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Genevieve sighed. “I’m glad Archer’s alive, and I’m trying not to feel guilty about him going to prison.”
“Don’t ever feel guilty. Archer made his choice. He decided to put your life at risk rather than protect you for his own selfish gain. He wasn’t a true friend. I’m sorry that’s the case, but it is.”
“Did you get the voice recorder from my bra and give it to the FBI? Did I get Marshal to confess what we needed him to?”
“You did amazing, Gen. The FBI is confident that the confession you worked out of Marshal on that tape is enough to put Marshal and his primary followers away for longer than life—other than Archer, anyway. We’ve asked the FBI to go for a leaner sentence for him, assuming he’s willing to testify against Marshal. I figured you wouldn’t want him in prison forever, even if you never see him again.”
“Thanks,” Genevieve said, nodding softly. Brendan was right—she was thankful Archer would likely have a less strict sentence, though she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was because she knew monetary greed had ruled his choices rather than a desire to harm others. Archer had never been a fan of drugs, which made her wonder… “Is there any hope that putting Marshal behind bars will end his drug businesses? You know that someone else won’t pick up the reins?”
A subtle smile of triumph graced Brendan’s features. “There sure is. Your recording also provided enough evidence for the FBI to launch investigations into Marshal’s corrupt police connections and create plans to shut down the drug warehouses that were fraudulently signed under your name. Marshal’s brilliant plan to control you with those warrants bit him in the tail. Believe it or not, the case file Marshal and the police prepared for your warrants contained copies of the falsely signed contracts, cuing the FBI in on every single warehouse he owned. His ego knew no bounds—not that I’m surprised.”
“So my name’s clear then?”
His lips quirked as he stared down at her elated expression. “Your name is clear.”
She wished she could jump up and down and clap for joy—not be stuck in this doggone hospital bed. But it was worth a bullet to have her life back. She could go anywhere she pleased now without freezing up at the slightest sound or looking over her shoulder for shadows. What would that even feel like?
“The FBI took care of that,” Brendan continued. “No more Gigi Goddess Green, but like I said—you’ll always be a goddess to me.” He began to absentmindedly caress her hand like he’d been doing so for hours. Maybe he had. “I had this thought while I was waiting for you to wake up that your matchmaking payback for Quill is like something Aphrodite would do.”
“Aphrodite, totally. I truly am a goddess.” A playful smirk danced across her lips. “Though I don’t think Quill would agree with you.” She giggled and winced before puffing out a pain-relieving breath. “So that’s it then? We meet with the FBI a few times, and it’s over?”
Brendan’s smile faltered. “It’s not quite that simple. Marshal won’t just give up and disappear. He’s raw and wants revenge, and he’s still got connections to attempt to make that happen. Killian’s been a saint, joining in on the meetings with the FBI to help expose Marshal’s connections with inside information. We won’t stop investigating until this is over.” He blew out a long breath that revealed just how much stress he’d been under. “I want all of Marshal’s network in jail, not only to shut down his drug dealings but for our protection as well. I have no doubt Marshal will try to get back at us indefinitely—he’ll never stop trying to win even if he’s behind bars with no hope of parole.”
“I’m so sorry I got you involved in this. It’s never-ending for you. If you’d never met?—”
Brendan placed a firm finger over her lips. “Don’t even say it. If I’d never met you, the highlight of my life would have been…” He tilted his head, challenging her with his eyes. “You finish the sentence for me, Gen, because I can’t.”
She smiled under his fingertip, contentment filling her with joy. “So how long till there’s a trial or trials? I don’t even know how complicated this all gets.”
“Probably not for several months, but once Marshal and his followers are on trial, we’ll testify. If you’re up for it, you can testify too.”
“You better believe I will.”
Brendan nodded with an apprehensive but supportive expression on his face. “Until then, we’ll need to keep you very protected.”
“You too!”
He nodded quickly as if concerned about her getting too worked up. “Not to worry. I’ll have security, too, as will your mom and Quill. I’ve got Killian hiring a personal security team for us. They’ll report directly to him, running separately from the team we already have in place at BC King Enterprises. Killian seems pleased with this new role. He said something about being my right-hand man alongside Quill. I agreed to it, and it seemed to make him happy.”
“I’m glad you did.” A dozen warm fuzzies tickled her belly at Brendan’s endless caring deeds for others. “That’s a big deal to him. It’s like being one of the top dogs to the top dog in their world.”
Brendan shrugged. “Works for me. As long as you’re safe, I’m a happy man too.”
“Knock, knock, bro,” Quill boomed out. “Oh good, she’s awake. I’ll give you two some space.” He hesitated in the doorway and turned to leave.
“Wait, Quill,” Genevieve called out, her voice scratchy but stronger. “It’s okay, come on in. Brendan and I will have plenty of time together. He’s mine for life.”
Brendan’s face lit up. “Yeah, I am.” He swiveled his head toward Quill. “So what’s up? Is the FBI asking for another meeting already?”
Quill rocked back and forth on his feet, shaking his head. “I’ve got that handled for now. No need for the two of you to get involved. I just came by to check on Genevieve.” He cleared his throat and locked eyes with her. “How are you doing?”
Genevieve smiled warmly at him. “Doing okay, thanks. I’ll feel better once I can move about again.”
The fact that Quill hadn’t been her biggest fan didn’t really bother her since he was incredibly loyal to the man she loved—but if he continued to have an issue with her, well then, they’d be having a talk.
A faint blush colored Quill’s cheeks. “Look, now that you’re awake, I…” He swiped some shoulder-length blond strands behind his ear. “I don’t know if this is the right time, but I gotta get it out. I can’t believe you jumped in front of that bullet to save Brendan. It wasn’t just badass; it was the ultimate sacrifice. If it’s any consolation, I finally became a believer in you before that—around the time Pansy told us you had the voice-activated recorder on you.” He shot her a sheepish look and sighed. “What I’m trying to say really ineloquently, Genevieve, is that I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you. My assumptions about you were wrong. You’ve more than earned my trust with Brendan’s heart being in your hands.”
Awe, how sweet. These genius types were like gooey cake once they let down their guard. No talk would be necessary, it seemed. “Thanks, Quill.” She winked. “Told you that you would.”
