Page 106 of Redemption

“Yes.” Now that I no longer worked for Hudson, I could look for jobs anywhere.

There were private security companies based in London, and working at Hudson Security for the past fourteen years came with a cache of sorts. That said, any future employer might ask why I was leaving Hudson, and I was going to have to figure out how to handle that.

Just then, it got darker. It was strange, as if someone had applied a filter over the sun that made everything appear like it was twilight even though it was the middle of the day. The temperature dropped, and when I looked up in the sky, the moon had almost completely covered the sun.

“Oh my god.” Sloan’s voice was full of wonder.

I reached out and grabbed her hand, staring up at the sky and this amazing astronomical sight. As the moon continued on its path, the sun was completely covered, leaving only a bright ring around it. It was…incredible, truly.

I glanced over at Sloan and smiled. She was completely in awe of the eclipse, and I was enthralled by her.

“Good call on staying for this.” She gave my hand a squeeze.

We watched the rest in silence until, finally, the moment had passed and the sun was being revealed again.

“Okay,” Sloan said. “We’ll tell Greer when we’re in Puerto Rico. But only after we see how she’s doing.”

Okay. Wow. Part of me couldn’t believe she’d relented, even if she’d pushed to tell Greer about us in the past.

“Of course. It’s not like we’re going to spring it on her as soon as she lands.” Though, the idea was tempting, if only to be done with it. Rip off the Band-Aid, so to speak.

“And I think we should tell her together.”

“I agree,” I said. “Then we can answer any questions she might have.”

“Oh…” Sloan dragged a hand through her hair, and I sensed her nervousness from that one gesture. “I’m sure she’ll have questions.”

I didn’t care how many questions Greer had; I’d answer every one of them as long as she kept talking to us.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“You ready for this?” Jackson asked the following morning.

“As ready as I’m going to be.”

He gave my thigh a squeeze. “It’s over now. Okay?”

I rolled my lips between my teeth and nodded. Jackson had told me that the culprit had been apprehended but that he was waiting on details. We both were. I was relieved they’d caught the person behind the threats, but I dreaded finding out their identity and the reasons behind the notes.

“He can’t hurt you anymore. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

I’d needed that reassurance, more than I’d realized. Jackson always knew what I needed to hear.

I took a breath and pressed the button to connect the video conference. The LA boardroom came into view, the table surrounded by members of the board, a team from Hudson, and my brothers. Graham was sitting at the head of the table, flanked by Nate and Knox. Jasper joined us on the screen from London.

“Hey, Knox. Nate.” I smiled at them, trying to project a calmness I didn’t feel. Knox and Nate rarely attended board meetings. “This is a nice surprise.”

“Hey, Sloan.” Knox smiled. “We asked to be kept in the loop.” Instead of being annoyed like I might have been in the past, I was grateful. It was nice to know my family cared.

Sure, they could sometimes take things too far. But maybe I could keep more of an open mind regarding their suggestions in the future.

I greeted the board members and introduced Jackson before Hudson made their own introductions. When Jackson’s boss, Vaughn, stated his name, I tried to maintain a neutral expression. I didn’t want to do anything to call attention to my relationship with Jackson.

When we finally settled into the reason for the call, it was Vaughn who addressed everyone. “I’m happy to report that Hudson caught and apprehended the culprit.” A rumble of interest went through the room. “It was an employee named Sheldon Lansberger.”

I furrowed my brow. “One of the butlers?” I couldn’t believe he was behind the notes. Sheldon had been at the Huxley Grand London for years. I hadn’t known him well, but he’d always been polite. Professional. “You’re sure?”

“Our team caught him on camera then handed him over to the authorities.”