"And where was I during all of this?"
"Where else? In college, playing the part at social events with your ex-husband."
"You knew Peter was a deal orchestrated by my father?" I asked, the old bitterness resurfacing.
"No, Kitty," she murmured, her hand trailing down my back to rest on my hip. "Why on earth did he do that?"
"I got caught up in a scandal back in college. An orgy with a few other women," I confessed, the words finally coming out. "We managed to bury the story, but then Peter caught me in a bathroom with a girl a few months later." Kelsey let out a low whistle and squeezed my hip. "I needed a boyfriend to provide cover for my father’s reputation. Peter’s family was influential in North Carolina, so my dad had him transferred to my school, and we started the charade."
"And just like that, you became the Golden Couple of the morning papers," Kelsey noted.
"Exactly. He was supposed to be a 'professional husband'—take a simple job and be available for every event I needed him for. But the arrangement soured fast. After Dad died, Peter got greedy. I think my father was the only person he was actually afraid of."
"He could be terrifying when he wanted to be," Kelsey agreed. "But he was a rock for me and Vanessa’s father."
"Peter and I started fighting because he wanted to run for office," I continued. "That would’ve slowed me down, trapped me in some conservative backwater district. Then he started forging my signature to squeeze favors out of clients. He’d promise I’d ease bail requirements or slash tax debts in exchange for political support."
"And it worked, didn't it?"
"It did. Maybe I was suspicious, but it was just easier to pretend he didn't exist," I admitted, the guilt heavy in my chest. "Then came the case of the little boy who lost his child support. His father wanted to open a carpentry shop and happened to be friends with Peter."
"How did you find out?" Kelsey asked, her voice turning sharp with focus.
"The boy's mother confronted me personally. I didn't even know what the hell she was talking about. I asked for the case number to see where the error was... and from there, it all went downhill."
"Did you manage to reverse the ruling?" Kelsey asked, her voice intrigued.
"I did. I filed a review and ruled that, beyond standard child support, the father was responsible for all health and education costs until the boy finished college," I explained. Kelsey laughed and pulled me closer, her warmth a stark contrast to the cold legal world I’d left behind.
"And how exactly did you become an associate of the Outfit?" She arched an eyebrow. I was stunned, I had no idea sheknew that. "I’m a member of the 'Ndrangheta myself... we’re essentially their superiors."
"It happened through one of my cases," I admitted, finally coming clean. "The Outfit was an inheritance I was forced to accept. I eventually got used to navigating their tax cases and keeping them out of trouble."
"They’re more reliable than most politicians, there’s no doubt about that," she murmured, her lips resting against my neck. "It’s highly likely the 'Ndrangheta will want a seat at your table once you reach the Supreme Court."
"I expect so. Several judges are already in bed with Cosa Nostra or the Bratva. Honestly, it’s harder to find someone who isn't tied to an organization. They run the world," I noted. "What’s your angle with them?"
"Logistics. Containers and delivery routes," she revealed. "I draw the line at human or sex trafficking, but that particular organization hasn't touched that trade in over twenty years."
"Do you know what caused the shift?" I asked.
"The capo’s youngest daughter was kidnapped and killed during the abduction," she said somberly. "They settled the score and washed their hands of the trade for good." I nodded, feeling the weight of that history as she caressed the curve of my waist.
"These matters are delicate," she sighed, giving me a soft kiss. "But Megan... logically speaking, you should marry Donald."
"I thought you were going to say I should marry you," I teased, though my heart skipped a beat. She kissed me again, tenderly this time.
"In an ideal world, that would be the dream. But politically? Donald is the perfect facade. You need a stable relationship, he’s known you for years, and he needs the cover just as much as you do."
"I don’t know if he’d ever go for that," I mused.
"He would. We just need to sit him down and make it clear it's a marriage of convenience. He can keep his private life exactly as it is."
"And what exactly is his private life?"
"He has boyfriends scattered across several states. Don is quite the sugar daddy," she revealed with a smirk.
"I suspected he was gay, but I didn't know the extent of it," I admitted. "It could be a way out. He stays with his boyfriends, and I stay with..."
