Page 148 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

“Wait. Juliette knows you did something to them? She never said anything about it.”

Tiny cocked a grin. “Guess she didn’t think you needed to know. G’night, son.”

Doc stewed on that as he drove home.

As he came through the front door, the dogs appeared at the top of the stairs. He quietly closed the door, and they retreated into Lucas’s room. He took off his boots and set them aside before making his way upstairs. Lucas was fast asleep with a dog on either side of him and one at his feet. Doc wasn’t proud of having beaten that man, but he was proud knowing his boy and Juliette would never have to worry about him coming into their lives again.

They’d have to deal with the media, but he’d already consulted with Reggie’s sister, Shea Steele, the owner of a highly regarded public relations firm. She was as well connected as the governor himself, and she’d already been putting the wheels in motion to control how things unfolded. He knew when shit hit the fan, they’d be in good hands.

He made his way downstairs, and when he walked into the bedroom, Juliette closed the book she was reading, her smile like sunshine to his stormy thoughts. “Hi, darlin’.”

“How’d the rescue go?” She crawled to the foot of the bed.

He hated lying to her, but it was for the best. “It must’ve been a false call,” he said as she rose onto her knees and put her arms around him. “We couldn’t find any sign of horses.”

“I’ll never understand people who do things like that.” Her brows knitted. “What happened to your mouth?”

“Two of the guys got into a scuffle, and I got caught in it.”

“What is it with guys? You never see women having scuffles. Does it hurt?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Good.” She pressed a tender kiss to the cut.

“Thanks, babe. How was our boy tonight?”

“He was good. We had a quiet night. Layla came over after, and I offered to watch Gus so Ezra and Sasha could have some private time. We all watched The Sandlot. The kids were happy, and I got to cuddle Gus. It’s been a long time since I got to cuddle a little one.”

“I’m glad you had a good night. And Brave Heart?”

She smiled. “She’s a fighter. I think she’ll pull through. Lucy, the girl from the service, will check on her every four hours tonight.”

“Good. I’m going to take a quick shower before I come to bed.” He kissed her and took off his cut, tossing it on the dresser as he headed into the bathroom, hoping to wash away the remnants of the shitty night.

He turned on the shower and stripped down while the water heated up. He stepped beneath the warm spray and tipped his face up to it, letting the hot water ease his muscles.

The shower door opened, and Juliette stepped in with him. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his chest. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He embraced her, wondering how she’d known he needed her. She hadn’t just become his everything. She was the blood in his heart, the love in his soul, the very air he breathed. She’d become his fucking life force. He kissed the top of her head. “But I’m even better now. It was a long night. Tell me something good, darlin’.”

“I’ve been thinking about your offer to work together.”

“And?”

She gazed up at him. “Well, there’s the whole sleeping with my boss thing to consider.”

“That’s a definite perk,” he said arrogantly.

She laughed and kissed his chest. “Does that mean I’ll be paid in sexual favors?”

“Those’ll be your bonuses.”

“This deal is sounding sweeter by the minute. What if you get tired of seeing my face?”

“Darlin’, I’ve seen your face in my mind every day since the first day I met you, and not once have I been sick of it.”

Her smile lifted his heart. “In that case, I’ll talk to Jade tomorrow.”