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“Lilly,” he says a whole lot sterner. “Stop for a second. What’s going on? Are you in trouble?”

“No.”

“All right. Tell me what happened.”

I glance around the corner to check on Chance, but he’s busy playing and not paying attention to us.

“The people…two of the Senators I worked for were part of a big corruption sting.”

“I remember hearing about it.”

“Really?”

“Believe it or not, we keep tabs on everything that goes on in Empire. It was more than just two.”

“Right, but I had the most interaction with two of them.”

“Did you know they were dirty?”

I swallow hard because this is treading too close to territory I don’t want to discuss with anyone. Ever.

“Not until the end.”

He narrows his eyes. “Right around the time you bailed on me.”

My breathing stutters, my throat tightening, my lungs scream for air but no matter how hard I try, I can’t pull any in.

“Lilly!” Z grabs my arms and shakes me. “Baby, breathe.” He gently wraps me up in his arms, turning me so my back rests against his rock-hard chest. “Shhh, come on. Nice and slow.” He continues to breathe with me until the choking sensation goes away.

“Come on. Let’s get you some water.”

He waits while I take a few sips.

“What happened?”

“I left. I was quitting.” I gulp down more water. “Investigators from the US Attorney’s office contacted me.”

“What did they think you knew?”

“Everything.” I shake my head, painfully aware this isn’t quite the whole story. “I didn’t. These things were way above my level of involvement. Payments that went through law firms. Quid pro quo favors. Contracts and payments that were given to certain places. I had written a paper arguing against one of the pork-barrel projects and was read the riot act over it. But I never put it together with any illegal activity.” Nor did I realize how far some people would go to keep their secrets.

I sound like such an idiot.

“You didn’t have the bigger picture,” Z says.

“Right.”

“So, why do they want you to testify now?”

That’s the part that scares me.

“I’m not sure.”

“All right. Call Mara and see if she can help you.”

“Will you sit with Chance? I’ll make the call from my room.”

He frowns but can’t really argue with my logic.

Locked inside my bedroom, I finally call Mara and sigh in relief when she answers. “I’m so glad you called, Lilly! We totally need to get together again.”

“I’d love that.”

“What’s wrong? You sound weird.”

“I was served a subpoena to testify.”

“Ugh, Shane Kelley’s trial is coming up, right?”

“Apparently. He’s used every dirty trick possible to delay the trial.”

“Okay,” she says all calm professional now. “What do you need?”

“I need your help, Mara.”

Forty-Five

Z

After I calm Lilly down and she calls her friend, I still have questions.

Questions I don’t think I’m gonna get answers to.

I can’t probe for information until after Chance goes to sleep. But once he’s out, I pull her into my lap.

“Mara’s going to help you?” I ask.

“She said Damon will try to file a motion to quash the subpoena, so I don’t have to testify.”

“Did you know this was coming? Is it why you were so quick to say yes to moving with me?”

That was a dick question, and by the shine in her eyes, I hurt her feelings. “No.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. You need to give me more information. Does this have something to do with why you left?” I’m close to solving this mystery. I can feel it.

Her bottom lip trembles and she slowly slides out of my lap and away from me. “Not really.”

“What does that mean?”

“I can’t, Z.”

Her body’s shaking all over, leaving me frustrated that I don’t know what to do to help her.

My phone vibrates and I yank it out, pissed I’m being interrupted. “What?”

“It’s Rooster.”

“What’s up, bro?”

“We’re supposed to meet up with Loco tonight. You coming with?”

“Fuck.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and stand, walking over to the sliding glass doors leading to the back porch. “You meetin’ him at his place?”

“Yeah.”

Thank fuck. I can get down there in an hour and be back before Lilly goes to sleep. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch her scowling at her phone and turning it off.

Odd, but I can’t worry about it right now.

“All right. We’ll meet up at the Stewart’s right by the bridge and ride over together.”

“Sounds good, brother. See you then.”

“You have to go?” Lilly asks. I’m going to ignore what sounds like relief in her voice.

“I won’t be long.”

“Okay.”

Lilly

Z’s meeting takes longer than I think he expected.

That’s fine, because I’m all talked out and I have a feeling he won’t drop this until he extracts the whole story from me

Something I can’t give him.

Chance wakes us up first thing in the morning with his alphabet book.

“Are you staying, Daddy?” he asks in his sweet way.

“For a little while. I have to head back down early tomorrow.”

Chance opens his mouth to protest, but Z swoops in, kissing both of his cheeks. “Pretty soon, you and Mommy are gonna come stay with me, so I’ll see you every day. What do you think about that?”

My heart squeezes at the easy affection in Z’s voice. How happy he sounds about having us close to him every day.

Chance likes it too. He jumps onto Z’s stomach, making Z groan. “Yeah! Are there ducks?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll find you some ducks if you want ‘em.”

“Okay! Hungry, Mommy!” he shouts before jumping off the bed and racing out to the living room.

“Hmm, somehow I’m the breakfast cooker and you’re the duck-hunter. Your job sounds more fun than mine,” I tease.

Z pounces, rolling me underneath him. “You want me to bring you breakfast in bed? I can do that.”

I reach up and rub my hands over his bristly cheeks. “I’m kidding.”

“I didn’t mean to get in so damn late.”

I shrug. “I was afraid that might happen.”

He wraps me up even tighter, pressing his hefty morning wood into me. “Not going anywhere today, pretty girl. You got me all day.” He flashes a dimpled smile. “And all night.”

I lean up and kiss him. “I can’t wait.”

It’s a good day. Just the three of us. There’s a big farm store that sells all different sizes of tractors that Chance goes nuts for every time we pass it.

Today, Z pulls in. “What are you doing?”

“You need a mower at your place, don’t you?”

“Alex does it for me.”

He grumbles at that. “Now your man does it for you.” He laughs. “Or sends a prospect to do it.”

“Don’t you dare. I’d feel awful.”

“That’s what they sign up for, baby.” He winks at me.

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