Page 110 of When the Smoke Clears

“Years?” I exclaim, almost jumping out of my seat. Despair threatens to consume me. The idea of being trapped in dealings with Alan, reliving that horrid night and the past ten years of my life with his narcissistic ass, has me about to implode. “I can’t go on like this for years, Hank!”

“Maci.” Sutton’s voice is soothing as he presses his hand firmer to my leg. His comforting nature isn’t working.

“I’m being honest with you about the situation, Maci. I’m not going to sugar-coat this. At any point.” Hank’s voice is calm despite the seriousness of what he’s saying. “That doesn’t mean itwilllast all that time. Alan strikes me as wanting immediate wins. I don’t think he’ll want to be dragging this on for years either. If I can’t see a win, I’m directing you to someone else.”

My head falls forward and I rub my hand over my face. “I appreciate your honesty. I want it. I can’t have this, or him and all of his secrets, hanging over my head for years.” I sit up with a sigh.

His brows furrow. “Secrets?”

“Apparently, he has a secret life. At least, potentially. It all sounds like something out of a movie, but Melissa, his ex-wife, said she found out about it and Stephanie confirmed.”

Hank leans forward minutely. “Secret life,” he repeats.

“Yeah. You know, multiple families in different states,” Sutton says.

“Not legally, though.” Hank’s eyes bounce between us, like he’s on the hunt.

I shrug. “I doubt it. There’s no way to get multiple marriage licenses, right?”

“Not legally,” he repeats. His face relaxes a bit, and the corner of his mouth hints at a smile.

Sutton and I both stare at him.

“Maci, you kind of buried the lead on this one.”

“Did I?” I’m not sure how I could have. Alan is a grade-A prick, but I don’t see how it’s relevant.

“Yes. If he has marriage licenses in multiple states, that’s bigamy. It’s a felony. We can absolutely use that to our advantage in getting him to drop this case.”

My eyes bug. “So, how do we find out?”

“I’ll do some digging. Does your mom have any information on this?”

“I know she’s been in touch with another wife. I’ll get more details from her if I can. I’m sure Melissa would be willing to share what she knows, too.”

“Perfect. Get what you can. It’s more likely that he has aliases, so work on names. His or potential partners, cities, anything. In the meantime, I’ll send our response and get started going through whatever documentation I can get my hands on. We’re going to fight this with everything we’ve got,” he says confidently as he stands.

“Thank you, Hank.” An uncharacteristic urge to hug him surfaces, but I refrain. “I know this is a gamble, but I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

He smiles. “I’ll be in touch soon. Reach out once you know something.”

“Thank you.” Sutton extends a hand. He may not think Hank is the right person for the role, but I’m appreciative that he’s behind me on this.

I leave Sutton in the dining room and walk Hank out. When I return, he wraps me in his arms. “We’re gonna beat this, Firecracker. Come hell or high water.”

“I’m not sure how much further into hell I can go,” I say into his chest. It’s only a half-joke.

Chapter 40

Sutton

“Doyoutrustme?”

Maci stares back at me from the passenger seat. It’s hard to hide the nerves racing through me. I need to do this for her, but I also need her to be comfortable. I rake a hand through my hair. I should’ve worn my hat.

“Of course I trust you.” A soft smile plays on her lips, and I reach across the console to squeeze her leg so I don’t take her back inside. Her hand drapes over mine, her skin cold to the touch, soothing. I hope to return the sentiment tonight.

She doesn’t ask about our destination, which I appreciate, because I don’t want her amped before we get there. It’s not like I can hide where we’re going, though. As soon as we head out the opposite side of town, her leg starts bouncing in the seat. I give her another gentle squeeze, which she returns with her hand. Her leg stops bouncing, but she stares silently out the window, lost in her own head.

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