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“I have to go, Lori. We’ll talk.” He disconnects, and I feel disconnected in more ways than the phone line. I need to fix that and fix it tonight.
Chapter sixty-seven
Cole
Iwalk into the offices of Maxwell, Maxwell, and Maxwell, expecting to meet with Cat’s brother, Gabe, who I know well. Instead, I’m led into Reid’s office, and while the two look like a couple of blond Twinkies, Gabe is easygoing and full of humor. Reid is a hard-ass who barely smiles, let alone jokes. “Gabe is tied up with a crisis,” Reid says, as I claim the seat in front of him. “You’re stuck with me and while this isn’t my normal area of expertise, I’ll handle it and handle it well.”
“I hear you’re a beast,” I say. “That works for me. I threatened to sue over Lori’s attack, which was caused by the inaction of the DA as it relates to actually solving this case, rather than blaming an innocent man. The DA wants to settle. I want double what he offers and for the money to be split between the victims. Additionally, I want a settlement for my client. I talked to him on the way over. He’s on board, if you’re on board.”
“I’m on board for triple the payout and I’ll get it.”
“That also works for me. Additionally, another woman was killed in North Carolina while the DA sat on his ass. Walker Security will connect you to the right people to include in the lawsuit. I want them to be taken care of as well. Obviously, you cash out big.”
“I’ll donate the money and my service to the family as well.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Really? And here I heard you don’t have a heart.”
“I don’t,” he says. “I’m just borrowing yours.”
“Right. Just borrowing mine.” I stand up. “It’s in your hands now. I need to move on.”
“Lori is safe now?”
I cut my gaze and then look at him. “Roger Adams is being committed, but for how long? So yes. She’s safe… for now.”
“I can apply a hell of a lot of financial pressure to ensure he’s kept away from her.”
“Then do it. Be the beast I hear you are. This isn’t about money to me. It’s about my wife.”
“Understood and so you know I mean it.” His eyes meet mine. “I get it. More than you know. You found her. You don’t want to lose her.”
In that moment, the understanding that passes between us tells me that “the beast” is a beast because he does get it. His past, while unexplained and unnamed, cuts through the air and collides with mine. I don’t want anyone to understand me as well as I now believe this man does, but I find comfort in the fact that he does. He knows loss.
I give him a nod and head for the door. Now, it’s time to go see my wife, who I love with all my heart, but this is definitely going to be one of those fight and fuck nights.
Lori
Waiting for Cole to return from his meeting with Cat’s brother over the settlement offer is going to kill me. The apartment is empty and I’m alone in my torment. And I am tormented by what happened today with Cole. One part of me feels I was completely wrong, but every time I go down that path, I am reminded of his desperate need to protect me at all costs. He said that we weren’t ready for another case. He didn’t say the client was a bad choice. It is everything to be loved this much by someone you love, but that is exactly why I have to look out for him while he looks out for me. He’s made my goals and career important, and I just don’t want to hurt him in any way, ever.
Desperate to do anything to stay busy, I change into sweats and a T-shirt, and end up on the living room floor in front of the coffee table with my MacBook, a bowl of cantaloupe and a glass of wine, when I really want Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The pastries I ate in Paris say I’m stuck with the cantaloupe, but I hope to eat dinner with Cole. I jab at a chunk of fruit which I eat and wash down with wine, which is a horrible idea. The wine is now bitter. My cellphone rings and I hope it’s Cole, but when I grab it where it sits next to my computer I find it’s Cat calling.
“Did you take a test?” she asks when I answer. “Or better yet, did you start your period?”
“Nope and nope,” I say. “And I can’t seem to get me and a test in the same room, but I’m officially without a bodyguard tomorrow. I’ll pick one up.”
“I grabbed a couple for you because I know you’ll want to test and retest the results. And of course, I thought you two were coming over. Reese said maybe tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” I say. “Hopefully we can, though I’d like to take a test before then.”
“Do you feel pregnant?”
“What does pregnant feel like?” I ask. “Because other than gaining five pounds, I feel the same. And I’m pretty sure I earned those five pounds in Paris by way of food, not a baby.”
“They say you feel different. You just know. I, however, wouldn’t know, because I’ve never even thought I was pregnant.”
“Do you want to have kids?”
She sighs. “Me and Reese, mom and dad? Maybe. I mean, it’s Reese. That man would make beautiful babies, but right now Reese is at the top of his career. Every case he takes is high profile and he and Cole are both superstars. It’s one intense case after another, and I love watching him work and succeed. Now is the time for him to stay focused and build the firm.”
