Page 108 of With Us

“Girlfriends aren’t an alibi. At least I’m at the bar with Faust and Dale. Hold on.” I heard a click. After a pause, he came back on the line, swearing up a storm. “Davis said another call came in, but he hasn’t gotten the details yet. Whoever it is, they know the timing was off. I’ll get it worked out.”

“Give me a couple hours with Dahlia, and I’ll meet you at Amaric.”

If shit was going to hit the fan, I knew I should wake Dahlia and talk to her. Explain to her.

Tell her the truth.

I couldn’t. I didn’t have enough time to answer all the questions she’d inevitably have. Once she knew everything, there was a chance she’d want to leave, and I wouldn’t be around to convince her to stay.

My mind ran through all the possibilities as I climbed back into bed, curving my body around Dahlia’s. I pulled her tight against me, my body reacting the way it always does when she’s around. “I love you, my gattina.” She wiggled against me, and I was tempted to roll her onto her back and take her. Knowing there was a distinct possibility she’d be having some sleepless nights ahead of her, I stilled her movements. “Get some sleep.”

“You’ve gotta be kitten me right meow,” she mumbled in her sleep.

Even with everything else going on, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Although she was awake, I felt Dahlia’s body relax. It only seemed to do that when I was around. As if she instinctively knew she could release some of the stress she carried because I’d always take care of her.

She was right.

My mind should’ve been on what was to come. There was a lot that could go wrong, and I needed to plan for all of it.

Instead, my focus was on Dahlia.

And making sure I didn’t lose her.

Flattening my palm against her stomach, my already hard cock ached. I wished my baby was growing in her. And not just because it would tie her to me permanently, though that held a lot of appeal. I’d wanted a little time with just the two of us before I made that happen. It was a decision I regretted, and one I was set on rectifying as soon as possible.

So long as, when all was said and done, she even still wanted me.

Thinking of the alternative twisted my gut.

“Fuck it,” I cursed, rolling Dahlia onto her back. I covered her body with mine, my mouth taking hers in an unguarded kiss.

If it was going to be the last time I was inside her, I was going to make sure she remembered.

She’s mine.

And I’m every bit hers.

???

Early Monday morning

“We sure about this?” Will Costa, my lawyer, asked for the twentieth time. The sun was barely in the sky, but we’d been locked up in my office for hours.

I paced the room, running through everything in my head again. I could risk it, but it could end up being so much worse. “What’s the maximum time I could face?”

“Four years. Which, hypothetically, is probably a lot less than any possible alternatives. Like, say, if someone staged a government official’s suicide and got life in with no chance of parole.” He looked up from the papers he had spread across the table. “Hypothetically. I’d also like to point out that, as far as they’ll know, it was in defense of someone and you’re a first-time offender. Plus, you’re a pillar of the community. Not to mention, you’re willing to turn yourself over, and I’m a damn fine fucking lawyer.” He smiled cockily, which had always helped him get his way. “Been running the streets with you since we were in diapers. Now we wear suits while we do it. Doesn’t change the fact I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

He was right.

Davis had been in touch again shortly before Will had arrived. Any possible murder was far down on the department’s list of concerns. The paper trail Luc had left implicated other high level public officials in some mildly shady dealings. He’d kept the good stuff in our files in case we needed to make use of it in the future. Still, enough had gotten out that there was a general sense of relief about Larson’s death.

This wasn’t even taking into consideration that he’d had a doped up sixteen-year-old runaway sleeping one off upstairs.

That was a curveball that could’ve really fucked over the carefully planned night.

More than it already was.

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