As I reached up to run my hand through the short lengths of his hair, I said, “Captain wants me in tomorrow before the trial. Said she wanted Ted Evans to run through my witness statement one more time.”
He squeezed me, lifting his head just enough to catch my eyes in the mirror. “You’re going to be fine tomorrow. Once the jury sees you up there, it will be an open and shut case.”
I breathed out slowly, letting the confidence in his words soothe me. “Right.”
An ongoing threat that was now finally coming to a conclusion.
Naomi’s lawsuit, brought forth against the 199th precinct, was set to start tomorrow at noon. A sad predicament for all, considering the circumstances, but one I was more than happy to finally be done with.
While I wasn’t directly being sued, I hated seeing my department in shambles trying to cover their bases. IAB and Ted Evans, Avery’s top-notch lawyer, had been running the gauntlet over the past six months preparing for this trial.
As Silas pointed out, it was a pretty open and shut case and this was simply a formality of the justice system. WhateverNaomi was hoping to get out of it—some kind of retribution for her loved one dying tragically or otherwise, I hope she found it.
She deserved peace just like everyone else.
“Hey.” He tightened his arms around me, lifting me up from my feet. “No more. It’s bed time.”
I grinned. “Wow, Ainsley’s taught you well, huh.”
He scoffed but didn’t deny it.
Unfortunately, my niece had an adorably uncanny way of making sureeveryonewas wrapped around her little finger. Silas, as much as he liked to believe otherwise, wasn’t immune to its effects, either. The past few months had been a slow integration of our lives coming together, a welcomed surprise for Ainsley who was determined to force Silas into being her new park buddy.
He still had yet to tell her no, and from my perspective, I knew he’d never have the heart to. None of us could.
That’s why she was going to make for an excellent Fortune 500 CEO.
He dragged me to the bed, tossing me onto it and ditching his towel before climbing in beside me. I hissed at his cold feet tangling up with mine, the chill quickly erased when he littered my shoulder and neck with warm-mouthed kisses.
“Terran.”
I tilted my head back. “Hm?”
“I love you.”
Words so softly spoken. So natural in their delivery. No faltering, no second-guessing. Like they’d always been there, waiting for the right moment to come spilling out of him, to be set free.
My breath caught in my throat.
For a split second, the world narrowed to just him and the way his thumb brushed along my cheek with a gentleness that left me almost undone. The faintest smile curved at his lips,pulling them up just enough to soften the sharp edges of his features. A quiet sincerity—a vulnerability—shone in his eyes. Tender and softhearted.
Oh, this man.
“I love you, too, Silas,” I whispered back.
He didn’t say anything else, didn’t need to. Neither of us did.
Instead, his smile widened as he leaned in and captured his lips with mine.
