surprising, given how helpless Emmitt and even Jefferies must have made you feel. You bribed Jefferies, didn’t you? You threatened to expose his violent, illegal sex practices and love of young prostitutes to the press, his wife, or both. He offered you inside information on that breakthrough diabetes drug, and you took the information in exchange for your silence. You did it in one desperate last-ditch effort to climb above all the chaos, evil, dysfunction, and helplessness that you couldn’t seem to escape, even when you’d
thought
you had by gaining Jefferies’s patronage and friendship. And you succeeded because of your own brilliance and savvy. Afterward, you did everything in your power to wipe the taint of your one sin clean. You washed your hands of Jefferies. Then you sought out Regina Morrow—and any other victims of greed and sadism that you could reach—and you tried to save as many of them as you could.”
She noticed his incredulous glance at the evenness and calmness of her tone.
“Did you really think I’d be shocked, Jake?” she asked, shaking her head. She reached up and touched his face, tracing the miracle in every chiseled line. He reached up and covered her hand with his. Her breath hitched. “I told you I know you, in and out. I’m starting to get just why it was so important to you to rise above your past. Like I said before, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Unless you or Clint Jefferies comes forward and confesses about why he gave you insider information, I don’t see how a case could ever be reopened by the SEC. And I’m starting to really get just how hard you’ve worked to make up for the way you rose to power. All the charities, and the job fairs . . . the way you helped women like Elizabeth and Ellie and Regina. Especially Regina. I
get
it now. I realize how guilty you felt as a boy, for not being able to save her from Emmitt, like you saved me.”
His expression turned stony at that, but his eyes shone with emotion. She touched his jaw and then his brow, pouring so much love in every caress. He was so big, and so strong, and so powerful . . . and he didn’t fully get that.
Still.
“Do you remember what I told you about Mrs. Roundabout?” she whispered.
He didn’t reply. She saw his throat convulse, and thought maybe he couldn’t.
“I told you that you had nothing to do with her death or the cruelty she knew while she was alive. Emmitt was solely responsible for that. Did you believe me when I said that, when we were kids?”
“Yes,” he said, his stare on her unflinching.
She stepped closer and encircled his waist with her arms. “This is the same. Emmitt and Jefferies, and so many like them, were responsible for the tragedy of Regina’s life. You did what you could to help her. I know she must have had some happy moments, amidst all her suffering. You were the one to help her have those. You took her away from a life of degradation. Those were huge things. But there was nothing else you could do,” she whispered, looking up at him, entreating him to understand. “You were brave and kind and so generous. But Regina was hurt too badly, Jake.”
She felt the slight give in his solid body. She hugged him tighter to her, absorbing the grief he felt not only for Regina, but for the loss of the boy he’d once been.
A moment later, he lifted his head and spread his hands at the small of her back. She looked up at him, and he solemnly kissed her mouth.
“I’ll ask Jim to come back and stay the night here, just to make sure Elizabeth is okay. Let’s you and I go home,” he said
He flinched slightly at that. “Are you sure? I’m no saint. What if I told you that a lot of the rumors are true about how I made my first fortune?” he asked bitterly. “I
am
guilty of colluding for gain when I was eighteen years old. I’d have done almost anything to make myself powerful.”
“It’s not too surprising, given how helpless Emmitt and even Jefferies must have made you feel. You bribed Jefferies, didn’t you? You threatened to expose his violent, illegal sex practices and love of young prostitutes to the press, his wife, or both. He offered you inside information on that breakthrough diabetes drug, and you took the information in exchange for your silence. You did it in one desperate last-ditch effort to climb above all the chaos, evil, dysfunction, and helplessness that you couldn’t seem to escape, even when you’d
thought
you had by gaining Jefferies’s patronage and friendship. And you succeeded because of your own brilliance and savvy. Afterward, you did everything in your power to wipe the taint of your one sin clean. You washed your hands of Jefferies. Then you sought out Regina Morrow—and any other victims of greed and sadism that you could reach—and you tried to save as many of them as you could.”
She noticed his incredulous glance at the evenness and calmness of her tone.
“Did you really think I’d be shocked, Jake?” she asked, shaking her head. She reached up and touched his face, tracing the miracle in every chiseled line. He reached up and covered her hand with his. Her breath hitched. “I told you I know you, in and out. I’m starting to get just why it was so important to you to rise above your past. Like I said before, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Unless you or Clint Jefferies comes forward and confesses about why he gave you insider information, I don’t see how a case could ever be reopened by the SEC. And I’m starting to really get just how hard you’ve worked to make up for the way you rose to power. All the charities, and the job fairs . . . the way you helped women like Elizabeth and Ellie and Regina. Especially Regina. I
get
it now. I realize how guilty you felt as a boy, for not being able to save her from Emmitt, like you saved me.”
His expression turned stony at that, but his eyes shone with emotion. She touched his jaw and then his brow, pouring so much love in every caress. He was so big, and so strong, and so powerful . . . and he didn’t fully get that.
Still.
“Do you remember what I told you about Mrs. Roundabout?” she whispered.
He didn’t reply. She saw his throat convulse, and thought maybe he couldn’t.
“I told you that you had nothing to do with her death or the cruelty she knew while she was alive. Emmitt was solely responsible for that. Did you believe me when I said that, when we were kids?”
“Yes,” he said, his stare on her unflinching.
She stepped closer and encircled his waist with her arms. “This is the same. Emmitt and Jefferies, and so many like them, were responsible for the tragedy of Regina’s life. You did what you could to help her. I know she must have had some happy moments, amidst all her suffering. You were the one to help her have those. You took her away from a life of degradation. Those were huge things. But there was nothing else you could do,” she whispered, looking up at him, entreating him to understand. “You were brave and kind and so generous. But Regina was hurt too badly, Jake.”
She felt the slight give in his solid body. She hugged him tighter to her, absorbing the grief he felt not only for Regina, but for the loss of the boy he’d once been.
A moment later, he lifted his head and spread his hands at the small of her back. She looked up at him, and he solemnly kissed her mouth.
“I’ll ask Jim to come back and stay the night here, just to make sure Elizabeth is okay. Let’s you and I go home,” he said
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