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“Royce is with him,” Lauren reminds me. “He’s safe.”
“Bullets have a long reach,” I say and my door opens as Savage appears, all big and intimidating, which makes me want him to be with Reese. “Why are you here and not with my husband?”
“Your husband is just fine, and bullets have to get through us to get to him.” He offers me his hand. “And she can’t blackmail him if he’s dead.”
“Right,” I say. “That’s comforting, I guess.” I accept his hand and let him help me out of the car. “Can you just confirm he’s okay?”
“He’s fine or I’d know,” he says. “I have an earpiece. Royce is with him.”
“Does he know yet?”
“No,” he says. “He’s with Dana and his team in a conference room.”
I swallow hard and nod while Savage shuts my door and another man I don’t know climbs in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. “Is he stealing your ride or does he work with you?”
He laughs. “He works with me. If he tried to steal from me I’d mess him the F up, like I will anyone that tries to hurt you.” He motions me forward. “Let’s go inside.”
“Right,” I say again, because it seems I have a limited vocabulary at present, which really doesn’t suit a writer on deadline.
Lauren meets me on the other side of the car, and I’m just glad there are no reporters here. For some reason, we have been lucky to be spared that at home during these big trials and it feels like a real blessing right about now. I ride up the elevator with Savage and Lauren and when we reach the apartment, I’m in the door and darting up the stairs to the bedroom immediately.
I end up on the floor in front of the toilet, on my knees, my shoes left somewhere along the way. When the hell is over, I lean against the wall just trying to think. Lauren appears beside me and sits down against the opposite wall, her shoes gone as well. “He didn’t do this.”
“I know,” I say. “That’s not my issue. I wanted this to be special. I was going to tell him on his birthday.”
“Don’t change anything because of this woman.”
“I’m keeping a journal of every moment since I found out. Am I supposed to include Debbie? It was supposed to be such a special gift.”
“Leave her out and it is special.”
“It can’t even be true to what I feel without her in it.”
“Then leave her in and document the trust you have in him. That matters. I wouldn’t question Royce either and that is not something every couple could say.”
My cellphone rings in the other room and I jolt. “Reese,” I say urgently.
“I’ll grab it,” Lauren says, moving quickly and returning with my phone right as it stops ringing.
She hands it to me and joins me on the floor as the ringing starts all over again. “Cat,” Reese says the minute I answer. “I didn’t do this. I would never—”
“I know,” I whisper, tears springing to my eyes, because as much as I trust him, hearing his voice, hearing the words, apparently matter. “I never doubted you. I just—it’s still hard.”
“I know, sweetheart. I’m on my way there, but I love you more than life itself. You know that, right?”
“I do,” I whisper. “I love you, too, but don’t rush here. Take care of business. She doesn’t get to screw up your trial. Dana’s future depends on you. We’re okay.”
“Cat—”
“Reese, do not rush here. Do what you need to do, but please be safe.”
He hesitates. “I won’t be long.”
“Be as long as you need to be. I’m going to write my column and Lauren is with me. I’m not delicate. You know that.”
“I love you, Cat,” he says again and hangs up.
I breathe out and let the phone settle on the floor. “I need to write this column so when he does get home, I can be free.”
