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“Sorry,” she gasped, pulling back finally.
“Why? I’m not.”
“You’re not?” she brushed her hair from her face, looking a little flustered.
“Nope, not at all. Are you, really?”
“No.” She admitted, “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, I just wasn’t sure.”
“Are you sure now?”
“Absolutely.”
I was about to lean in and kiss her again, but a shrill cry interrupted us.
“Mama!” Came the call from down the hall.
“Duty calls.”
I took a glance as she left. Just a quick look of admiration for her beauty, feeling a lot better since we started being honest, mostly to ourselves.
“Daddy?”
“Coming, poppet.”
Rolling away from the desk, I went and got Lily, situating her back with Emilie and Gen in the living room.
“Back to work?” Emilie asked.
“With any luck.”
It would have been a natural moment for a kiss, but we restrained our wild animal emotion for the sake of the kids. I wanted to absolutely sure before we let them know.
The phone bonged the doom tone as much as the tower in Madrid, if not quite as loud.
The text was only two words, but as with most bad news, that was all it took.
I know.
Keeping my expression as neutral as possible I made it back up to the desk, another message. An email in that case. A bit longer, in included a phone number for what the sender called ‘further information.’
“I don’t take well to threats.”
“I’m sure you don’t, Mr. Veek. Alas that is indeed what is happening.”
“And what are we going to do about that, Mears.”
“Um, what? This is an unlisted number.”
“And a really shitty voice changer,” I laughed, having pegged the voice for that of Donald Mears, an attorney I’d bested in nearly a dozen cases, “You’ve caught me in a good mood which is the only reason you have a chance. That could change at any moment, so I suggest you speak fast.”
“Long story short, that house you’re in? It has cameras in every room. I installed them the last time I had the pleasure of staying there in hopes of getting dirt on White. All the footage goes straight to my device, including some very interesting clips of you and Ms. Boucher making out like a couple of oversexed teenagers on the clock. I wonder how the firm partners will respond to that.”
“What do you want?”
“You, out of the game. Retire early, you’re still young enough to find another career. We just can’t have you screwing things up for us anymore. Justice is justice but we have to win occasionally. It’s only fair.”
“I assume there’s a deadline?”
“Oh, take your time. Get the resignation letter just right and let me know when you have. If you don’t, say in two days, I release the footage, clear?”
“Crystal.”
I smirked to myself. I always did well with deadlines.
Chapter Thirteen - Emilie
I’d never really imagined what Niles would look like dancing. He was fairly light on his feet under regular circumstances, so should have been such a surprise when he came gracefully into the kitchen for dinner that night.
“Someone’s in a good mood.”
“Everyone, I hope. What about you, poppet?” he asked, looking at Lily, “Are you happy?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Gen, how about you?”
Gen burst out giggling, giving an even more definitive answer than a direct yes or no.
“Excellent,” he grinned.
They might have been happy, but I was getting to be on edge. In my experience people were really only nice when they wanted something.
“What’s going on?” I asked as we took up our usual positions washing the dishes.
“When the little ones are asleep, I promise.”
I wanted to trust him and decided I would, at least for a while. If he didn’t tell me what was going on it would be the end of everything. I didn’t do secrets and lies.
I would keep things civil, but that would be it. Despite the yearning of my heart and burning of my loins.
Gen was unusually subdued as I gave her fork after fork of lovely, nourishing food. She was no doubt able to sense something was amiss. I only wished I could tell her that everything was going to be alright.
I struggled through the suspense until we’d put the girls to bed, then I cornered him. “Tell me, now,” I demanded, meeting Niles in the hall.
“I got an ultimatum. ”
My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. “Oh my god, from who?”
“A prosecutor I destroyed one time to many in court. Kind of affected his head.”
“Should I be worried?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s very reassuring.”
Taking me by the hand, Niles led me into his bedroom, closing the door behind us.
While my initial instinct was rebellion, I knew his intentions weren’t bad. He wasn’t trying to corner me and have his way with me, he was just trying to protect the kids. I could feel my back go slack, fight or flight energy draining out of me. It didn’t feel great to think about Niles in that way, but old habits die hard.
