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A stab of guilt hits me about the way I’ve so clumsily messed around in what is probably a very stressful time for Bryce and Emme. “Shit, I kind of feel bad for misleading him,” I say with a wince. “Have they been having a lot of trouble?”
Deacon gives my arm a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, babe, it’s only been a few months.”
“Yeah, but then there was the six months before that when they wereplanningto try,” Spencer says with an eye roll. “We all really enjoyed that part.”
I let out a huff of laughter. I’ve never had a friendship group as tight knit as this, so it’s an interesting experience being in on all the teasing and banter. It actually reminds me of the way Jazz and Piper often snipe at each other, while simultaneously offering unwavering loyalty and support. Not just an amateur sports team. A family; it’s no wonder they all want to spend Thanksgiving together.
“I’m really glad you brought me here today,” I murmur to Deacon when we find ourselves alone for a few minutes. “I mean, I’m definitely looking forward to meeting your parents and sisters, but I’m glad I’m getting to know this family.” I hold out my hand to gesture at all the people milling around the room.
Deacon smiles at me. “And I’m glad they’re getting to know you. Even if my brother’s still being a bit of a dick,” he adds with a weary sigh.
“He seems less scowly since I explained all that stuff,” I point out. “I’m sure he’ll come around eventually. And if you can deal with Piper, I can deal with Sullivan.” The words aren’t mere platitudes to reassure Deacon; I’ve genuinely noticed a softening in Sullivan’s attitude toward me, and I’ve even glimpsed a hint of that warm and fuzzy side I could have sworn people were just bullshitting me about. He hasn’t directed any of that my way, of course, but I saw him with Izzy earlier and he was making an effort to really engage with her, which I greatly appreciated.
As though our words have summoned him, Sullivan himself approaches Deacon and me, with Charlie Campbell at his side.
“Sully says your wife is stalking you?” Charlie asks, looking utterly baffled as he swings his gaze between Deacon and me, no doubt registering our close proximity and the way Deacon has his finger hooked in one of my belt loops.
“Ex-wife,” I clarify. “We’ve been separated for three years. And I don’t know if “stalking” is the right word. We just know someone took a picture of Deacon and me at a bar about six weeks ago and somehow Sullivan’s PI ended up with it.”
“We don’t know for sure it was Natalia,” Deacon says. “She just seems like the most likely suspect.”
“It has to be her,” I say adamantly. “Sullivan says it wasn’t him, and there’s no one else who’s that interested in digging into my life.”
“I can’t possibly be the only person you’ve pissed off enough to want to get answers in an unconventional way,” Sullivan says with a huff.
“Believe it or not, I’m actually pretty well-liked,” I say with a shrug. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve had any dealings as…acrimonious as things became with you and Steele. And you know my reasons for that.”
“Okay, let’s say it is the wife,” Charlie says, cutting off Sullivan’s attempt at a retort. “Why did you drag me over here? What do you expect me to do about it?”
“Give him legal advice, obviously.”
“He already has a lawyer,” Charlie points out. “Talk to Leona about it.”
“Just do it, Charlie,” Sullivan says. “He’s here to stay, apparently. That means he gets all the perks.”
I blink in surprise, feeling oddly touched. Does this mean Sullivan has actually accepted me as Deacon’s boyfriend? That would make things a hell of a lot easier.
Charlie sighs. “Okay, fine. But a) I really don’t see what help I’m going to be, and b) I’m not going to be the one dealing with Leona bitching about me moving in on her client. That’s all on you, buddy,” he tells me.
I shake my head. “I really don’t think this is nec—”
“Shh, he might be able to help,” Deacon says, squeezing my arm.
I sigh. Leona and her team have been over every possible legal option for removing Natalia from my life. If there was a legal loophole I could use to put an end to this situation, I would have found it by now. “Fine,” I say, motioning for Charlie to go ahead.
“This woman…you’re still married to her, but you’re separated I’m guessing? Is that why you think she’s been investigating you—to gather leverage for settlement negotiations?”
I let out a harsh scoff. “Dude, I can’t even get her to the negotiation part. She won’t agree to the divorce because our pre-nup won’t hold until we hit the ten-year mark. The one offer I made, which was a couple years ago now, included everything the pre-nup would have given herexceptthe allocated stake in Grimco. And it wasn’t enough.” I rub my fingers into my forehead to ease some of the growing anxiety this conversation is causing, but it doesn’t ease at all until I feel Deacon’s hand rubbing soothing circles over my back. Letting out a sigh, I glance back up to find both Charlie and Sullivan wearing frowns of concern. Fuck, I hope I can get through this without completely losing it.
Thankfully, Deacon swoops in to explain the current situation and what I’ve been dealing with over the past few years. He keeps things broad, and I appreciate him not going into all the gory details, but his explanation is enough to give the two men a decent picture of my current relationship with Natalia.
“So you’re thinking she could use this photo to blackmail you if you decided to file and go to court anyway?” Charlie asks. “Or use as evidence against you?”
I nod. “Seems most likely. A month or so ago, a move like that might have worked. Now it feels like a pretty insignificant threat,” I say with a soft smile in Deacon’s direction. “But she’s also pretty money hungry, so there’s also the possibility of her selling it to make some cash. I think it probably would have been splashed all over the media by now if she’d done that, though.”
I see Sullivan cringe, no doubt recalling his recent experience with tabloid journalism.
“Okay, not going to lie, it sounds like a really shit situation all around,” Charlie says, stating the obvious. “Have you tried for a no signature divorce?”
