A hesitation. Barely a second. But they catch it.
“We met through mutual friends,” Melanie says smoothly. “It’s how I got the job at his restaurant. Abigail is getting married to Colt Killian, and Colt and Nick have been friends since they were little. So, being around each other more, we started taking a liking to one another instantly.”
It’s not a lie. And she’s doing damn good at adding details.
“A liking?” Carter raises a skeptical brow.
I step forward. “What exactly are you trying to get at here? Is there a right way to fall in love?”
Carter doesn’t flinch. “What I’m getting at, Sergeant Consele, is if this marriage was for financial gain, it’s fraud. A federal crime. Punishable by fines, dishonorable discharge… even jail time.”
Heat creeps up my neck. “You don’t know a damn thing about us.” My voice is even, but I feel the vein in my forehead pulse.
Mills flips another page. “We know you were cut off from your parents when you moved here, Melanie. You’re the daughter of Michelle Thompson, the wife of Richard Thompson, and a very successful film producer. We know you got married right after your diagnosis. That Nick moved you into his home fast.” His gaze flicks to her. “We also know you weren’t listed as an emergency contact until after the wedding. Not during deployments. Not when he was injured last year. Not even when he was hospitalized after that explosion.” He pauses.“And the loss of his k-9, Chaos.”
A sharp pang slices through my chest, but I lock my jaw.
Carter’s voice remains steady. “I just find it funny that after fourteen years in the military, never taking a liking to settling down, this all happened so fast. Within weeks, when you really think about it.” He meets my eyes. “So tell us, Sergeant Consele—why now?”
I could feel Melanie’s breathing pick up beside me—shallow, uneven. Her fingers twitched at her sides, and I knew she was barely holding on. She hadn’t eaten. Hadn’t had a second to process any of this.
This was bad. Real bad.
Before I could step in, she squared her shoulders and spoke, her voice cutting through the room like steel.
“Because I was drowning, and he threw me a damn life raft.”
Carter’s face was unreadable, but Mills’ brow lifted slightly.
Melanie’s gaze darted between them, her chin high, her body taut like a bowstring. “Because I couldn’t afford insulin, and he wasn’t going to stand by and watch me suffer when he could do something about it.” She exhaled sharply, her breath shaking for only a second before she forced it steady. “Because he’s the only person who’s ever had my back. My best friend. The one person who’s helped me in ways my own family never did.” She swallowed, her voice thick. “And you can’t put a timeline on friendship or love, Sergeant Carter.”
Mills cocked his head. “That almost sounds like an admission of fraud.”
Her jaw clenched. “No, sir,” she bit out. “It sounds like love.”
A flicker of something passed between Carter and Mills. A silent conversation. A calculation.
I stepped forward, voice low and firm. “You wanna dig? Fine. But you won’t find fraud. We might not have done things traditionally, but that doesn’t make this fake.”
Carter studied me for a long moment before finally snapping the folder shut, making a loud thud noise. “We’ll see.”
Mills pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to me. “Don’t leave town. We’ll be in touch.”
They turned and walked out, their footsteps sharp against thehardwood. The second the door clicked shut, Melanie let out a long, shaky breath and pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Shit.”
I stared at the closed door, muscles coiled so tightly I thought I might snap.
This wasn’t over. Not even close.
“I’m sorry, Nick,” Melanie murmured. “I panicked. I just—I kept seeing us getting arrested, and?—”
“Shhh.” I turned to her, pulling her against me. She melted into my chest, gripping my shirt like it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
“It’s all my fault,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have said anything. If they arrest us, it’s because of me.”
“No.” I exhaled, my fingers trailing up her back. “If anything, it’s my fault.” I hesitated. “I never should have gone to see your dad.”
