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He unlatches the restraints, pulling me into his arms. “Stay put, don’t move.” His command is one I can follow. I don’t think I can if I try. The culmination of this intense scene and the thought that I couldn’t trust him has left me unable to think, let alone move.
“Don’t doze off on me, baby.” Fuck, his demands are sometimes hard to take, and I hope he’d forget about aftercare, some way, somehow.
Scooping me into his arms, the water is running in my tub. “In you go, baby.” He slides me in, filling a glass of water for me. He watches intently, and I do as I’m silently told, drinking the entirety of the cup.
“Sit up, Heaven.” And he slips in behind me.
“We need to talk,” I say, pushing myself to speak.
“You want to know who has access to that part of my life, and who would have betrayed me?”
It had been my question, but he articulated it himself. He’s quiet, not answering what he asked. But in my mind, only one person has access to Luca’s life in that way.
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
I’m in my office, the NDA in question stares at me from my desk. “Shaelyn,” I call out, trying to calm my nerves, the NDA isn’t her fault after all. “Can you please call Harry Lane, first and foremost, and get the entire legal staff in here. Have them pull every record that dealt with Keep it Greene’s civil suit against us. And I want no excuses from them. Understand?”
“Sure thing, Mr. De Santos.” I end the call and wait for a reason not to fire my entire legal staff. Anisten was quiet last night. She never mentions Harry’s name, even though I know they butt heads every single time they’re in the same room. Harry has been with me from the beginning, and where he lacks any personality, he’s sharp, and has saved my ass a million times over.
“Sir, I have Mr. Lane. Can I send him in?”
“Yes, and thank you.”
Harry slips into my office and is unkempt to his typical squared away self. He hasn’t shaved in days and his hair is longer than he normally wears it. His lack of style isn’t my concern. “I’m sorry, Sir. I’m feeling under the weather. But, Shaelyn said it was urgent.”
I push the NDA toward him, and I attempt to read his reaction. He squints his eyes, bringing the legal document closer to him. “Um, I don’t understand, Sir, this was dropped and we never agreed to an NDA with Greene. Where was this found?”
“Anisten’s investigator found it. I’m not sure how he did, but he’s good. This is not my signature, and I swear to God, Harry, if I don’t get some sort of explanation, I may just fire the whole lot of you in legal.”
The doors open to the rest of the team, three junior lawyers and two secretaries, boxes of records in their arms.
“Sit down.” They do so on the extra chairs they’ve brought in from reception. “I’m going to say it once, and only fucking once. I want everything and I mean everything on this civil lawsuit, from the beginning to the end, and every fucking detail will be shared with me. You have one day to put it together, and we’re going section by section. You’ll share everything with Tucker Owens, the investigator. I won’t leave a stone unturned until I find out who forged my signature.”
Three days later, we’re no closer to figuring anything out, and as I look over documents and one of the lawyers explains it to me, I gaze at my watch. Anisten and Bristol are on their way to the lake. I’m here dealing with this shit and I should be with them. I take one last peek at it all, realizing it won’t get solved today. “I’m leaving. Be back in my office Monday by eight.” I walk out, not saying a goodbye. In three hours, I’ll be with my girl. And it’s the only place I want to be.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
My mind is still focused on the person responsible for this massive clusterfuck. I haven’t forgiven myself for my wavering trust in Luca. How could I have doubted him?
For three days, he’s tried on his end to figure it out, as Tuck does the same with his resources. I want to tell him my suspicions, but it’s a sticky line to cross with my emotional attachment to both Luca and the case.
But, with my sister’s visit and our weekend at Laura and Dean’s vacation house, Bristol and I are making the trip to Lake Michigan, without Luca. He’ll meet us later, after more meetings with his in-house legal team.
“Is this really your life, Ani?” Bristol asks, finishing her Prosecco in the back of Luca’s town car as Anthony drives the three hours up to the Jenkins’ second home on Lake Michigan.
“It’s really not that glamorous. I’m still me—the assertive woman who works her ass off. Luca’s money doesn’t matter. I’ve worked hard to make a nest egg.” Though my nest egg and investments and savings of close to four hundred thousand dollars is nothing compared to Luca’s worth.
“I know you’d never settle for someone based on how many zeros are in their bank account. It’s the way he treats you. You’re his treasure, Ani, like a precious emerald.”
“Bristol, he’s also unrelenting and bossy and hard-headed and…”
“Yes, but he treasures you. It was obvious at Mom and Dad’s. He slept in a different bed to make you happy, and fuck, I’m so jealous.”
“Heispretty great, I’ll admit.” And I can. All the things I said about Luca are true, but the way he puts me first despite those things gives me pause to think that this can be my forever.
“You know,” she begins, “Jewel’s husband is the same way, apparently. You both are lucky girls.”
It hits me. She’s the reason that Jewel knew. “You bitch, you told Jewel about me freaking out concerning Luc’s deeper desires.”
