Page 39 of Hidden Desire

“There’s no mistake, Sweetheart. I wanted to marry you.”

“Maybe, but not for the right reasons,” she said.

“What are you getting at?”

The phone rang behind her when she opened her mouth. She saw Robert look at it and scowl.

“Fuck, I have to take this, but I’m warning you that I’ll want answers to my questions later.”

Grace nodded. She wasn’t going to stay around for them, but he didn’t need to know that. She turned and walked out.

She made it to her old bedroom, where she started to pack the clothes she brought with her when she noticed the blood she had on her palms. She washed her hands, but a few of the deep cuts kept oozing.

When she got the bleeding mostly under control, shestarted to make notes for each of them. She called to the kitchen and asked Taylor if she could watch Hannah because Grace didn’t feel well.

“Of course. Please tell me if you need anything. I’ll come and check on you later,” Taylor said.

“No, that’s fine. It’s just a bad headache.”

“All right, but you can call me anytime.”

Grace blinked back her tears and sniffed. “Thank you. You’ve been the friend I’ve always dreamed of.”

“I treasure our friendship, too,” Taylor told her, making her feel even worse.

When she got off the phone, she reminded herself she was doing this to protect them, and that was more important than anything.

Grace read over each of the notes. She wrote an apology to Taylor because she would have to watch Hannah again while Robert found another nanny.

Hannah’s letter said that Grace had to go home and help her family, and if there were a way, she’d come visit her.

Robert’s was the hardest. She thanked him for his sacrifice, but it wasn’t worth it if her presence put Hannah in danger. She’d never forgive herself if Hannah got hurt because of her. She thanked him for the time she got to spend with them. She wanted to say so much about how she felt about him, but it just might complicate everything.

She slipped off the wedding ring and set it on Robert’s letter. She looked around one more time before she lifted her suitcase.

Grace made sure to go out the door to the garages. She looked around and didn’t see any of the security Robert talked about.

From there, she could walk to the street. Only when she was away from the house would she find a private place to callher father to come get her.

She looked around once more, turned, and left.

Chapter Eighteen

Robert got off the phone and relaxed. At least the last assignment he’d had was done. They found the people in charge and got the women they had back to their families.

He rubbed his forehead, and a headache started to throb. He knew it had nothing to do with the Society and everything to do with Grace. He wanted to know how she got the information. He hadn’t wanted her to know about her father’s threats. He didn’t want her to worry when he was taking care of it.

The last few days he’d been away from her, he hadn’t thought it would affect her, or he wouldn’t have participated. There were plenty of other men in the organization who could step in if needed. His only excuse was that he’d led the investigation, so he felt like he had to follow through.

Now, he knew he’d made a mistake because of the chasm between him and his wife, even after loving her the night before. He thought it would solidify their relationship and make it grew deeper. He already knew he loved her, but he was unsure how she felt.

Robert stood and went to find her, but hadn’t gotten to the door before his phone rang again.

“Hello?”

“Hey, man,” Rafe said. He was the man in charge of security around his house.

“What’s up?” Robert asked.