VALOROUS (A Quantum Novel)(58)

“There’s the man of the hour.”

“So I hear.”

“I understand congratulations are in order.”

“Thanks, Gordon.”

“We’re trying to figure out the best way to get you out of there. I’ve been in touch with security at the hotel, and we’re working on a few ideas.”

“What about a chopper from the roof?”

“That’s on our short list.”

“Let’s do that. I’d like to get Natalie out of here and back to LA with minimal fuss and no screaming paps.”

“Give me two hours to set it up.”

“Take three. I got married last night. I want to wake my new wife properly.”

Gordon laughs. “You got it. I’ll call you in three hours with the details.”

“Thanks, Gord.”

I call Addie back to tell her the plan and ask her to have my Ducati taken to the LA airport along with two helmets.

“I’m on it.”

“Thanks, Addie. One of these days, you’ll get a day off. I promise.”

“I’m not holding my breath, but that’s okay. I happen to love my job.”

“Thanks again for everything these last couple of weeks. We both appreciate it so much.”

“The picture from last night was awesome. I hope you guys had the best day ever.”


“It was a good one. Talk to you when we get back to LA.”

“Sounds good.”

I leave my phone on a table in the main room and return to the bedroom, where Natalie is still asleep. I use the bathroom and brush my teeth before getting back into bed with her. She murmurs in her sleep and snuggles up to me, her arm wrapping around me like she’s been sleeping with me for years rather than days.

It’s so natural between us, the attraction, the banter, the desire. It’s all there. Her body is warm and soft against mine, and my reaction to her is swift and predictable. If she’s in the same ZIP code as me, I want her. When she’s naked in bed with me, I’m helpless.

I lay there holding her for a while before she stirs, looking up at me with those big eyes. “Why are you awake so early?”

“Already dealing with logistics to get out of here. Apparently, we’re the story of the day around the world.”

“Yay,” she says with a nervous laugh.

“How do you feel about becoming famous practically overnight?”

“About the same as I feel about becoming married practically overnight. It’s all good.”

“Yes, it is.”

“So what happens the morning after one marries the most famous actor in the world?”

“You have a number of choices as the wife of the most famous actor in the world. A, you can order anything you want for breakfast. B, you can make love to your famous actor husband, and C, you can do all of the above.”

“C,” she says with a warm, sexy smile. “All of the above.”





After Flynn outlines our escape plan, I’m curious and nervous about my first ride in a helicopter. It’ll be another first in a long line of them since I met him. I’m worried about Fluff panicking about the helicopter, so Flynn has a tight hold on her leash as we are escorted to the roof by hotel security.

The helicopter is huge, and apparently it will be taking us all the way to Los Angeles because both airports are under siege with reporters hoping to catch sight of us today. We’re loaded into the helicopter, and Flynn straps me in, handing over custody of Fluff, who’s put out by the whole thing.

Then the engines fire up and she goes ballistic, barking and snarling. Once again she makes us laugh when we need it most.

I gather her into my arms and stroke her, hoping to settle her. “We used to live such a quiet boring life, Fluff-o-Nutter.” We’re sitting very close to Flynn so we can hear each other over the roar of the engine.

“I think she preferred that life to the one you’re leading now.”

“She’ll adapt. She has before.”

“How did you get her after everything happened?”

“The detective who was nice to me? He went to my house and got her for me.”

“They just handed her over?”

“He never said, and I didn’t ask. I didn’t care how it went down. All I cared about was having her with me. She was always my dog. She was literally the only thing I took with me from my old life into my new life. The clothes I was wearing when I left Stone’s house and the items in my backpack were considered evidence.”

He shakes his head in disbelief. “I hope I never cross paths with your parents. I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

“We won’t see them. For years, I half-expected them to show up out of the blue to say it had all been a huge mistake. After about two years, I stopped waiting for that to happen.”

“People are funny when it comes to money. Now that you have a lot of it, they may become interested in you again.”

“Wouldn’t that be something?”

“Don’t spend one minute worrying about that. They won’t get anywhere near you. Not as long as I’ve got a breath left in me.”

I drop my head to his shoulder. “What you must think… growing up with a family like yours to hear about one like mine.”