She knew this. The former senator knew this. And apparently, his lawyer did, too.
It’s why Stanton was quick to give up Andrew Reiner and Doug Easton as the two men who helped in the attempted murders of her and her father. Both Reiner and Easton also pled guilty, which allowed everyone involved to avoid a lengthy and emotional trial.
Alice’s blue gaze slid across the large ballroom to where her father and Falcon’s brother stood talking. The expression on Coulter Morgan’s face looked serious, as did her father’s.
Her gut tightened a bit because, whatever they were discussing, it didn’t look good. And given she knew the truth about Colt’s job…
“I’ll give you a penny for your thoughts.”
She looked up to see Slade’s breathtaking smile, loving that it was all for her. “I was just thinking what a lucky girl I am.”
“Liar.” He nudged her with a knowing grin.
“That’s not a lie.” She shook her head with an adamant, “That’s not a lie. Iamlucky.”
More so than she had the right to be.
“Oh, I know you are.” Her husband teased. “But that’s not what you were thinking.”
Damn. She forgot for a moment how good he was at reading her face.
“You know, this was a whole lot easier when I was just a voice in your ear.”
“Maybe.” He pulled her body flush with his and leaned in. “But being face-to-face…” His lips feathered over hers in a barely there kiss. “Is a hell of a lot more fun.”
Alice threw her head back and laughed. “That it is, Mr. Garrison. That, it is.”
“You gonna tell me what you were thinking?”
“Man, you are like a dog with a bone, you know that?” She gave in when he simply smiled back at her with an expectantly arched brow. “Okay, fine. I was watching my father and Colt talk.” She motioned to where the two men were still standing across the room. “Not sure what’s going on, but it looks pretty serious.”
And yeah, after nearly losing her father to Stanton’s bullet, she’d turned into an overprotective daughter.
So sue me.
“Well, itisCoulter Morgan,” Slade grinned. “The guy’s probably trying to talk your dad into investing in his latest get-rich-quick scheme.”
Alice chuckled, but inside her stomach grew tight. Because there was a lot more to Coulter Morgan than Slade or the other members of Tac-Ops knew.
And if the truth were to ever come out…
“Let’s go.” She reached down and grabbed Slade’s strong hand. “Let’s say our goodbyes and then blow this joint.”
“In a hurry to start the honeymoon, Mrs. Garrison?” He allowed her to pull him along.
Alice stopped mid-stride to turn back around, sending the man of her dreams another smile. “No.” She shook her head as she rose onto her tiptoes to give him a kiss. “I mean, of course, I am, but it’s more than that.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded and placed a palm on his suited chest. “I’m in a hurry to start this new life that we’ve been blessed with. To wake up to this face as many mornings as possible. To fall asleep in these arms every night that you’re home.”
“And when I’m not home?”
“I’ll be in your ear, ready to have your back. Just like you had mine.”
Slade’s gaze became glossy, and for a moment she thought for sure the man was going to cry. Instead, he leaned down, taking her by complete surprise when he scooped her off her feet.
“Slade!”
