Total pages in book: 179
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 173733 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 869(@200wpm)___ 695(@250wpm)___ 579(@300wpm)
“What gift, Cat?”
“It’s a gift for a reason. It’s a surprise. It’s very special. Please, Reese. End this. I promise you with all that I am that I believe in you and us. I do not believe that you would or have cheated on me. I wouldn’t want to give you this gift if I did and you’ll understand that when I do. Have enough faith in us to wait until then. To know that this gift is about how much love we share.”
He cups my face and presses his forehead to mine, his thumb stroking my cheek. “You know you’re killing me with this gift stuff. I want to know what it is.”
My hand covers his where it rests on my face. “I can’t wait to give it to you. You have no idea how much waiting is killing me, but it will make your birthday really special.”
He pulls back to look at me, his blue eyes soft and warm. “I love you so much, woman.”
“I love you, too. And I love watching you in court. Let’s get rid of Royce and everyone else and get your team over here. And I have to write my column, but I’ll sit in on the game planning. I love that, too.”
“Me too,” he says. “Let’s go get rid of everyone together.” He starts to turn and I catch his arm.
“Let the DNA test go, Reese. The police will handle that if they arrest her and if they don’t, she won’t take a payout if that’s a condition.”
“We aren’t paying her a million dollars.”
“Thank God,” I murmur.
“We aren’t paying her anything if we can play our cards right.”
“Let’s hope,” I say letting him pull me behind him, and together we walk back to the front living area where we find everyone huddled around the coffee table in some way, shape or form.
That is, except for Royce and Lauren who are standing at the window, him towering over her petite frame in deep conversation that ends abruptly upon our return. “Okay,” Reese says. “Just make this go away. Let’s set her up and shut her down. No DNA test or money.”
I’m watching Cole and Lori when he makes this announcement, the two people who have the most to lose with us, as they are partners in the firm, but they don’t look relieved. They just look worried, and I love them because I think they’re more worried about us than themselves. “All right then,” Savage says, rubbing his hands together from where he sits at the edge of a chair. “If we can’t kill the bitch, let’s get her arrested.” He eyes Royce. “I’m still working on my enjoyment of the more means to an end, boss, but you know. I’m getting there.”
Again, I think, he’s joking. Mostly. Maybe? Royce doesn’t look amused and ignores him. “I have the number. I’ll make the call and set the meeting. We’ll record the entire conversation, but I’ll see if I can get an active detective to sit in.”
“No,” I say. “Too often they leak to the press. We can’t risk that.”
“No one we trust,” Savage says, “would leak or they would end up dead.” He glances at Royce and amends. “More like they’d wish they were dead.”
“We have a reputation of taking down dirty cops,” Royce says. “They’d regret it. I won’t call in anyone I don’t personally trust.” He motions to Savage. “We’ll get this under way and check-in in a few hours.”
“When are you going to make contact?” Reese asks.
“Once we have recording devices in place,” Royce replies. “And we have men following her now. We’re looking for an accomplice which brings me to a suggestion. I know we want to end this but we need to know who we are dealing with. Savage and I, as well as our team, have chatted in the past fifteen minutes, and the consensus is we need a few days to play this right.”
“What if she goes to the press?” I ask.
“Then she gets no payday,” Reese says. “She won’t. Take the time. End this right.”
Royce nods and Savage does the same. They head for the door and Lauren stops beside me. “You want a ride in the morning? I’ll come to court unless I’m taking down Debbie.”
“Yes, please,” I say, certain she can update me in the morning.
She nods and leaves but not before she squeezes my arm.
Cole and Lori step in front of us and Cole is the first to speak. “We’re in this all the way, no matter what that means.”
“Of course we are,” Lori assures us as well.
Cole motions to Reese. “Walk me out,” he says, and the two of them head toward the door.
Lori stays with me. “Do you need to talk?”
“Not yet,” I say, hating the way I’ve shut her out. I love her. We are so very close, but if I talk to her, I’ll want to tell her about the baby, and I just can’t. It’s not fair to Reese. “But soon,” I add.