Page 66 of Bombshell (Whiskey Dolls 1)

“I know sir,” she said, her voice small and shaky. “I’m sorry, but there’s someone here to see you. A Tali Allen? She doesn’t have an appointment, but she was insistent that you’d want to talk to her. I’ll send her away if—”

My back shot straight at the name. “No!” I spat out quickly. “No, that’s all right. I’ll go get her myself.”

“Oh . . . okay.”

I shot from my chair and bolted out of my office, stopping to back-peddle to my assistant’s desk. She looked up at me with no small amount of trepidation. “Abigale, I’m sorry for how I’ve been treating you the past few days.”

Her eyes went wide with surprise. “Oh . . . um, it-it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” I told her, feeling like a piece of shit. “I’ve been in a bad mood that’s all my own fault, and I’ve been taking it out on you. I’ll try and do better.”

I waited for her nod before I turned back around and headed for the reception area. A woman I could only assume was Tali was standing a few feet from the desk, looking around the lobby when I stepped through the glass doors and called her name. She looked so much like her little sister, it wasn’t funny, and I felt my breathing grow choppy as her eyes met mine

She turned around and gave me a slow, appraising once-over, the expression on her face telling me she wasn’t all that impressed with what she saw. “Swanky digs you got here. You guys must bring in some serious cash.”

I felt a grin tug at my lips. She had the same fire and attitude as her sister, and while it was cute on the woman standing before me, it was even more adorable on Marin. “If we’re good at what we do.” I stepped aside and held an arm out. “How about we go to one of the conference rooms for some privacy. Are you hungry? I could get my assistant to order in some food.”

God, I was nervous. I couldn’t remember the last time that happened to me. But this woman here held a whole hell of a lot of sway with Marin, and if I had any chance in hell of getting her to stop hating me, I knew I’d need Tali Allen in my corner.

Her blank expression gave absolutely nothing away as she started toward me. “That’s not necessary. I won’t be here long.”

She let me lead her deeper down the hall to an empty conference room, spinning around to pin me in place with an unhappy scowl as soon as I closed the door behind me.

“So,” I started awkwardly. “How are you—”

“Cut the pleasantries bullshit. I’ll make this quick. I had to Google Pierce Walton, attorney, and Richmond to locate you, and the stupid internet gave metwofreaking posibilities. So I’ve already gone through this whole thing with a poor, unsuspecting guy who nearly called the cops on me before I found the real you, and I’m a little annoyed I have to repeat myself. That said, I’m not here to be friendly,” she snapped. “I’m here to tell you you’re a dumbass.”

I let out a sigh, lifting an arm to rub at the back of my neck. “I know.”

“I can’t believe you’d—wait. What?”

I looked up, meeting her wide, bewildered eyes. “I said I know. I’m a dumbass.”

She shook her head, and I got the sense that she’d been expecting this conversation to start off much differently and was trying to shift her plan of attack since I’d caught her off guard.

She threw her arms out at her sides. “Well, if you already know that, why the hell haven’t you done something to fix it?”

“Tali, it’s not that simple.”

“Do you love her?”

The word yes was on the tip of my tongue, desperate to be put out into the world, but I just couldn’t make myself say it. “There are things you don’t understand—”

“You mean about your wife?” My chin jerked back in shock at her question, and a small amount of that hostility in her eyes and body drifted away. “Marin told me. She wasn’t gossiping or anything like that, but she knew she was developing feelings for you,realfeelings, and it scared her.” As if she’d sensed herself softening, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin up, all hard and protective once more. “The difference between you and her, though, is that she was at least brave enough to put herself out there, despite being scared.”

Fuck me, but that hurt. “How . . .” I had to swallow past the sandpaper grit suddenly filling my throat. “How is she?”

She gave it to me honestly, no matter how hard the truth was. “Not good,” she snapped. “She’s shattered. Truth is, I’ve never seen her like this. She’s been hurt in the past when relationships went bad, but this time is different. She’s not just hurt. You managed to devastate her. So congratulations, I guess,” she spat hatefully.

That aching hole in my chest felt like it was getting wider and wider by the second. “I never meant to hurt her, Tali. I swear. I just . . . I can’t.”

At the way she looked at me just then, I felt an intense wave of pity drifting off of her and slamming into me. “I can’t imagine what you went through, losing your wife like that,” she said quietly. “I’m so sorry, Pierce. But what you don’t get is that you’re one of the lucky few. There aren’t many people that get a second chance at that kind of love again. You have that right now, but you’re wasting it. Marin can’t replace your wife, no one can, and she wouldn’t ever try. But shecanmake you happy. That’s all she wants.”

I struggled to pull in a breath, my chest tightening to the point it didn’t feel like there was any room for my lungs as she continued laying it out for me.

“I’ve never seen her like this because she’s never loved anyone the way she loves you. She has the biggest heart of anyone I know. Her capacity to love, to shine that light that’s all her own down on the people she cares about . . . it’s an extraordinary thing to witness, and even more so for those of us lucky enough to experience it firsthand. There will come a day when a man enters her life who gets all of that from her and so much more. Whether or not that man is you is your choice, Pierce. And I really hope you don’t miss your shot at a second chance at that kind of happiness.” She shook her head in disappointment. “It would be such a shame.”

With that parting shot, she skirted past me and through the conference room door, leaving me reeling.

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