But would never admit it out loud.
“Thank you for not making me leave the room. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable with that,” she softly stated.
“I told you, until this is all over, you’re with me.”
I lifted the back of her hand to my mouth and planted a kiss there.
You’re going to break her heart, asshole.
And, undoubtedly, my own.
Once we checked in, Cassidy grabbed a shower while I called Jameson and filled him in on my meeting with Lawter.
“As long as Oakley agrees to the terms, I can have him walking out of prison tomorrow,” Jameson explained.
“Good.”
“How’s your girl?”
I pulled a tired hand through my hair.
My girl.
Two simple words had the power to wrap around my heart and squeeze like a goddamn vice. With everything going on, I hadn’t really let myself process what happened between us last night, but after the ride here I’m starting to realize that my feelings for her are a lot stronger than I thought. What I felt when I was inside of her. What it felt like to wake up with her lying next to me. The thought of either of those things never happening again had panic rising in my throat.
“It’s been a long day,” I grunted my reply.
He cleared his throat. “Listen, there’s something else.”
There was something in his voice that instantly put me on alert.
“I’ve been doing some digging, and some things didn’t add up when I read through Bodie’s case file.”
“I thought those records were sealed?” I’d tried to look into it years ago but without obtaining a court order, I was denied access.
“FBI trumps any crooked ass judges on Del Marco’s payroll. I had them reopened.”
“What did you find?”
“Not much more than you know already but there was a discrepancy with some of the evidence collected. I don’t have anything concrete right now, but as soon as I do, I promise you’ll be the first to know. In the meantime, I think we should reach out to Vinny. Pressure him for more details about that night.”
“Good idea.”
“I’ve got an agent en route to him now. I’ll let you know what we find out.”
Once I ended the call, I tossed my cell on the nightstand and rolled my neck, trying to relieve some of the tension that had knotted up between my shoulders.
It had been a long fucking day.
The anger nipping at my gut wasn’t helping matters. I was angry for what happened to Bodie. Angry that her life was in danger, and I was angry with myself for taking her last night when I had no fucking right to. But I couldn’t find it in myself to care about the consequences. And now that I’d had a taste, I knew I would never get enough.
The door swung open to the bathroom, steam billowing all around her, and I swear to Christ she looked just like a goddamn angel.
Fuck, she was beautiful.
And everything I needed right now.
She took a few tentative steps then moved between my open legs, placing the palm of her hand to my face. It immediately soothed me and calmed the raging storm inside. Knowing she could easily be ripped away from me scared the hell out of me. I couldn’t live through something like that again.
