Drew nodded. “I figured. Can’t call you DAP anymore. Maybe I’ll just start DAT. Who DAT?”
I rolled my eyes and let out a small snicker. “That is the stupidest name. You haven’t called me that in years, therefore it and all incarnations are void.”
“I can always bring it back.”
“No. Its statute of limitations is eighty years.”
“I’d like to appeal.”
“Appeal denied.” I clasped my hands together and cocked my head at him.
“Why?”
“You don’t have the appropriate paperwork.”
“What the hell is going on over here? Lawyer p**n ?” Caroline asked as she sat next to Drew.
“We were discussing DAP.”
Caroline paused, then shook her head. “That was the stupidest nickname.”
“Oh, come on, it was different.” The muscles in his forearm flexed, and he grinned.
“It made it sound like you were calling her some cleaning agent. ‘DAP will get out all your stains!’”
“Lila works just fine,” I said and took a bite of my sandwich.
“I’ve got some names for her, but they aren’t for polite company.” Nathan’s arm wrapped around me as he sat down and pulled me close for a kiss.
I looked up at him. “What about Honeybear?”
“Honeybear?” Caroline and Drew asked in unison.
I could swear Nathan’s cheeks pinked up. “Yeah, you’re my Honeybear. Public or private, but I’d prefer private. I’ve got an image to keep up, after all.”
“That’s worse than DAP.” Drew had a look of disgust on his face.
“I think it’s cute. Very different and shows a different side of Nate.” Caroline smiled across the table at us.
“Thank you, Caroline.” Nathan smiled back at her, then took a bite of his sandwich, moaning as he chewed.
I let out a giggle. “Hungry?”
“Fuck, yes. I haven’t eaten all day. Someone wanted to exercise this morning, and I missed breakfast.” He elbowed me and grinned.
“Oh, God, I don’t want to hear about the kinky, f**ked up shit you two get into.” Drew made a gagging sound, then set his sandwich down. “Great. Now all I can see is your f**king hairy balls.”
“Hey, I said exercise—you’re the one who twisted it into my ass being naked.” Nathan chuckled. “And what the hell are you doing see my balls? I thought you’d be envisioning Lila, though I’m glad you weren’t, but is there something you need to tell us?”
Drew glared at Nathan, then shot a fry in his direction. “Shut the f**k up.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Yup, bunch of professional lawyers over here, not that anyone would guess.”
Drew sat up straighter and held his head high. “Professional when we need to be.”
Caroline quirked her brow at them. “Frat boys the rest of the time?”
Drew took a bite, then wiped his mouth. “You know I wasn’t a frat boy.”
“True, but I’m willing to bet Nate was.” Caroline turned her blue eyes back to Nathan, and he held up his right hand.
“Guilty.”
I gasped in shock and pulled back. “My God, what am I marrying?”
He eyed me sideways, his lip twitching up. “Prince Charming, remember?”
I scoffed. “This is one f**ked up fairy tale.”
Nathan nodded, then he turned toward me, his eyes softening as he pulled me closer. “Yes, it is, but it’s ours.”
“Oh, by the way, I ran into someone who knows you when we were at the bridal shop.” I’d forgotten all about it.
His brow quirked. “Yeah? Who?”
I wracked my brain trying to remember his name. “Mack something. Said you met back when you were working on the Marconi case.”
Nathan swallowed hard, and set his sandwich down as he turned away from me. His profile didn’t stop me from seeing the color leave his skin. My stomach dropped, and a sickness washed over me. The air around him had become so thick that I was certain Drew and Caroline noticed his abrupt change in demeanor.
He only had that reaction when the Marconi were brought up.
“What else did he say?”
It’d been an innocent run-in, or so I thought. “Congratulations. That’s it.”
He turned back to me, his lips twitching into a forced smile, but his eyes couldn’t hide the combination of anger and dread.
“So, did you hear about Blackwell?” Caroline asked. “Seems he’s all the scandal with that intern Tara.”
I turned to look at her, mouthing a “thank you” as Drew jumped in, steering the conversation away and saving our peaceful lunch as much as possible.
When Nathan came to my office at the end of the day, I could tell he was off. His agitation was seeping through in the expression on his face and the fidgeting of his hands. The silence as we climbed into the car and headed home was a dead giveaway that something was wrong.
I waited, knowing he’d spill when he was ready. It was better to wait and let his mood settle. About ten minutes into our drive, he opened up, but not on the subject I was anticipating.
“Adam’s trying to get a plea bargain,” Nathan said.
I turned in my seat to face him, stunned. “What?”
“I got a call this afternoon.” Nathan’s gaze never left the road, but his anger was evident by the grip he had on the wheel and the clenching of his jaw.
“He’s trying to get out of it.” Of course he would. His demented mind blamed me for all the hardships in his life. “How much will this push the trial out?”
“Depends on how long the prosecution lets it go until they put their foot down and say no.”
“They will say no, right?” I asked, nervous that the prosecutor would deal. If they did, Adam could serve much less time.
Nathan nodded. “With his priors, they’re not going to go easy on him.”
I let out a relieved sigh. “Hopefully they won’t let it go on too long. I want this over with.”
Nathan reached over and squeezed my hand. “It’ll be over soon. That f**ker will be in jail, and we won’t ever have to think of him or see him again.”
“It’s not soon enough.”
“I know.”
I rolled my eyes and let out a small snicker. “That is the stupidest name. You haven’t called me that in years, therefore it and all incarnations are void.”
“I can always bring it back.”
“No. Its statute of limitations is eighty years.”
“I’d like to appeal.”
“Appeal denied.” I clasped my hands together and cocked my head at him.
“Why?”
“You don’t have the appropriate paperwork.”
“What the hell is going on over here? Lawyer p**n ?” Caroline asked as she sat next to Drew.
“We were discussing DAP.”
Caroline paused, then shook her head. “That was the stupidest nickname.”
“Oh, come on, it was different.” The muscles in his forearm flexed, and he grinned.
“It made it sound like you were calling her some cleaning agent. ‘DAP will get out all your stains!’”
“Lila works just fine,” I said and took a bite of my sandwich.
“I’ve got some names for her, but they aren’t for polite company.” Nathan’s arm wrapped around me as he sat down and pulled me close for a kiss.
I looked up at him. “What about Honeybear?”
“Honeybear?” Caroline and Drew asked in unison.
I could swear Nathan’s cheeks pinked up. “Yeah, you’re my Honeybear. Public or private, but I’d prefer private. I’ve got an image to keep up, after all.”
“That’s worse than DAP.” Drew had a look of disgust on his face.
“I think it’s cute. Very different and shows a different side of Nate.” Caroline smiled across the table at us.
“Thank you, Caroline.” Nathan smiled back at her, then took a bite of his sandwich, moaning as he chewed.
I let out a giggle. “Hungry?”
“Fuck, yes. I haven’t eaten all day. Someone wanted to exercise this morning, and I missed breakfast.” He elbowed me and grinned.
“Oh, God, I don’t want to hear about the kinky, f**ked up shit you two get into.” Drew made a gagging sound, then set his sandwich down. “Great. Now all I can see is your f**king hairy balls.”
“Hey, I said exercise—you’re the one who twisted it into my ass being naked.” Nathan chuckled. “And what the hell are you doing see my balls? I thought you’d be envisioning Lila, though I’m glad you weren’t, but is there something you need to tell us?”
Drew glared at Nathan, then shot a fry in his direction. “Shut the f**k up.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “Yup, bunch of professional lawyers over here, not that anyone would guess.”
Drew sat up straighter and held his head high. “Professional when we need to be.”
Caroline quirked her brow at them. “Frat boys the rest of the time?”
Drew took a bite, then wiped his mouth. “You know I wasn’t a frat boy.”
“True, but I’m willing to bet Nate was.” Caroline turned her blue eyes back to Nathan, and he held up his right hand.
“Guilty.”
I gasped in shock and pulled back. “My God, what am I marrying?”
He eyed me sideways, his lip twitching up. “Prince Charming, remember?”
I scoffed. “This is one f**ked up fairy tale.”
Nathan nodded, then he turned toward me, his eyes softening as he pulled me closer. “Yes, it is, but it’s ours.”
“Oh, by the way, I ran into someone who knows you when we were at the bridal shop.” I’d forgotten all about it.
His brow quirked. “Yeah? Who?”
I wracked my brain trying to remember his name. “Mack something. Said you met back when you were working on the Marconi case.”
Nathan swallowed hard, and set his sandwich down as he turned away from me. His profile didn’t stop me from seeing the color leave his skin. My stomach dropped, and a sickness washed over me. The air around him had become so thick that I was certain Drew and Caroline noticed his abrupt change in demeanor.
He only had that reaction when the Marconi were brought up.
“What else did he say?”
It’d been an innocent run-in, or so I thought. “Congratulations. That’s it.”
He turned back to me, his lips twitching into a forced smile, but his eyes couldn’t hide the combination of anger and dread.
“So, did you hear about Blackwell?” Caroline asked. “Seems he’s all the scandal with that intern Tara.”
I turned to look at her, mouthing a “thank you” as Drew jumped in, steering the conversation away and saving our peaceful lunch as much as possible.
When Nathan came to my office at the end of the day, I could tell he was off. His agitation was seeping through in the expression on his face and the fidgeting of his hands. The silence as we climbed into the car and headed home was a dead giveaway that something was wrong.
I waited, knowing he’d spill when he was ready. It was better to wait and let his mood settle. About ten minutes into our drive, he opened up, but not on the subject I was anticipating.
“Adam’s trying to get a plea bargain,” Nathan said.
I turned in my seat to face him, stunned. “What?”
“I got a call this afternoon.” Nathan’s gaze never left the road, but his anger was evident by the grip he had on the wheel and the clenching of his jaw.
“He’s trying to get out of it.” Of course he would. His demented mind blamed me for all the hardships in his life. “How much will this push the trial out?”
“Depends on how long the prosecution lets it go until they put their foot down and say no.”
“They will say no, right?” I asked, nervous that the prosecutor would deal. If they did, Adam could serve much less time.
Nathan nodded. “With his priors, they’re not going to go easy on him.”
I let out a relieved sigh. “Hopefully they won’t let it go on too long. I want this over with.”
Nathan reached over and squeezed my hand. “It’ll be over soon. That f**ker will be in jail, and we won’t ever have to think of him or see him again.”
“It’s not soon enough.”
“I know.”
