Chapter 20

The beach house looked like every other house in the row of structures built facing the Atlantic Ocean, less than seventy-five yards from their back doors. Regan had pored over the blueprint of the home, making certain of the different escape routes that Scott may have. Now, as she stared at the home, she noted the beams it stood on as a precaution against the raging waters of the hurricane seasons in Florida. It had two floors, and there was a set of steps leading up to the front door.

Pushing open the door of her car, she stepped out and glanced over as an unmarked police car parked behind hers. Three officers got out, two male, one female. They hurried over to stand with her.

“Well, Agent Daniels, are we just going to knock on the door and see if he’s home?” one of the officers wondered.

Regan looked up at the house and shook her head. “We’re going to try that route first. Slap the warrant in his face. Hopefully, he’ll let us in without a fight. If not, we’ll have to break down the door.”

“Weapons drawn?”

Though she hated the idea of having to use her weapon, she knew it was safer to have it with her and ready. She’d never had to use it before and hoped today would not be the day she would break that record. But she nodded to the officer who’d inquired.

“Everyone. Any questions?” At the shake of heads, she pulled the warrant out of her pocket and started towards the house. “I want two of you covering the back entrance, and the other one with me. The only way out, besides the front door, is the back door. We’re going to trap him if he tries to run.”

“And if he’s armed and tries to take himself and the hostage out because he’s cornered?”

Regan turned to the officer who’d asked. She blinked once. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

With that, she gestured two officers to the back of the house and was left with a cop, late thirties, she judged, but with a strong build and clear, focused eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Cross,” he answered. “Detective Cross.”

Regan nodded. “Okay, Detective Cross. I need to know that you’ll watch my back while I watch yours in this. If anything should go wrong, I’ll need you to make sure Mrs. Littrell is safe. Report back to her husband and my superiors ASAP.”

His gaze held hers. “We’ll be okay. Let’s just do this.”

Regan blew out a breath and acknowledged the adrenaline coursing through her. If Scott and Sienna weren’t here, she was out of ideas and places to look. This was it. She tried not to see Brian in her mind’s eye and focused on the picture of Sienna she’d stared at for countless hours in her files. She was going to get the woman home, come hell or high water.

“What’s your favorite movie?”

AJ’s voice popped up, unbidden in her mind. Where had that come from? She had a feeling about what was about to happen, and his question that she’d been unable to answer from several days before suddenly reappeared. What if she never had a chance to tell him the answer? It suddenly became imperative that he know, and Regan realized she was more nervous than she’d thought she’d be and starting to become hysterical. Swallowing anxiety, she reminded herself that she’d be back to see AJ soon. Just a little bit longer, and all this will be over, she told herself. She and Sienna would go back, and life would move on. She just had to get through the next few minutes.

Raising her hand, Regan knocked on the door. Within moments, it opened.

***

“What do you think is happening, right this moment?” Brian asked Nick. He couldn’t sit still and paced as he watched his daughters chase after the geese in the park.

Nick shrugged and shifted Luke so the baby’s attention was on the butterfly fluttering around him. “I don’t know, Brian. But, whatever happens, you know Regan’s going to bring Sienna home. She promised you that, and she doesn’t seem the type to break those promises.”

“I know, but I just can’t help but think of all the things that could go wrong.” He smiled sheepishly. “I guess I can’t help but play devil’s advocate in my own mind.”

“Try not to,” Nick advised him. “Just think: tonight, Sienna’s going to finally be home and out of danger. And Scott? Well, he’ll be”

“Dead,” Brian spoke in a cold voice. One Nick had only ever heard him use when he spoke of Lou Pearlman. “If he’s not dead, then I’ll make it my life’s mission to make him that way. I know,” he shook his head, knowing Nick’s reaction, “it’s wrong of me to think that, but he stole my family and caused all of them fear and pain. I can’t bring back the last month and a half with them—he stole that from me. So, whatever God has planned for him, I hope it doesn’t include living a long, happy life.”

Nick sighed. “Whatever happens, everything will turn out okay in the end.”

Brian watched as Serena held out a flower to a goose that waddled away from the toddler. “It better.”

***

Scott had dyed his hair from deep blond to a black, and his brown eyes showed confusion as his gaze darted from Regan to Cross.

“I’m sorry, I just don’t understand. What’s going on?” he asked Regan in innocent tones. She didn’t buy it. She’d heard the same from other cornered criminals.

She held up the warrant. “Mr. Thompson, we have been authorized by this county to search the premises of this property. Unless you’d like to bring Sienna Littrell out here, we will enter this house—forcibly.”

Regan could see the instant the innocent act was dropped. Scott straightened up, a malicious gleam in his eye.

“You’re not getting in. Sienna’s mine. Mine.” The door slammed in their faces.

Regan knocked on it again and, with no answer, she called out in a loud tone. “Scott Thompson, open this door or we will be forced to break it down. At the count of three, one…” There was no sound from the house. “Two…” Regan looked over at her partner, who drew his piece out its holster. “Three!”

Regan drew her weapon, and, pulling back, both she and Cross slammed their feet through the door. It came unhinged, and they went in together. Scanning the living room and dining room, she couldn’t hear a single sound and motioned for Cross to go upstairs while she searched the first floor. She went through the stylishly decorated living room to the comfortable-looking den. There was no one in sight and no sound could be heard. Then, she walked into the kitchen and stopped.

Scott stood, his own gun drawn and placed at Sienna’s temple. Regan ignored him for a moment while she took in the other woman’s physical appearance. Both eyes were blackened and swollen so the hazel was barely visible. A bruise bloomed black and purple along her jawbone, which matched the bruising that was visible on her forearms. Regan felt the fury pump through her veins at the helplessness Sienna exuded. She’d managed to save her children but at a painful cost to herself.

Reminding herself that she was here to save Sienna, Regan held her ground and met Scott’s eyes.

“Let her go, Scott,” she said calmly, though her heart was bounding in her throat.

Scott shook his head slowly. “You’re that FBI agent, aren’t you? The one who’s been living with Brian for the last month. And look,” his eyes appraised her, “she’s pretty, too. Bet your husband was real faithful with her around,” he taunted Sienna. Sienna didn’t even flinch, causing Regan to wonder exactly to what extent Scott had destroyed her spirit.

“There’s no point in drawing this out, Scott. You have to let her go. The house is surrounded, so you could get out of here and still have no place to go. Give it up,” Regan urged again, knowing it wouldn’t be that easy.

He jammed the gun against Sienna’s temple again. “If I can’t get out, then I won’t. I’ll die and take her with me. Where she belongs.”

Regan shook her head. “She doesn’t belong with you. She has her own life, one that stopped being connected with yours a long time ago. So put down the gun, and no one’ll get hurt.”

Detective Cross stepped into the kitchen behind Regan and, taking in the scene, moved to stand with Regan, his gun trained on Scott.

“Well, now,” Scott shook his head. “Seems to me, you don’t play fair, Agent Daniels. I have one gun, but you’ve got two. That’s not very nice, is it?”

Regan didn’t move her gaze from him but spoke to Cross. “Lower your weapon, Cross. Just do it.”

“Good.” Scott smiled. “Now, we’re even again. Though, I’m going to get bored with all this standing around shit. Let’s see some FBI tricks.”

“I don’t think so. Why don’t you tell me how you managed to get Sienna and her children away from their home?” she asked instead.

Scott shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if I tell you. You already know where I worked and how I had access to all the accounts. It was a piece of cake to change everything around. No big deal, and I had my woman back.”

Regan nodded. “Very clever of you.”

“Damn straight.” His teeth flashed in what barely passed as a triumphant smile in Regan’s book. More of a beastly snarl, she thought.

Knowing Scott would indeed get bored soon and do something drastic, she wracked her mind for ideas. Her gaze lowered to Sienna for a moment, and an idea formed.

Looking back up at Scott, she smiled. “So, your parents owned all this property, huh? Why didn’t you ever switch it under your name? Give yourself more money, more power. Your parents left you enough to keep you financially solvent for the rest of your life without you having to work. Instead, you worked a crap job at the military base and were fired. You didn’t have to go through all that, you know.”

“I know. But,” Scott began to run through all his reasons. Just as Regan had figured he would. He needed his ego stroked, and she’d done that in order to distract him.

She looked back at Sienna and caught her gaze. No, Regan realized, her spirit was not broken. She could see the determination in Sienna’s eyes and smiled slightly. Trying to communicate with the other woman, Regan hoped Scott wouldn’t notice that she was no longer paying any attention to him.

Sienna thought she knew what Regan was trying to tell her. Anything, Sienna thought. She would do anything if she could just be free from Scott’s clutches. That morning, she’d woken knowing that if she didn’t escape soon, she would end it all herself. As strong as she tried to be, the fight had gone out of her. Her body was a mess of bruises and pain, and Sienna had run out of reasons to live another day in the hell that Scott had created for her. Now, as she tried to read what was in the FBI agent’s eyes, she tried to muster the energy it would take to pull it off. If it didn’t work—no, Sienna stopped herself. She pictured Brian and their children, the love she felt for them, and how badly she needed to get back to them. If for no one else, she would do it for them. Her courage returning, she gritted her teeth.

When Sienna nodded slightly, Regan made sure Scott was still focusing on himself. The gun in his hand was no longer trained on his hostage. She nodded back to Sienna and waited for the plan to play itself out.

With no warning, Sienna pulled her leg up behind her and hit hard. Scott doubled over from shock and pain as Sienna yanked out of his hold and ran. Instead of being completely disabled, Scott held one hand to his groin and aimed the gun at Sienna.

Regan saw his finger on the trigger. “Drop the gun, Scott!”

His attention, and gun arm, shifted from Sienna to Regan, and the sound of gunshots exploded in the kitchen.

***

There was an itch between his shoulder blades, and it was bothering him. There was no reason to be worried, he repeated to himself. She would be fine, she would come back, and everything would be fine.

“Are you okay, Alex?”

AJ looked over at Jordan, who sat across the table from him. Watchful gray eyes studied him, and AJ forced himself to smile.

“Yeah,” he smiled, “everything’s fine. Here, try a cookie.” He lifted one off the tray that sat between them. “I think they’re cooled now.”

Jordan nodded and, taking the cookie from AJ, chewed and watched the older man solemnly. AJ wondered what an eight year old could possibly be thinking behind that look. He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

“Do you love my mom?”

AJ nearly choked on the cookie he’d swallowed. “What?”

“Do you love my mom?” Jordan repeated.

AJ tried to think of a safe way out but settled for the truth. “Yeah. Yeah, I love your mom,” he sighed.

Jordan nodded. “Are you going to marry her?”

The question froze AJ. Had he ever thought of marriage? He loved her, yeah, but had he ever thought as far down the line as marriage? They’d only known each other a month, but sometimes that’s all it took, he reminded himself. He tried to think of his life ten years down the line, and there they were. Regan and Jordan were in his mental picture. Where they belonged, AJ realized.

He smiled at Jordan. “I’m going to try to convince her to marry me. Think I have a chance?”

“She likes you. A lot,” Jordan told him. “Will you send me away when you marry her?”

AJ frowned. “What? Why would I do that? You’re half the reason why I want to marry her. You and your mom are a package deal, Jordan. I won’t take one without the other, I promise.”

Jordan smiled now, and it made AJ’s heart want to sing. “That’s good. If you marry my mom, will that make you my dad?”

AJ couldn’t breathe. “If you want me to be, then I’d like it if I could be your dad.”

Jordan mulled this over for a few moments and nodded. “Can I call you Dad if Mom says okay to marrying you?”

His heart swelling, AJ could hardly believe the gift that had dropped into his arms. Unable to speak, he nodded.

“Good,” Jordan said, taking another bite of his cookie. “When will Mom be back?”

AJ sighed. He’d never get used to the child’s lightning topic switches. Especially when it changed to something difficult. “I don’t know.” He glanced up at the clock. “Soon.”

“She’s going to be okay, right?”

AJ looked into the deep gray that seemed to beg him for comfort. It felt good to be needed, he thought. His hand covered the small one. “I hope so, pal. I hope so.”

***

Blood bloomed, a dark red flower design around the point of entry. Regan watched, strangely curious, as the red spread across the shirt. Then, she looked up into the eyes of death itself for the first time in her life. Death glossed the eyes over, she realized. Already, brown was turning to a glassy hue. Skin began to turn gray, pasty. She’d done that, she realized. For the first time in her career, she’d discharged her weapon and caused death. Unable to handle it, she turned away from Scott, who collapsed onto the floor after blood gurgled in his throat and spilled from his open lips. His face was frozen in a permanently surprised, yet annoyed look. Regan felt a small stirring of pity then turned away.

“Make sure he’s dead,” she told Cross. “I have to go see to Mrs. Littrell.” The detective nodded and walked over to the body.

Regan forced herself not to look back and walked into the den. Sienna was crouched in the corner on the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest and was rocking herself back and forth. Regan knelt in front of her.

“Mrs. Littrell. Sienna,” she said more forcefully, causing Sienna to look up at her through wide eyes.

She was shocked, Regan realized. Laying a hand gently on Sienna’s arm, she spoke softly.

“Sienna, it’s over. He’s dead. You’re safe, now. You’re going home now,” she reiterated.

It was a dream, Sienna thought. One of those dreams where you got what you most wanted, and then it was snatched out of your hands. She was afraid to hope, to believe. But Regan Daniels was telling her he was dead. Could she believe it?

“I want to go home,” she whispered.

Regan nodded. “We’re going to take you home.” When Sienna began to shake and her teeth chattered, Regan slipped off her coat and placed it around the other woman’s shoulders. “Here, this’ll keep you warm, for now.”

Sienna gave her a grateful look, then gasped. “Your arm,” she managed to say.

Regan glanced down at where Sienna’s gaze was focused. Her sleeve was a deep, dark red. Before she could react, Sienna had reached out and torn the sleeve off to fully expose the wound. There, on her upper arm, was a neat hole that oozed blood sluggishly. Regan began to feel the pain that radiated through her arm as she stared at it, not comprehending that she’d actually been shot.

“Does it hurt?”

Regan snapped to at Sienna’s question. “What? Oh, now it does. I don’t…I don’t know what to do. I’ve never had to worry about something like this,” she admitted.

The two police officers she’d sent around to the back of the house stepped into the room. “Agent Daniels, everything’s secure, and Thompson’s dead.”

Regan nodded and prayed that her vision would stay steady instead of filling with gray as it was at the edges. She would not faint, she kept telling herself.

“She’s been hit!” one of the officers exclaimed.

As Regan tried to change their attention from herself to Sienna, the real victim, the other officer knelt at her side.

“We can get this out,” he murmured. “I can see the bullet. We can bandage it up, but you’re going to want to see if it needs stitches when you get Mrs. Littrell back to Lexington.”

Regan nodded. “Get it out then.”

The officer left to retrieve a first aid kit, and Regan turned back to Sienna. “Thanks,” she murmured.

Sienna shook her head. “Thank you,” she whispered. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be going home, now. Oh, god. I miss my family,” she choked back a sob. “I need my family.”

As Sienna finally broke down, Regan moved forward and let her collapse in her arms.

***

The plane jolted, and Sienna sat up.

Regan leaned over. “Are you okay?”

Sienna took a shaky breath. Then another. “I can’t believe I’m going home,” she murmured. “I dreamt about it for the past weeks, but it’s really happening.” She tentatively took hold of the hand Regan held out. “Will you—will you tell me how Brian’s been?”

Regan nodded. “He’s been a mess not knowing where you were or how to find you. AJ, Nick, and Kelly Monaco settled into the house, but there were times we all thought he would lose it. He loves you.”

Sienna sighed. “I know. I love him, too. All I’ve wanted is to wake up in his arms and know that none of this happened. I can’t wait to feel safe with him again,” she whispered.

Regan tried not to think that that may not happen. Sienna hadn’t admitted yet to being sexually abused, but Regan had seen it enough times to know what had happened. Sienna was going home, but it would be difficult for her to leap back into Brian’s arms.

“You’re safe, now,” Regan reassured her. “There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore.”

Sienna shook her head and looked out at the clouds. “Nothing,” she whispered to herself.

***

Silence settled over the airstrip as the small airplane touched down and taxied to a stop. As the stairs lowered, Brian stepped forward. He still couldn’t believe that his wife was coming home. That the nightmare they’d been living in for the past six weeks was finally over.

Regan stepped out first. Her bandaged arm was covered by a windbreaker, and she took note of the gathering of people that stood waiting at the bottom of the stairs. She made it to the bottom where Brian caught her arm.

“Thank you,” he managed to say before his gaze turned back to the woman slowly ascending the stairs.

Regan moved through the group, towards the back. Away from the eager family members waiting for Sienna. As her arm ached, she watched as Sienna stepped off the staircase and was caught up in Brian’s embrace.

Brian was ecstatic at being able to hold her in his arms again. He’d dreamt of it, and now it was happening. He couldn’t help but notice that she felt like skin and bones in his arms. Leaning back, he cupped Sienna’s face and noticed the bruises that ranged across it. Her gorgeous eyes were bruised and blackened. Tilting her chin, he saw the angry bruises on her jaw and temple. Fury flooded him, but his hold on her was gentle. Scott should be so lucky that he was dead, he thought. Suppressing the urge to break something or burst into tears, he pulled her close again, not noticing the stiffness in her body or the slight trembling.

“Sienna,” he whispered into her hair repeatedly. “You’re home. Thank God, you’re home.”

Knowing she’d have to break the news of the extent of the abuse to Brian, Regan turned away and noticed Emma Clark walking towards her.

“Hey,” she had to smile, relieved. “What are you doing back here?”

Clark returned the smile. “The governor’s nephew wasn’t kidnapped. He got drunk and passed out on a spur-of-the-moment camping trip. Nice job, Regan,” she added, gesturing towards the Littrells and their friends.

Regan sighed. “I’m glad you’re here. Mrs. Littrell was raped, and she’s going to need a woman with her. I’m going to have to break it to Brian that he’s scaring the shit out of her by holding her like that.”

“She admitted it to you?”

Regan shook her head. “No, but I could tell from the bruises and the look in her eyes.”

Clark blew out a breath. “It’s going to be hard to come back from this.”

“Yeah, but they’ll be able to,” Regan mused. “They’re strong enough.”

“What about Thompson?” Clark asked.

Regan looked back at her. “Dead.”

“You?”

Regan nodded. “Yeah, me. It was either him or me. I chose him.”

Clark gave her a sympathetic look. “It was your first one.” It wasn’t a question, merely a statement.

Regan tried not to think about it. “Yeah, my first.” Push it out of her mind.

“Regan!” She turned to see AJ walking towards her.

Clark smiled a little. “Well, I guess I’ll go let the superiors know I’m here with you.”

“Yeah,” she nodded, her eyes on AJ. “Could you call the hospital and tell them we’re bringing Sienna in? She’s going to need a full check done, by a female physician. Stress that.”

“I will,” Clark promised and turned to head back towards a dark sedan.

Regan turned back as AJ reached her. He grinned down at her before scooping her into his arms. “You did good, Agent Daniels,” he murmured as he leaned down to kiss her.

Regan pressed her fingers to his lips. “I’m still on duty. No kissing,” she reminded him.

Surprised, he nodded. “Okay, but still. You brought Sienna and yourself home. Safe. Thank you.”

Nodding, she watched as Sienna’s arms went around her aunt. “I promised Brian I’d bring her back, and I did.”

“Scott’s dead. The bastard.”

“Yeah,” Regan blew out a breath. “Yeah, he’s dead.”

AJ looked over at her pale face. “You okay, baby? You look shocky.”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. It’s just,” she paused. “I killed Scott. I used my gun for the first time since it was issued to me, and I ended another person’s life. Oh, God,” she whispered, feeling faint.

Quickly, AJ caught her before her eyes rolled back into her head and lowered her head between her knees. “It’s okay, baby. Keep your head between your knees and breathe. Just keep breathing.” He rubbed circles on her back until she lifted her head, and he could see that she would be okay.

“They always prepare you for something like this,” she murmured. “But it still comes as a shock when you actually end a human life. I know I saved someone, but it still makes me feel guilty.”

AJ pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’d worry if you didn’t feel guilty ending a life. I’m proud of what you do, though. Saving people,” he reminded her.

“Yeah.” She stood and looked over at Brian and Sienna. “Yeah, I save people from the initial danger, but what comes after that? They’re totally on their own in that.”

AJ frowned, not following her line of thought. “What do you mean?”

She gestured towards Brian and Sienna. “Scott hurt Sienna in more ways than one. Yeah, he shredded her spirit, but, AJ,” she took a deep breath and turned to him, “I’m ninety-nine percent positive he raped her. I don’t know how many times, but he did. It would’ve been a power trip for him. ‘See, you’re mine. Your husband won’t want you now that I’ve had you.’ He destroyed her so badly,” she whispered, trying not to remember her own past.

AJ had paled and his hand clutched at hers. “How? How do you know that? Did she tell you he did that to her?”

Regan shook her head. “No, but I know the look that was on her face, in her eyes.”

“How?”

She took a deep breath. “Because I saw it on my face for a long time,” she told him.

Now he turned to her. “What?”

Unable to stand in place, she pulled her hands from his and walked away. Then turned back.

“You wanted to know about Jordan’s father, so I’ll tell you. I met him my freshman year at GWU. I was a fresh-faced, naïve eighteen year old, so sure that I knew what I was doing. He was a sophomore and ran track. The attention from him dazzled me because I’d never had a boyfriend before, and we began dating. He was everything I thought I could want. Sweet, attentive, charming, funny. Handsome.” She remembered that the face had hid a beast. “I loved him and he told me he loved me. The summer after my freshman year, I went to visit him. We’d never discussed sex, but, before I knew it, I was under him. I didn’t want to be,” she whispered before her voice strengthened again. “I wasn’t ready, but he wouldn’t hear it. He told me I wanted it, had been begging for it, and, before I could stop him, it was done. I went home and pretended like it never happened. But it did, and it happened again and again during the first semester of my sophomore year. Until he was killed in a car accident. Everyone expected me to weep, be sad, but I wasn’t. I praised God for getting rid of him.” She couldn’t look at AJ. Was afraid that she’d see the revulsion in his eyes. So she stared hard at a spot far away. “I found out I was pregnant with Jordan during winter break. I didn’t want him.”

“Why would you?” AJ murmured, desperately needing to hold her.

“Right. Why would I want the child of a man who obviously hadn’t loved me? Who’d kept me so scared of him that I could no longer be near any of my male friends because the mere thought of a man scared the living daylights out of me. I couldn’t date anyone, sleep with anyone after him because those same fears would keep resurfacing. But I did keep Jordan, and I’ve never been more happy with any other decision.” She looked up at him now. “That’s how I know that Sienna was raped. Because I could see that same fear in her eyes that I saw in mine.”

Reeling from the barrage of information, he tried to focus. “So, now what?”

“Now?” Regan looked back at Sienna, who was clearly trying to hold it together. “Now, I take her to the hospital and have her tell me what happened. Beginning to end, so she can look at it, too. Then, she’ll try to get back to her life.”

Before she could leave, he placed a hand on her arm lightly. “Regan, you think I’m going to turn away because what happened to you disgusts me. That it makes you less desirable in some way. But it doesn’t.” AJ lifted her hand to his lips. “You know what it makes me think?”

Unsure, Regan shrugged. “No, what do you think?”

He cupped her face in his hands. “It makes me love you more. Don’t pull away,” he murmured when a panicked look entered her eyes. “I’ve kept it inside me for a while. I am in love with you, and, knowing that someone hurt you and Sienna so horribly, makes me want to destroy them. But I can’t because they’re both dead.” He shook his head. “I don’t need you to give the words back to me, but I just need you to know how I feel. Remember them. Please.”

“I don’t know if I can give you what you want, but I can thank you.” She smiled now. “I’ve never had someone in love with me before. I can’t think about my own feelings right now, but I can appreciate yours.”

“I don’t want you to be grateful,” he told her.

“I can’t think of what else to be,” she whispered. She tore her eyes from his and looked back over at Sienna, who was being held by Liv. “I need to go, AJ. I have to take care of things.”

Knowing that they weren’t done, not by a long shot, if he could help it, AJ let her go. “We’re going to talk. Not now,” he agreed. “But soon.”

“Okay.”

She left him then and went through the crowd surrounding Sienna. He watched as she spoke quietly to Sienna and Brian, then led Sienna out of the midst of everyone and towards a car where another agent stood.

The anger in him was not for Scott, AJ realized, but for the nameless, faceless bastard who’d hurt Regan. So what that he’d fathered a delightful child? He’d still destroyed the woman AJ loved. He didn’t know what to think or how to comfort her. She’d obviously gotten over it. Or mostly.

When the realization hit him that he was the first man she’d ever truly made love with, he felt torn between feeling honored and being terrified. Before he could choose either one of those reactions, his cell phone rang.

Whipping it out, he nearly ignored it, until he realized it was Johnny Wright. Johnny had agreed to manage AJ’s solo endeavor along with Brian’s and the Boys, but AJ wondered why he was calling now. Maybe to find out about Sienna, he thought. Or, maybe there was something wrong with his album or the Boys’ tour. Because thinking about work for a moment would get his mind off of worrying about Sienna and Regan, AJ answered.

“Hello?”

“AJ? Hi! Listen, something important has come up concerning your album. We need you to come up to New York for a meeting to iron out the problem,” Johnny explained.

“Listen,” AJ began. “You know we’ve got Brian’s family stuff to deal with right now, don’t you?”

“AJ, it’s all over the news. Brian’s wife is home, and I couldn’t be happier about that. Let Brian and Sienna know I said congratulations. However, you can and have to deal with your professional obligations, now. If you don’t, well, I hope I don’t have to explain it to you.”

Johnny was right. He couldn’t put off his own work too long in the fast-paced world of entertainment. AJ wished he weren’t, but he knew the other man was right. “Okay, I’ll do it. When do you need me?”

“Yesterday. But, there’s a seat on board an airplane leaving Lexington’s airport in three hours. Be on it.”

AJ watched as Regan helped Sienna into the car and, shutting her own door, drove out. “I’ll see you tonight.”

***

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