Page 139 of The Wrong Side of the Law

“Yes, Andrea. Right now, right here, I can announce that I am running for the office of State Attorney. A fair judicial system, equal justice, is the bedrock of our society. Today’s verdict should underscore how important that is, and I give you my word that corruption willnotbe tolerated on my watch.”

As soon as Gabriel finishes speaking, there are more shouted questions and more jockeying for position.

“Yes, Luis Andrade!” Gabriel points to another local reporter. “Go ahead, Luis.”

“Mister Cooper, would you care to comment on rumors that you’re involved in a romantic relationship with Emily Wilson, the sister of a defendant that you prosecuted?” Andrade’s smug little smirk says he thinks he’s got Gabriel trapped.

I’m mortified, but Gabriel looks down at me and laughs before holding up our joined hands.

“Luis, you see her standing here next to me, right? And we’re holding hands? She’s not exactly a dirty little secret. We’ve been together for months, now, and in case you’ve forgotten: her brother, Frank Wilson, wasinnocent. You may also recall the big news from a couple months ago, where Robert Ferry was arrested and charged with—among a whole list of things—setting Frank up to go to prison?” Gabriel laughs. “There’s nothing improper here. You’re barking up the wrong tree with that, my friend.”

There are more questions, more reporters that want information, but Gabriel and I push our way clear.

“No more questions for now, people,” he says. “Emily and I have places to go and things to do.”

“You set that up, didn’t you?” I try to glare accusingly at him, but it’s hard to look angry when you’re giggling.

“Why would I do that?” Gabriel is the perfect picture of cherubic innocence. “What possible advantage could it have for me to cultivate relationships with members of the press who have historically not been favorable to the SA’s office?”

“Oh, my hero! My scheming, evil genius!” I simper and bat my eyelashes up at him, then sigh as we get in the car. “I wish Frank could have been here today. But at least the sentencing hearing is before he goes back to school after Christmas. I think he’s going to want to read a victim statement.”

“Good for him,” Gabriel says. “I hope he does. Looking at all the charges, Whitehall could be looking at something like sixty-five years, if the sentences run consecutively. Which they won’t, obviously, but the longer he’s away the happier I’ll be.”

It’s a long drive from the Federal courthouse in Miami, but eventually we find our way home.

A thought strikes me, and I pull out my phone to check the date as Gabriel puts the car in park and shuts down the engine in front of the house. It used to bemyhouse, but now it’sourhome.

“Look at that,” I say. “I almost forgot what day it is.”

Gabriel just looks over at me, puzzled.

“I came home a year ago today. My entire world was collapsing. Everything was falling apart. No, not falling… fallen. Everything had already fallen apart, and I showed up just in time to see the dust settling.”

“Yeah. And just look at you now,” he says, capturing me from behind with one arm, while reaching past me to unlock the front door with the other.

“Oh, right! Yes, just look at me now! Still unemployed and living at home. Still not back in law school.”

Gabriel just laughs at my mournful whining.

“Details, details. In that year, let’s see. You’ve reformed your brother and packed him off to military school-”

“That wastotallyhis idea, Gabriel!” I squawk. “I had nothing to do with it at all!”

“Of course you didn’t. Nothing at all. What else? Oh! You sorted out most of your father’s estate, got the property taxes taken care of, and have the rental properties back. That’s something, isn’t it?”

“I suppose it’s something, but it’s not enough,” I grumble. “The bank accounts were wiped clean, everything portable isgonebecause my stepmother sold it all off, and don’t forget: in order to get her the hell out of this house, I had to put her up in one of the rental condos. For life. Basically, I’m paying her off to leave the house, and that’s not cheap.”

“Cheap? No. Worth it?” Gabriel gives me a meaningful look, eyebrows raised. “Oh, definitely yes.”

“Whydefinitely yes?” I narrow my eyes suspiciously. What is he up to?

I get my answer a moment later when he pulls me close, bringing me with him as he falls backwards to land sprawled beneath me on the couch.

“Because it’s a lot harder to have a satisfying sex life when your stepmother is constantly looking over your shoulder.”

He nibbles at that one spot on my neck and playfully gropes at me. He knows just the right buttons to push to make my eyes close and draw a long, purring, moan from somewhere deep in my chest.

“Okay. Good point,” I pant. “Very good point.”

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