“Any time the stinking Feds are involved, you want to watch your fucking ass.”
“This from a man who was a Fed? And I’m back to, where are you going with this?”
“There’s a reason I’m not a Fed anymore. One jealous fuck over there that hates you for your money and success, and this drags out. Reese’s name alone holds power. And he doesn’t work for Bennett. Ri infiltrated your operation. I like the feel of Reese being an outsider on this.”
And there it is, the reasons he’s pressing me to call Reese. “I’ll call him,” I agree tightly. “I’m taking Mia to lunch and someplace special. We’ll meet your men at the airport.”
“I’ll keep them out of sight,” he says.
I scrub the knot at the back of my neck. “I really don’t want to take Mia back to this shit.”
“You’re not taking her back to this shit. You’re taking her home, man. And it’s none of my business, but it seems to me with all you’ve been through, you both need to be home together. What time tonight?”
“Eight.”
“Eight it is. See you then. Oh fuck, I almost forgot. That ADA’s name you sent me. He’s dating a female ADA who’s connected to this Ri thing.”
“‘The Ri thing.’ I still can’t believe the degrees this man went to try to destroy me. He infiltrated my staff, planted who knows what dirt inside my operations, and then went to the Feds.”
“And that didn’t turn out well for him. My job, and Reese’s, will be to make sure we clean this up completely, so there are no snakes in the grass to bite you. Back to the ADA. What is this about?”
“Mia has a case he’s handling. She feels like a deal, and a light one at that should have been made and instead, she and her client are headed to trial.”
“We might be able to help her dig up something to turn the ADA around, but it sounds like you could request this guy hand off the case.”
“I suspect that’s what Mia will do, but I’ll keep you posted.”
We say a few more words and disconnect. I set the phone down and press my hands to the island. How damn deep did Ri get inside my operation? And how the hell did I let that happen?
“I didn’t know we were planning to move the island?”
At Mia’s soft, musical voice, I straighten and find her standing a few feet away, looking beautiful as hell—her long light brown hair wavy and a bit wild today. Her make-up is light, lips glossed pale pink. Eyes bright with engagement. “What are you talking about, baby?”
She closes the space between us with a sexy little shimmy to her hips.
“You,” she says, stopping in front of me, “forgot to tell me that we’re relocating the island. You’ve been pushing it all morning. We might need a contractor.”
I laugh, and I’m not sure I laughed a day when we were apart. “Is that right?”
“Seems that way.”
“You’re crazy, woman,” I say, taking her purse and setting it on the island we’re presently discussing before wrapping my arm around her shoulders and folding her close. “Crazy good. And you always smell so damn good. You make me want to lick you all over.”
Her hand settles on my cheek. “As good as that sounds, it has to wait.”
“Why is that, exactly?”
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, Grayson, or did you get so used to dealing with things without me that you don’t need me?”
“Baby, I need you more than I need my next breath. You know that.”
“Then talk to me,” she prods softly. “It’s the whole death thing that messes with your head, right?”
“It’s a lot of things.” I release her and turn to the island, and the minute my hands go down on it, I laugh and turn to her. “Maybe we do need a contractor.”
She laughs, but she gives me a pleading look. “Grayson. Talk to me.”
“We’ll talk over lunch. How do you feel about Ed’s Diner?”
“I love Ed’s Diner. I really love it with you.”
And just that easily, she brings me back to the simple things in life. The important things like family, like her. The way my mother did for my father. This woman needs to be my wife. It’s long past due, and that’s why lunch isn’t our only stop this afternoon. I’m going to give us both a whole lot more than Ri and the FBI to think about when we go home.
CHAPTER SIX
Grayson
I load up the Porsche with our luggage and then help Mia into the car. Once we’re on the road, on this clear October day, I update her on my call with Walker Security. “Blake’s going to swing by the apartment tonight with his wife and talk about security and the press this week.”
“Oh. Well, that sounds much less daunting than a formal meeting at his place. What changed?”
“I think he thought he’d have more to tell us than he does.”
She casts me a concerned look. “Is this not over, Grayson?”
“Ri infiltrated my operation. We haven’t named all of those names. They’re still present inside our world, capable of using our operation to do bad things. This week is going to be about flushing them out. For me, that is. You have a case to handle. I asked Blake about the ADA handling your case.”
She shifts in her seat toward me. “And?”
I pull us to a halt at a stoplight. “He’s dating another ADA who was working with RI to take me down.”
“I still can’t believe Ri convinced them you were dirty. And apparently, me with you. If I can’t get that ADA off my client’s case, I need to hand this case to someone else. But I don’t want to do that. I’m going to raise hell until I do.”
“That’s my feisty woman,” I say, sliding my hand down her hair. “Yes. You will.”
A few minutes later, we’re on the road, when Mia’s father calls me, not her. After assuring him she’s well, the call is short and over. Mia pretends indignance that he went around her, but I know his worry touches her. A few blocks later, we pull into one of our favorite places on the island, and I can feel my mood shift and lighten, but my determination to end this hell we’re living sets firmly in my gut. We’ve walked through flames to be back to each other. No one is taking it from us.
Soon, Mia and I are sitting on the waterfront patio of the restaurant in an enclosed area, with heaters blasting around us, the ocean the canvas to our conversation. “It’s almost the holidays,” she says, once we have bubbling champagne glasses in our hands. “It’s Halloween next weekend and then November.”
“And you’ll be home. It will be a much better year this year. Last year, Eric and I drank whiskey and ate the meal Leslie made for us before she left and went upstate to be with her family.”
“I’m sure she was quite worried. That woman has done your mom proud looking after you.”
“She has,” I say solemnly, thinking of how damn much I missed my parents and Mia that day.
“I’m sure you watched football,” she says. “In your dad’s honor.”
“Yes. He’d have it no other way.” Emotion is about to choke me out right now and I shift the topic to what’s important right here and now: her. “What about you? Were you with your father?”