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“I submittedthe paperwork to the judge.” I grasped Daniel’s fingers in mine as we listened to his lawyer on the speakerphone in his study. “He dismissed the case. You’re a free man, Elliott.”
I shrieked. Daniel sat frozen, staring at the phone in disbelief. It had taken less than a day.
“Elliott? You okay?”
“Fine. Where does that leave Donato?” he asked, all business.
“Cleared, too. Alvarez closed the case. Open and shut suicide,” Zegas said.
Daniel’s shoulders relaxed. “I’m giving your fee to Vivian.”
“Was that a joke?”
“She figured out how to get us out of this, but yeah, it was a joke,” Daniel said, squeezing my hand.
“Twenty years I’ve known you. That’s a first,” his attorney said in bewilderment.
“Keep it up and it’ll be the last.”
“Was that another one?”
“If you have to ask, probably not.” Daniel ended the call and pulled me out of my chair so that I stood between his legs.
“It’s over,” I said, cupping his cheeks. Mine hurt from the smile on my face.
“It’s not over. Not for us, Princess.”
I bent and smashed my mouth to his. “I knew it wasn’t,” I said against his lips.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “You saved me. Again.”
“No one will ever take you away from me. Not even you.”
He stood and set me on his desk. His eyes glittered as he looked down. “Not even me.”
Daniel caressed my jaw, looking at me in wonder. His thumb traced my cheekbones, my forehead, my mouth. He lowered his head and brushed his lips with mine.
Heat wound through my body, but quickly cooled. “We’d better go tell M. It’s time for dinner anyway.” I glanced down between us, stuffing down a flutter of nerves. “It’s weird we have to ask to come over now.”
“She took the news about my impending incarceration worse than I imagined.” He rested his chin on top of my head and held me close. "I thought lying would protect her, but it did just the opposite. I completely failed at the one thing I promised her I would always do—protect her."
I couldn't deny what he was saying. “You cut her deep. I knew our separation was hurting her, but this silent treatment? I’m not sure how to act around her. I’m afraid I’ll make everything worse.”
“I deserve it. I broke our trust, but I hate that it’s affecting your relationship with her too.” He clasped my hands in his.
“I just want everything back the way it was.”
“She slapped me,” he said, still in disbelief. I could hardly accept it myself, even though I’d witnessed it. “Think she can forgive me?” My heart clenched at the vulnerability in his voice.
“In time. I hope,” I amended uncertainly. “But she’s mad. Like I’ve never seen her this mad.”
“I don’t know how to give her time.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
My hand wason the handle to Muriella’s door when Daniel stopped me. He pulled me flush against him. “This is not going to be easy.” I kissed him for luck, and we went in.
“Well he is to me!” His face fell at the sound of Muriella’s raised voice. We rushed toward the kitchen. “Those people came in here and could’ve killed us all. If we’d had even a clue about them, that wouldn’t have happened.”
