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I can’t help but grin at her dramatics, holding my glass out as well before the table is cleared of everything but our drinks and a few pitchers of beer. “So, when’s the big announcement?” Cole asks.
Everyone looks in his direction, and Lexie scowls. “What, what did I say?” he asks, looking around the group and landing on me.
I laugh. “No time like the present, my friend. What do you think, Marenah? Should we let them in on the scoop?”
“I’m dying over here. I can’t sit still in my chair for another minute. I’m going to bust if we don’t tell everyone what’s going on right this very minute,” she says.
“Well, we can’t have that. Why don’t you tell them, Marenah?”
She sucks in a breath and takes a long sip of her vodka mixed drink before she’s ready. “We’ve known for a little while that we need more resources to help with the trafficking stuff. We’re really only touching the tip of the iceberg. And a lot of the guys have already been dedicating most of their time working on the cases involving the traffickers, so they’ve decided to expand the division, even though the department is relatively new. I’ve been working on the research and intel side of things, and that works well for me. Lexie and I can basically work from wherever Matt and Sheldon are stationed, which works well for us. At least until we decide to have children,” she says, blushing.
“But we need more. We need dedicated men to get in and out of the places these rats crawl, and flush them out. Chase and Brian talked with Carlos Larussio, and they’re going to jointly back the project expansion. The police have to live within the law of the land.” She shrugs. “We don’t, and they want the traffickers flushed out of the city whether they want to admit they have our help or not. So Nick has been asked to head up that side of the division, and he’ll be taking over effective tomorrow.”
Allie’s hand tightens around the mug that halts midway to her lips.
“Speech!” Cole demands, tapping his fork lightly on the water glass in front of him.
I grin. “It’s an honor to have been asked. I was hoping our group would be tapped to help more in this area. We’re constantly crossing between protecting our own and chasing the traffickers. Now we need to find the person in charge of the operation that traffics women from right here in some of our own backyards. It was really only a matter of time before we were going to need to expand. And I applaud Chase, Brian, and Carlos Larussio for taking a firm stand and putting up the money. As you can imagine it will take a lot of it, as well as coordination, time, and resources.
“And I’m happy to announce that a lot has happened today. Tommy and his team were instrumental in getting the information we needed to identify the man at the top of Darwin’s organization earlier today. We originally thought it may have been one of Alfreita’s immediate family. That was ruled out, but we weren’t that far off. It’s one of his cousins, hence the last name. Tommy’s team was also able to identify Alberto Conipal as the name of the person who deep-sixed some of the communications documents from intel. Scottie was dead right about that and was at the division to help get information from him when he was confronted. Alberto gave up documents that will put the young Alfreita behind bars regardless of the vast wealth of his family.”
I look at Allie,and the smile on her face is worth all the covert texts and calls to get this done without letting her know until all the pieces came together. “It appears that Lexie and Allie can now have their lives back without constantly looking over their shoulders.”
The group claps,and both Lexie and Allie’s eyes are glistening with emotion.
“Which bringsme to the next part of why everyone was asked to come tonight. Chase and Katarina will be opening the new Prestian Medical Center. They’re going to be looking for top-notch personnel to help open and run the hospital in addition to our new endeavor on the trafficking side. The group we have around the table, along with others unable to make it this evening, have been identified as people who have the skill set and personalities that we’re looking for. In closing, think about what you’d like to do most in life because any of these opportunities could take your careers in a different direction and help those less fortunate at the same time.”
I raise my glass in toast. “To our leaders, who have the tenacious ability to do the right thing at the right time for the people in our communities.”
I take a drink, feeling Allie’s eyes burning into me as the others begin excitedly talking amongst each other. She leans closer, the heat of her body rubbing along the length of me as she does. “You didn’t tell me on purpose.”
I raise my glass in salute and give a nod to Stella, who’s watching for my cue and heads over to the band leader who’s just finished a set. “Ladies and gentleman, we have a special request from the audience.”
I take Allie’s hand and pull her gently from her seat. “I think this dance belongs to me.”
Her deep green eyes go wide just like they do in my dreams. I guide her to the dance floor, pulling her close as the band begins to slow to the rhythmic and poetic sound of Raglan Road. Her breath catches on my chest as she recognizes the tune.
“This is one of my favorite songs. I’ve never danced to it, though,” Allie murmurs, laying her head against my chest.
I pull her tighter, guiding her across the floor. “Something else we’ll have to remedy.”
She looks up at me as we move in time to the music. “Something else?”
“Your job, my job, where we live, all those things. We need to remedy them.”
Her eyes are wide and expressive. “You’re really staying here in the city. You’re not leaving on assignment out of the country anymore?”
“No, love. I’m going to stay here and take care of you and the life we build together.”
“Nick, I’m not great girlfriend material.”
“You’d make a terrible girlfriend; it’s out of the question. It would never work.”
She swallows hard. “You want to go back to our club arrangement?”
I smile down at the dark-haired goddess who somehow managed to steal my heart with her smart tongue.
“No, love. I can’t promise a life of roses with the careers we have, but I can promise you that I’ll love you forever, and will never turn my back on you or be unfaithful. You’re the woman I’ve always dreamed of meeting. Kind, caring, and above all, real. I want us to live in the city, help people like we did today. Maybe you do that part-time, full-time, or work at the ED and then part-time with me, or hell, move over to Prestian Medical Center and manage their ED and help me in your spare time, but whatever you decide to do, I want us to be together, always. I love you, Allie. I’ve loved you since the very first time I saw you.”
