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Chapter1

Chapter2

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*EXPLICITADULTCONTENT*

WARNING

Thisnovelisconsideredromanticfictionwitheroticelementsorerotica.Thisisformature

audiencesonly.Thisbookcontainsprofaneadultlanguage,mildviolence,andstrongsexual

content.

DEDICATIONS&ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THANK YOU TO THE MAN that makes me a better me. I thank you for your patience,
encouragement,andadvice.Mybetareadersandeditor—howawesomeareyou?JBLogic
…youalwaysgivemeexactlywhatIwantevenwhenIdon’tevenknowwhatthatis.Words
cannotexpresshowgratefulIamtoallofyou.Youguyskeepmelaughingandinspiredon
thisjourney—Thankyou.

Lastly,butcertainlynotleast—THANKYOUtoallofthereaderswhohavecomealong

onthisjourneywithme!Youguysarethebest!

CHAPTER1

FourYearsAgo…

Dana,

Ijustreceivedyourtext.I’mrunninglateandbarelyhaveenoughtimetosendyouthis

message.Gladyou’rebacksafelyfromyourAfricanSafariandthatyouweren’teatenbylions,
tigers,andbears—HA!DavisandIareabouttoheadouttoanotherfundraiser.Ican’tbegin
totellyouhowwonderfulthingshavebeensincewe’vebeenbackfromtheisland.Iwouldn’t
havethought they could get any better. I was afraid pregnancy would slow us down, but it
hasn’t.Davishasawayofmakingmefeellikethesexiestwomanalive.Andthesex…wow!
Canyoubelieveithasgottenevenbetter?I’mstilllivingmyfantasy.Ithasbeenawhirlwind.
Anyway,gottago.I’llcallyouwhenIcantalkinmoredetail.

Nicole finished her text, pressed send, and sat the phone down on the dresser. She

staredatherreflection.Shehadn’tseenDavisinafewdaysandwantedtolookherbest.She
hadmissedhimterriblywhilehewasawayonbusiness.Hehadonlybeenhomeafewhours,
andtheyhadn’thadanyalonetimetogether.Thebusinesstriphadn’tbeenplanned,butthe
fundraiser had been on the calendar for a couple of months. He had arrived home in just
enough time to get ready. Nicole wished they could cancel, but it was being thrown by a
closebusinesscolleague.

Nicole turned to her side and ran a hand over her small stomach as she continued to

studyherselfinthemirror.Therewasjustthetiniestbump,butitwasstillunnoticeableto
mostpeople.Shesighedandturnedforward.Shewasprobablytheonlypregnantpersonwho
wasinahurrytolookpregnant.Nicolewasalmostfivemonthsandwasbarelyshowing.She
couldn’twaitforherstomachtopop.

Amovementcaughthereye.Shelookedupatthecornerofthemirror.ItwasDavis.He

had been hanging out with Rayna but clearly had snuck off at some point to get ready for
tonight.Nicolewatchedhimthroughthereflectioninthemirror.Hepushedhimselfoffthe
doorframe.Shewasn’tsurehowlonghehadbeenstandingtherebeforehewalkedintotheir
bedroom. The man still took her breath away, especially tonight. The custom, black
Valentino tuxedo fit his broad shoulders to perfection. There was nothing like a six-foot-
three-inchmaninatux.He’drecentlygottenafreshhaircut.Itwasshorteronthetopand
taperedonthebackandsides.Still,therewasenoughtograbholdof.Assmokin’hotashe
was,Nicoleknewhelookedevenbetterunderneathallthoseclothes.Forthepastfewyears,
shehadhadtheexclusiverightstorunherhandsalloverabodysculptedbytheGods.

Nicole had missed him like crazy. Her eyes devoured him as she drank in his every

move.“Hey,handsome.”

Davislovedthewayshelookedathim,butthehungerinhereyeswasnothingcompared

tohisown.Heletoutalowwhistleashestalkedcloser.“Hello,beautiful.Youlooksexyas
hell.” Although Nicole’s stomach didn’t look pregnant, her breasts were much fuller and
almost spilled out over her dress. If Davis wasn’t a grown man, he would probably be
drooling.Healmostcheckedjusttomakesurehehadn’tbeen.“Everymanatthatfundraiser
isgoingtothinkIamtheluckiestbastardalive.”Herdresshuggedeverydelectablecurve
andbroughtouttheglowofhersmoothtoffee-coloredskin.

Nicoleblushed.“Thisoldthing?”Sheteased.Itwasanotheroneofhisgifts.Itmatched

the canary-yellow diamond bracelet he had given her earlier when he arrived home.
“Seriously. I’m already yours.” Nicole lifted her iced-out wrist. “You don’t have to keep
buyingmeexpensivepresents.”

Daviswalkedupbehindherandrestedhishandsonthecurveofherhips.Theirgazes

lockedandheldinthemirror.“There’snodoubtthatyou’remine;ifIwanttopamperyou
everysingledayfortherestofyourlife,you’lljusthavetodealwithit.”

Nicole’shazeleyessparkledanddarkenedastheycontinuedtosparwithhis.“Haveyou

alwaysbeensobossy?”

“Yes. And you love it.” He leaned in and placed several kisses just underneath her

jawline.

Hislipsonherskinmadehertingleallover.Nicoletiltedherheadslightlytogivehim

betteraccess.

Davis accepted the invitation. Since she had been pregnant, Nicole’s libido had

increasedtenfold,andhetookfulladvantage.Itdidwondersforhisegoknowingitdidn’t
takemuch,onlyaglanceoralighttouchforherbodytorespond.Tonight,wasnoexception.

Nicole’sbodytemperaturestartedtorise,andthemanhadn’tevenreallytouchedher.It

wasn’t necessary. If she were honest, the pulsing between her thighs began the moment
Davissteppedintotheroom.

Threedays.IthadbeenthreelongdayssinceDavishadmadelovetohiswife.Hewasin

dire need to fix that and wasn’t sure if he could wait until they returned home from the
fundraisertodoit.Daviswantedhernow.Watchingthegracefulmovementsofthewoman
heloved,whosebodywasswollenwithhischild,madehimimpatientandrockhard.Davis
pulledherintohischest.

Nicole moaned when the strength of him made contact with her. She took pleasure

knowinghewantedherasmuchasshewantedhim.“Toobadwecan’tstayhometonight.”

“Sayswho?Wecandowhateverwewant.”

The lust in his voice was unmistakable, and the vibration as he spoke into her neck

madethethrobbingofhersexjustthatmuchmoreintense.Herownvoicedeepenedfrom
thedesirepumpingthroughherveins.“WealreadyRSVP’d.”

Heranhishandsupanddownherarms.“IfIupourdonation,Idon’tthinktheywill

care.”

“Mmm…tempting.”Herwordsmayhavesoundedundecided,butNicole’seyesleftno

doubtaboutwhatshewanted.

Daviswovehisfingersthroughherhairtoreleaseitfromtheconfinesoftheelaborate

and messy updo. Pins went flying, and her thick, dark curls came tumbling down like a
waterfall.

She responded in a barely-there whisper. “I spent hours at the salon getting my hair

doneforyou.”

“Theydidahellofajob.Ilovedit.”Theyweren’tgoinganywherebuttobed.

Nicolewasbreathless.“WhatamIsupposedtodonow?”

“If you don’t know, I must be doing something wrong.Let me fix that.” He found the

hiddenzipperinthebackofherstrapless,yellowgownandstartedtounzipit.Thethought
ofbeinginsidehercausedanuncomfortabletightnessinhispants.

Hebreathedinherscent.Thecoconutandlavenderfueledhisdesireandsethisalready

arousedbodyinmotion.Hepressedhisthicknessintothecreaseofherass.

Nicole’seyesflutteredclosed,andshepurredlikeakitten.

Davislovedthenoisesshemadewhenhetouchedher.“Therearetoomanyclotheson

betweenus.”

“Davis …” Her head fell back onto his shoulder as he continued to slowly unzip her

dress.Nicolereachedherhandbehindherandheldthebackofhisheadtothecurveofher
neckasheranhistongueoverherheatedskin.

Momentslater,Nicole’sdresspooledatthebottomofherfeet.Next,Davisunhookedher

lacy,straplessbra, and it ended up in the same place. He stood behind her and admired
Nicolethroughthemirror.“Youareasighttobehold.”

She was left wearing only a lace thong, which matched the now discarded bra on the

floor, and diamond studded stilettos. Nicole’s nipples puckered up. “Touch me, Davis. I
wanttofeelyourhandsalloverme.”

Hebreathedintoherear.“Iplantoexplore,kiss,andtasteeveryinchofyourbody.”

Davis filled his hands with her breasts and used his thumbs to caress her nipples. They
hardenedintotightlittlebuds,waitingforhimtomakelovetothemwithhismouth.Before

hesatisfiedthatcraving,Daviscuppedandsqueezedthemjustthewayheknewshelikedit.
“I’vebeenthinkingaboutmakinglovetoyouallday.”

“Mmm…metoo.”

Davisranhistongueallthewaydownherneck—fromthetenderfleshbehindherearto

thehollowofherneck—thenhetookanicelittlebite.

“Yasss.”Hervoicecameoutinabreathywhisper.

Hearing the need in Nicole’s voice, was heady; it did something to him, almost like a

drugtoadrugaddict.Itincreasedhisdesireifthatwereevenpossible.DavisspunNicole
aroundsothatshefacedhim,andhislipscamecrashingdownonhers—hotandheavy.

Herarmssnakeduparoundhisneck,andsheallowedhimtodevourherassheheldon

tight.Daviswasn’taloneinhiswantsandneeds.Nicolegaveallherpent-updesiresright
backtohimwhenshereturnedhiskiss.

Sheraisedherkneeandslowlysliditupthesideofhisleg,bringinghersexindirect

contactwithhishardness.Theshoeonthatfootfelloff.Daviscaughtherlegfrombehindthe
kneeandwrappeditaroundhiswaist.

Herthrobbinghadturnedintoafull-onacheassherolledherhipstogetcloserandfind

relief.It wasn’t enough. They continued to kiss each other wildly as their tongues dueled
withoneanother.

Davishoistedherupontopofthedresser.Nicole’sotherstilettofelloff,makingitmuch

easier to wrap both her legs around his body. She pushed his tuxedo jacket from off his
shoulders, and it fell onto the floor along with her dress. She tugged at his tie with eager
fingers,managingtotakeitoff.Nicolethrewitsomewhereacrosstheroom.Shewasinsuch
ahurrytotouchhim,tofeelhisskinonhersthatshefumbledwiththebuttonsonhisshirt,
so Davis took it off. He didn’t bother to unbutton it. He just snatched it apart; buttons
poppedoffeverywhere.Likethebowtie,theshirtwastossedsomewhereintheroom.

Nicolearchedherbacksothatherbreastwouldcomeintofullcontactwiththewallof

hishardchest.Whenhernipples,thetipsofthem,touchedDavis,hehissed,“Youfeelso
good.”

Nicoledughernailsintohisbackbeforedraggingthemupanddownwhilegrindingher

coreintohim.Shewasreachingforareliefthatonlyhecouldgive.Shecontinuedtorubher
sexintohim,butitwasnotenough.“Ineedyou.”

“I’mgonnagiveittoyou.Ipromise.”Heleftatrailofwetkissesashistonguetraveled

down the length of her body—searching and seeking for her treasure—his prize. He had
promisedtokiss,lick,andtasteeveryinchofher,andnowwaswhenheintendedtomake

goodonit.Davislickedhiswaydowntohernipples,pulledoneintohismouthandsucked
—hard.

Nicole couldn’t be still. Shesquirmed and moaned as she held his head to her body

while his tongue devoured her. His mouth mimicked the same motions just as if he were
thrustingintoherslickheat.

Nicolewasdeliriouswithwant.“Uhmm…ohgod.I’msoooreadyforyou.”

Davisignoredher.Heknewhowtomakeherbodysingandplannedtodojustthat.He

tookherotherbreastinhismouthandlovedonitwiththesameattentionanddesireasthe
other.

They continued to grind into one another, shaking everything on the dresser, even

knockingacoupleofthingsontothefloor.“Iloveyourbreasts.”Hedidlovethem,buthe
wasonamissionandcouldn’tstopthere.Daviscontinuedtokisslowerandloweruntilhe
madeittohernavel.Heswirledhistonguearoundtheretoo.

Hewentlower.

Andlower.

Lower.

Finally, Davis was close. He inhaled deeply after arriving at his destination. In the

process,DavishadmadeNicolecrazyforsex,somuchso,thathelostallcoherentthoughtat
thescentofherarousal.Therewasonemorebarrierremaining,keepinghimfromhisprize.
Davishookedhisthumbsintothesidesofherthongandpulled.Nicoleliftedslightly,and
theycamedownpastherhipsandfelltothefloor.“Finally.”Davisrubbedhisnoseintoher
barely-therecurls.Davisliftedthemoverhisshoulders,givinghimaclearviewandaccess
toherwetandswollenfolds.

The moment his lips made contact with her heated core, Nicole almost lifted off the

dresser.Shegrabbedahandfulofhishairandpulled.Hervoicewashigh-pitched.“Davis
…please.”

Helickedhisprizelikeitwasapieceofcandyandthenswepthistonguebetweenher

foldsagain,startingfromthebottomallthewaytothetop—anddown—onlytodoitagain
andagain.

AthinsheenofperspirationcoveredNicole’sbody.Thereweresomanyfeelingsrunning

throughherthatshecouldn’tformonesinglethought.Nicolewasonebigballofemotion.
Herbodywaspulsingandclenchingontonothing.Shewanted—noneeded—himtofillher.
Hereyesrolledintothebackofherheadwhenhistonguethrustintohercore.

Shescreamedouthisnameandyankedonhishair.Greedily,heateherup,usinghis

tonguetosuckupallthecrèmethathadpooledathersex.Davisspokeasheconsumedher.
“Mmm…Good?”

The vibration of his voice only made the sensation that much more intense. Nicole

squeezedhereyesshut.“Soooogood.”

Hecontinuedtomakelovetoherwithhismouth.

Nicole’sbreathingstartedtopickup.Hercorebegantoclenchfasteraroundhistongue,

andhecouldtellshewasclose.Hestrokedheroncemore…twice…thensuckedhardon
herclit.

Nicolesquealedhisnameasstarsbeganshootingbehindhereyes.Sheshatteredintoa

millionpieces.

Daviscouldn’tholdbackanylonger.Heunzippedhispants,andtheyfelltohisknees,

releasing a powerful and desperate cock. He thrust hard and deep inside of her. Nicole
welcomed the intrusion. Her body clenched around him. He pounded into her with
unrelentingstrokes,takingherharderanddeeperthanhecouldeverremember.

Nicole met him thrust for thrust, and Davis coached her on. “That’s it, baby … yes.

Squeezeme…justlikethat.”Theslappingofhisthighsastheyhitthebacksofhersfilled
theroom.Helovedthesoundofthemmakinglove.

“Ohgod!Davis…I’m…I’m…”Nicolecouldn’tevenfinishthewords.Sheshattered

alloveragain.

Whenhelookedupandsawtheminthemirror,Davislostit.Twomorestrokeswasallit

took,andhejoinedherwithhisownpowerfulorgasm.

Afteramoment,whenhecouldcatchhisbreath,DavisleanedoverNicole’sbodyand

kissedherlongandhard.Shetastedheressenceinhiskiss.Itwaserotic.Nicolelovedit.

Shepurred,“Wow.”

Davispickedherupfromoffthedresserandcarriedhertothebed.“Goodthingyou’re

alreadypregnant;otherwise,I’msurewewouldhavemadeababytonight.”Hegentlyplaced
herinthecenterofitandgotinnexttoher.“I’mgivingyoutenminutes…thenit’sonfor
roundtwo.”

It was after midnight. Davis had made good on his promise. Not only did they make love
again,butoncemoreafterthat.Themanhadstamina.Shelayinthecrookofhisarm.Her
cheekrestingonhischest.“I’mgladyou’rehome.Wemissedyou.”

Davishuggedhertight.“Ihatebeingaway,butitcouldn’tbehelped.”

“Iknow.Butyouworkentirelytoohard.Oncethebabyishere,you’regoingtohaveto

slowdown.”

“That’smyplan.YouknowI’lldoanythingformyfamily.”

Nicoleliftedaneyebrow.“Anything?Really?”

Davisdidn’tcrackasmile.“Anything.”

Shesawtheseriousnessinhisanswer,andherheartswelled.Hewasalwaysmuchtoo

serious. There was no need for that. Nicole attempted to lighten the mood. “Well … we
didn’teat.I’mstaaaaarving.”

“Hungry,huh?”

“Yesss.”

Davis threw the covers back and got out of bed. He stood before her in all his naked

glory.“Yourwishismycommand.I’llgomakeyousomething.”Hestartedtowalkoutofthe
room.

Nicolesatupandpulledthesheettoherchest.“Davis!Youarenotleavingherebutt-

assnaked?”

Hewinked.“Rayna’sasleep, and we’re home alone. Why do I need to put on clothes

whenyou’rejustgoingtotakethemoffmeagain?”

“True.”Shenibbledherbottomlip.“Notevenarobe?”

“Toomuchtime.Doyouwantfoodornot?”

“Yes.Pleaaaase.”Nicoleclaspedherhandstogetherasifshewereprayingandlaughed.

“You’reterrible,butyoudohaveagreatass.”

“Ido,andyouwouldn’twantmeanyotherway.”Daviswinkedthenstruttedoutofthe

roomonamissiontofindhiswifesomethingtoeat.

CHAPTER2

PresentDay

Dana,

Iapologizethatithasbeenawhilesincemylastletter.ThankGod,mymindisfinally

clear enough to write, but that clarity has given way to such aheavyheart.I’mamessbut
gettingbettereveryday.SinceIhavebeenherealone—withoutDavis—onourisland,Ihave
hadplentyoftimetothink.Amonthcanseemlikeaneternitywhenyouarebyyourself,away
fromeveryoneyoulove,withonlyyourthoughtsforcompany.

I have had nothing but time to reflect on how things went so horribly wrong—how I

arrivedatthisplaceandbecamethisperson.Fiveyearsago,thingsweresodifferent.Ifyou
toldmethenthatmylifewouldlooklikethis,Iwouldn’thavebelievedit.Imean,seriously,I
wascaughtupinthehype.IconvincedmyselfandeveryonearoundmethatDavisandIwere
livingthefairytale—butnoteveryone.Youknewbetter,evenifyouweretactfulenoughnotto
sayanything.Iknowyou did. How?Because you understand that fairytales don’t actually
exist.Still,I’mgratefulyoudidn’tburstmybubbleandleftthefaçadethatwasmylifeintact.
ItwassomethingIhadtofigureoutonmyown.Ionlywishthemake-believeGodswerejust
thetiniestbitmorehonest.IwishtheywouldhavetoldmebeforeIgotmarriedthatahusband
couldn’tfixwhat’sbrokeninside.IwishtheywouldhavetoldmethetrueHollywoodstoryof
the fairytale—that successful love stories are really quite messy, require a lot of hard work,
andalotofforgiveness.Instead,theytellyoutofindyourprince,andhewillkeepyousafe,
protectyoufromharm,andmakeeverythingperfect.Perfect?Really?Whataloadofbullshit.

Whilethisiscliché,itisthetrueststatementI’veeverheard—ifonlyIknewthenwhatI

knownow—maybeIwouldnotbeinthissituation.TheonewhereIallowedmyselftofocuson
thingsthatmaskedmyownbrokenness.WhereIknowinglybelievedtheliesinmylife.WhereI
believedwhatIwantedtoandnotwhatwasstaringmeintheface.Ineverknewthosecracks
couldonly be hidden for so long before they showed up and showed out. There wasn’t one
space in my life that wasn’t affected by them either—especially my relationship with Davis.
The marriage I wanted, what we had once been to each other, became so strained that we
becamepeopleIdidn’tknow,unrecognizabletoeachother,andonlyfragmentsoftheusIonce
knew.ButIdon’tblamehim.Ican’t.Itakefullresponsibilityformypartinhowthingsturned
out.Justthinkingaboutitmakesmychesttightenalmostunbearably,knowingthatitwasme
who caused a lot of the damage. That it was my actions that had the most effect on those
aroundme.YoucannotimaginetheweightofresponsibilitythatIfeelfortearingmyfamily
apart.Andtheworstofit,IhavenoideaifIcanevermakeupforallmymistakes,butIwant
totry.Ijusthopeitisnottoolate.Ifso,thatwillbemyburdentobear,andIwillcarryit.
Still,everydayIpraythatIgetonemorechance.ItscaresmeknowingthatImayneverbe
forgiven,andifthatismyfate,Iwillhavetoacceptit.Icanonlyhopethelossofmyfamilyis

nottheuniverse’swayofissuingmypunishment.AfterallI’vedone,Iwon’tblameDavisfor
whatever decision he makes. I let him down; I let our children down, but, most of all, I let
myselfdown.Whateverhappens,goingforward,Iwillpickupthepiecesofmeanddomybest
tobeabetterperson,abettermother,andabetterfriend.

IfIhavenotsaidthistoyoulately,thankyou,Dana,inspiteofeverything,foralways

standingbymysideandhavingmyback.We’lltalksoon.

Love,

Nicole.

Nicole Chatham sat with her legs crossed as she finished her letter. She placed the

notepadonthegroundnexttoherandinhaled.Thewarmseabreezecaressedherskinasthe
saltyoceanairfilledherlungs.

Thisplace,thisstretchofsandybeach,washome.Thejunglethatsatfaroffbehindthe

beach house was once something that haunted her dreams, but now, maybe it was the
wildness that gave Nicole a sense of calm and freedom.At this moment, it was the safest
place she had ever known, somewhere she could come and lick her wounds, even though
manyofthemwereself-inflicted.

Nicolestaredoutovertheendlessexpanseofwaterthatlookedsocalmitcouldbeglass.

Thehotsunhadn’tfullycomeupyet.Itsstiflingheatwouldforcehertowearatankshirt
andapairofcut-offjeanshorts.That’swhyshewasupearly.Everythingwasperfectatthis
hour.Nicole pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Itwas
strange,butshefeltmoreincontrolthanshehadinaverylongtimeandequallyunsettled.

Notmuchlonger.Nicole’stimeontheislandwasgrowingshortbuthadhadaprofound

effect.Itwassoothingandhelpedinthehealingofhersoul.Unfortunately,inoneweek,it
wouldcometoanend.Nicoledidherbestnottofocusonthat.Therewasnopoint.Timewas
somethingshecouldnotcontrol.Hadn’tshelearnedthatbynow?Shesighedandspokeinto
the breeze. “That will be an ongoing lesson. I can only do my best to control what I can
control.”The wind carried her words away. She hoped it wouldn’t take the lessons with it
too.Insevenmoredays,Nicolewouldhavetofacethemusic,but,fornow,shewasgoingto
blanketherselfinthepeaceandbeautyoftheisland—herisland—theirisland.

CHAPTER3

FiveMonthsEarlier

NICOLECHATHAMHELDTHECELLphonetoherearwithhershoulderwhiledoingher
besttohangontoherthree-year-oldson,DavisJr.orDJ.Hesatonherhip,andhislittle
arms and legs flailed about as he threw a tantrum for the ages.He was more than a little
upsetandscreamedatthetopofhislungs,makingsureeveryonewithinfivemilesknewit.
Nicolerubbedandpattedhisbackinacircularmotiondoingeverythingshecouldtosoothe
him.

Shefeltterriblethathewassickandwasequallyfrustrated.Notjustfrustrated,butshe

wasphysicallyandemotionallyexhausted.Nicolehadahalfofmindtothrowherowndamn
tantrum.DJhadbeenillforthepastseveraldays,andshehadprimarilybeenonherown
caringforbothhimandherprecocioussix-year-olddaughter.Betweenmakingsureherkids
were fine, working her regular day job, and maintaining her duties with the Angel
Foundation,whereshesatontheboard,itwasalljusttoomuch.Herpatiencewasatanall-
timelow,notwithherchildren,butwithDavis.Shewasirritatedandlethimknowit.“You
saidyou’dbehomeanhourago.”

Heknewshewaspissedandwithgoodreason.“Iknow.I’msorry.Theconferencecall

couldn’tbehelped.Butwearewrappingupnow,andIshouldbetheresoon.”DJletouta
piercingwail.It was so loud, Davis heard it through the phone.“It doesn’t seem like the
antibioticsforhisearinfectionareworking.”

“No,it’snot.”Astrandofdarkhairfellintohereyes,andshecouldn’tsee.Nicoletried

toblowitoutofthewaybecausesheneededbothhandstoholdontoDJ.Itdidn’twork.Her
sonwiggledsowildlythatNicolethoughtshewoulddrophim.Itwasashamethatshehadto
hurry to do anything for herself, including moving her own damn hair out of the way. She
removed her hand from his waist to push it behind her ear and quickly locked her arms
aroundhimagain.“Hestillhasasmallfeverandseemstobeinpain.”

“Didyoumakeafollow-upappointment?”

Shewantedtosay,“whothehellelsewasgoingtodoit?”butsomehowmanagedtokeep

thewordsfromcomingoutofhermouth.Still,Nicolewasabouttorespondwithsomething
justalittlelesssnarkywhensheheardhernamebeingturnedintoathemesong.“Mommy
…moooom…mommmieeee…”Shelookeddownatthelittlepersonpullingonherlegas
shewalkedfromthekitchentothelivingroom.“Justamoment,Rayna.”Nicolesighedand
answeredthequestion.“Yes.I made the appointment.Dr. Swanson said she can see him
tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Can you take him? You know I have that board meeting with the
AngelFoundationat10:00a.m.It’sbeenonmyscheduleforamonth.”

Davishesitated.“Didyousay9:30a.m.tomorrow?”Hepulledupthecalendaronhis

computer.Ofcourse.ItwasMurphy’sLawthattherewouldbeameetingsetupfor9:00a.m.
Nicolewasgoingtoblowagasketifhecouldn’tdoit.

ShehoistedaslidingDJbackuponherhip.“Yes.Isaid9:30.”NicoleruffledRayna

Denise Chatham’s hair as a distraction to calm her down.But the little girl was not to be
placatedorignored.Shewasaspersistentastheycameandcontinuedtotugonhermother’s
leg.“Is that daddy?” She held on for dear life waiting for an answer just as DJ released
anotherunrelentingscreamintoNicole’sear.“Mommy,isthatdaddy?Willhebehometo
readtomebeforebed?”

“Yes,Rayna.It’sdaddy.”

Bigbrowneyeslookedupintohers.“Willhebehome?”

“Idon’tknow.Didyouhearyourdaughter?Shewantstoknowifyouwillbehomein

timetoreadtoher.”

Nicole acted as if he enjoyed being away from his family—as if he didn’t have a

businesstorunandproblemstofix.Davissnappedmoreathimselfthanwithher.“Isaidwe
werewrappingthingsupandthatIwouldbetherewithinthehour!”Hewasfrustratedtoo.

Herangerhadbeensimmeringfortoolongandwasalmostataboil.Shetriedtocontrol

hertoneknowingRaynawaswatchingasshewhisper-yelledintothephone.“Youalsosaid
thatanhourago,andthenightbefore,andthenightbeforethat!”Nicolewasfuming.Davis
treatedherasifshedidn’thaveresponsibilitiestooandshewastiredofit.Herobligations
shouldbeapriorityforhimatleastsomeofthetime.Aftertakingacoupleofdeepbreaths,
she felt in control enough to speak without screaming. When her voice came out, it was
much calmer than she actually felt.“You never answered. Canyou take DJ to the doctor
tomorrow,ornot?”

If Davis said anything other than yes, he knew he would be sleeping in the guest

bedroom for a week, but it was after 6:00 p.m., he didn’t know if it were possible to
reschedulehismorningmeetingthislate.“I’msurewe’llfiguresomethingout.”

NicolesawredandknewthatDaviswasspeakingcodeforI’mjusttoobusytohandleit.

Thenextsoundheheardwasaclick,thenadial-tone.Nicolehadhung-uponhim.

Itwasmorethananhourlater,butlessthantwowhenDavisarrivedhome.HefoundNicole
intheirchildren’sbedroom,sittinginachair,rockingbackandforthwithDJinherarms.
Hestoodjustoutsidethethresholdofthedoorwatching.Everythingseemedsocalm.Itwas
thecompleteoppositefromthetumultuousconversationofacoupleofhoursbefore.Davis
Jr.hadquieteddownandhadhisarmswrappedaroundhismother’sneckashisheadlayon

her shoulder … sleeping. Rayna sat enthralled at Nicole’s feet, eyes glued to her as she
listenedtoeverywordNicolereadfromherfavoritestorybook.Hischestachedalittlethat
theyhadn’ttrustedhimenoughtobehomeintimetodoit.Ifhewerehonest,hewouldn’t
havebelievedhimeither.There had been too many times where he had thought he could
makeithomeforabedtimestory,onlytogetcaughtupwithwork,andmissout.Unlikehim,
Nicolewasafantasticmother.

After another moment of watching his family carry-on without him, Davis cleared his

throat to announce his presence and pushed off the doorframe. Rayna’s head snapped
around,andhersmilespreadwidethemomentshespottedhim.Surprised,Nicoleliftedher
eyestohis.

“Daddy!”Raynahoppedupfromoffthefloorandrantohimhugginghislegs.“You’re

home.”

Davisdroppedlowandwrappedhisarmsaroundher.“ItoldyouIwouldbe.”

Nicole’sheartsqueezed.ThiswastheDavisshefellinlovewith.Theonewholovedhis

familyandputthemfirst.Hergazemethis,andtheangerbetweenthemfromearlierseemed
todissipate.

Davisliftedacornerofhismouthinahalfsmile.“IcanfinishreadingtoRaynaifyou

wanttoputDJdownandrelax.”Thatwashisversionofanapology.

Nicole wasn’t crazy. She was not about to turn down his offer and responded quietly.

“Raynawouldlikethat,andIcouldcertainlyusesomemetime.”ShestoodandhandedDJ
over.Inthehandoff,Davispulledherbodyintohis.Heplacedhislipsontothetenderspot
justbehindherearandwhispered,“I’msorry.”

Nothinghadbeenresolved,butNicoledidn’twanttofightanymoretonight.Theirtruce

would remain at least until the next time this happened. She apologized. “Me too.” They
stoodinplaceforafewmomentsholdingeachother.

Raynawatchedthemintently.

Nicole pulled away and bent low to plant a big kiss on top of her daughter’s head.

“G’night,babygirl.Sleeptight.”

ItwasasifRaynahadbeenholdingherbreath,asshewatchedherparents.Shereleased

itandnodded.“Iwill.Night,mommy.”

DaviscouldtellbythesetofNicole’sshouldersthatshe’dchosentoputherangeraside

fornow,butitwasn’tentirelygone.Whatwashesupposedtodo?

WhenNicolestraightened,hersmilewassmall.Notbecauseshewasstillangry,well,

she was but more from sheer exhaustion. Unfortunately, she couldn’t turn in early; there
werestillafewdocumentsthatneededreviewingbeforehermeetingtomorrow.ThatwasIF
DaviswasabletotakeDJtothedoctorinthemorning,andshecouldgo.

The room was quiet. Davis had spent the better part of an hour with his kids. However,
Raynahadfallenasleepsoonafterheutteredthefirstfewwordsfromherbook.Aftergently
tucking her into bed and placing her underneath the covers, Davis kissed his daughter
lightlyontheforehead.Thenheturnedoffthelights,exceptforthelittlemermaidnightlight
byherbed.OnceRaynawasallsettled,DavispulledhischairuptoDJ’sbed.Itwaslocated
on the opposite side of the room.Hewatched him sleep, and at some point, caressed his
son’scheek.DJwaswarmtothetouch,butnotoverlyso.Itkilledhimtoseehimsickand
notbeabletodoanythingtomakehimbetter.

After several more minutes of watching him sleep, Davis yawned and stretched. That

washiscue.Itwasthe first sign of his body calling out for some much-needed rest.Ifhe
didn’tmakehiswaytohisownbedroom,he’dprobablyfindhimselfwakingupintheexact
samespotinthemorning.Morethananything,Davisjustwantedtoholdhiswife.

Whenhewalkedintotheirroom,Nicolewasalreadyinbedwearingasilkypairofshort-

like pajamas. Despite their fights, and after all of these years, she was still the sexiest
woman he’d ever seen. The display before him was one for the magazines. Nicole wasn’t
tryingtobesexy—shejustwas.Hertonedlegswentonformilesandeasilywrappedaround
hisbodyinsomereallycreativeways.Shehadfallenasleepsittingupinbedwithherlaptop
onherthighs,andpapersscatteredabouteverywhere.Herhandswererestinglightlyonthe
keyboard. Davis turned off her computer, then closed it and gathered up her documents
placingthemonthenightstandnexttohersideofthebed.Hestaredatherforanotherfew
moments.Hecouldn’t resist running the back of his knuckles against the soft side of her
face.Shemoanedneverwakingupandslidingdowndeeperintothebed.

DaviscoveredNicolewiththeblanketwithoutdisturbinghertoomuch.And,although

hewasdogtired,heneededaquickshower.Oncehewasfinished,hewouldcrawlintobed
andwrapherupinhisarms.

Fifteenminuteslater,hewasfinallyabletopullNicoleintothehardwallofhischest.It

wasn’ttheonlypartofhimthatwashard.Hersoftbodywaspressedsquarelyagainstasemi-
aroused erection. He knew there wouldn’t be any sex tonight. However, he needed to
convincehisbody.Itmovedonitsownaccord.

Themovementwokeher.Hervoicewasraspyfromsleep.“Davis?”

Hespokeintothebackofherneckasthelowerpartofhimdancedtoitsownrhythm

thrusting gently into her. “Betterbe.No other man should even look too hard at you, let
alonebeinapositiontotouchyoulikethis.”

Groggily,shewhisperedintothedarkness.“Thatdoesfeelsogood.”Evenupset,sexhad

neverbeenaproblembetweenthem.“IwishIhadtheenergytodomorethanliehere.”

Davisforcedhimselftobestill.“You’retired.Don’tmindme,butI’lldefinitelytakea

raincheck.”

Nicolestretchedandpushedbackintohishardness,snugglingcloser,ashetightened

hishold.“Imusthavebeenasleepwhenyoucamein.Ididn’thearyou.”

“Youweregone,andalreadysnoringwhenIcamebackfromthekid’sroom.”

Nicolesmiledintothedarkness.“Idon’tsnore.”Shetappedhimlightlyonthearm.Her

grinbegantodisappearslowly.“Raynawassuperexcitedtohaveyouhomebeforeshewent
tobed.”

Hesighed.“Yeah,Iknow.”

Nicoleturnedaroundinhisarmssothattheywereface-to-face.Themoonlightbathed

theminthedarkness.“She’sgrowingupsofast.”

DavislovedthefeelofNicoleinhisarms.Lifewasperfectwhentheywerelikethis.It

waslate,andhedidn’twanttoargue.“C’mon,Nicole.Let’sjustbefortonight.”

Shedidn’twanttoargueeitherandcradledthesideofhisfaceinherhands.Hereyes

boreintohis.“AllI’mgoingtosayisthatlifeisonlyaseriesofmomentsbeforetheyare
gone. Please try not to miss too many of them.” Nicole moved her head to rest on his
shoulder.

He’dheardeveryword.And,asalways,Davisvowedtohimselftospendmorequality

timewithhisfamily.

Withinmoments,theywerebothfastasleep.However,afewhourslater,thealarmclock

knownas DJ woke up. Even if they couldn’t hear him on the monitor, his crying echoed
downthehallandintotheirbedroom.Morethanlikely,hiscrieswerebecausehewasstill
uncomfortable and in pain. It was Davis’s turn to get up. She took the overnight shift the
previous evening and the two before that. Gently, she pressed against his chest. He
grumbledinhissleep.

Nicolewhispered,“DJ’sup.It’syourturn.”

Again,hemumbledsomethingincoherent.

Sheshookhimharderandspokealittlefirmer.“Davis.DJiscrying.”Hestillwouldn’t

wakeup.Nicolewassoangryshewantedtocry.Instead,shegotupanddidwhatmother’s

do—shetookcareofherson.

CHAPTER4

Thealarmbuzzed.Zzzzz…zzzzz…zzzzz.Blaring.Unceasing.

Nicolecouldseeherself,smashingitagainstawall,butcouldn’tmoveamuscle.Both

herbodyandbrainprotested.Ionlywenttosleepfiveminutesago!Ijustneedafewmore
minutes.Shelayfacedownonherstomachnotevenhavingthestrengthtocoverherears.
Theonlymovementshecouldmusterwastosqueezeheralreadyclosedeyestighter.

Thenthesideofherbeddipped.Davissatdownandshutoffthealarm.Heranhishand

lovinglydownthelengthofherback,bentlowandwhisperedintoherear.“It’s6:00a.m.?
Areyougettingup?”

Didn’thesoundrefreshed?Nicoledidn’twanttostartthedayoffangry,butshewas.She

waspissedandexhausted—sotired—shewantedtopassout.Stayinguphalfthenightand
intotheearlymorningwoulddothattoaperson.Shehadn’tbeenabletogetDJcomfortable
enoughtogobacktosleepuntilafter3:00a.m.Nicolepushedtheoverwhelmingdesireto
smackDavisupsidetheheadoutofhermind.Instead,sheinhaleddeeplyandblewitout
slowlybeforeresponding.“Yes.Ineedtobeontheroadby8:00a.m.”Shedidn’taskifhe
wasabletochangehismeetingtimeanddidn’tgiveashitaboutit.Hewasgoingtostayhere
withtheirkids.

Hehadbeentakingherforgrantedforfartoolong,andshewasoverit.Theyweregoing

tohavetoaddresstheelephantinalltheroomsforthemillionthandonetime,butnotthis
morning,nowwasnotthetime.

Nicolewaitedtohearhisresponse,buttherewasn’tone.Afteramoment,sherolledover

ontoherback,andwhensheopenedhereyes,shedideverythingpossiblenottomakeeye
contact with his. If Davis gazed into them, there would be no hiding her emotions—
especially since her shade of red-hot anger would only become more apparent once she
realizedhewasalreadydressedforwork.Itwasn’tthatNicoledidn’twanttounload,butshe
neededtobeintherightheadspaceforhermeeting.Havingaknockdowndragoutfight
with Davis, wasn’t the best way to get there. She sat up and moved to get out of the bed.
Davisleanedintokissheronthecheek,andNicoledodgedhislips.“Ineedashower.”

Hegrabbedholdofherwrist.“What’swrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Yourentirebodyistense.That’snotusuallywhathappenswhenItouchyou.Ithought

everythingwasfinewhenwewenttobedlastnight.”

“No.Wecalledatruce,buteverythingwasn’tfine.Look,Ican’tdothiswithyouright

now.Ihaveameetingtogetreadyfor.”

Hiseyesflashedwithanger.“Idon’tgiveadamnaboutyourmeeting;Icareaboutyou

andme!Let’stalkthisout.”

Nicolesnatchedherwristawayfromhisgrip.“AndTHATistheproblem!Everythingis

notalwaysaboutYOU!”Herragewasbubblingjustunderthesurface.Shescootedoffthe
bedandstalkedtowardthebathroombeforeshedidsomethinglikereleasethefullforceof
heranger.Onlyshecouldn’thelpherself.Shestoppedjustoutsidethedoorandhalf-turned.
Shehadtothrowatleastonepartingshotsinceheseemedsoutterlyclueless.“Ihopeyou
arewellrestedconsideringitwasyournighttogetupwithDJ,nevermindthatIhadtoget
upearlytoo.Hewasupuntil3a.m.”Nicolewalkedintothebathroomandslammedthedoor
shut.

Davisclosedhiseyesandpinchedthebridgeofhisnose.Damn.Imessedup…again.

Dingdong.DingDong.

Davis carried Rayna on his shoulders as he made his way quickly down the spiraling

staircase.Onlyonepersonwouldringhisdoorbelllikeacrazypersonthisearly.Hemadeit
tothebottomofthestairswithagigglingRaynaashejoggedovertoopenthedoor.

Raynaturnedaround,andhereyesgrewwide.“Auntie!”Surprised,shereachedoutand

threwtinyarmsaroundheraunt’sneck.

“Good morning, darling.” Jane Chatham-Ross had arrived. She returned Rayna’s hug

andwinkedatDavisoverhershoulder.

Hesmiled.“Thanksforcomingoveronsuchshortnotice.”

Janewalkedinside.“NowIknowwhyyoutalkedRussellintomovingtothisstateand

closertoyou.Seriously,that’swhatsistersarefor.Justremember,itworkstwo-ways,whenI
needababysitterforthetwins,Idon’twanttohearanyexcuses.”

“IthinkIcanhandlethat.”

“Good.HasNicoleleftyet?IhopeIdidn’tmissher.”

“No.She’sstillupstairsgettingready,andsoisDJ.Hehasn’twokenupyet.According

toNicole,hewasupuntilabout3:00a.m.thismorning.”

“Poorguy.He’sstillnotfeelingbetter?”

“No.Ihateseeinghimlikethis.Ifeelsohelpless.”

“Iknowthatfeeling,butyouandNicolearedoingtherightthingbytakinghimbackto

thedoctor.I’llcallyouassoonasI’mdonewithhisappointment.It’sprobablyjustahorrible
cold,andhe’steething,sodon’tworrytoomuch.”

Theywalkedintothekitchen,andRaynasatdowninherchair.“Daddy,canyoumake

pancakes?”

Hefrowned.“Sorry,Rayna.IwishIcould,butIdon’thavetime.Otherwise,Iwillbe

lateforaveryimportantmeeting.”

Herlipsturneddown.“Okay.I’lljusthavecereal.”

Davis’shearttwisted.Hepromisedhimselfthatassoonashetookcareofthenightmare

hewasembroiledin,hewouldspendtherestofhislifemakingpancakesandwhateverelse
Raynawanted.

Nicolespentwaytoomuchtimeintheshowertryingtowakeup.After,asuperhumaneffort,
shefinallymanagedtogetdressed.Herbuttwasdraggingsobadlythatsheneededcoffeeor
somethingtogetherthroughthemorning.ThenNicoleremembered.Ithinkthere’sVivarin
inthebathroom.

Sherushedtothemedicinecabinet,andjustasshethought,therewasabrand-newbox

winkingather.Nicoledidn’tliketotakethem,butoverthepastfewmonths,theyhadbeen
alifesaver.Shepoppedthepillintohermouth,turnedthewateroninthesink,andcupped
herhandstogetherasshedrankthirstilytoswallowthepilldown.Nicolehopeditkickedin
fast.

Shemadeherwaybacktothebedroom,lookedaroundtomakesureshehadn’tforgotten

anything,thenscoopeduphershoes,andranoutoftheroom.Nicolemadeitdownstairsand
washoppingononefootassheattemptedtoputonherheels.Shecouldhearvoicesinthe
kitchenandstoppedshortwhenshespottedJane.

Shesmiledwarmly.“Hey!IthoughtIheardyou.”She slipped on her other shoe then

walkedoverandhuggedhertightly.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”

“Oh.Didn’tDavistellyou?I’mtakingDJtothedoctor.”

Therewasahintofguiltonhisface.“IcalledJanelatelastnight.Icouldn’tchangemy

meetingtime,sosheagreedtotakeDJforus.Iwasgoingtotellyouthismorning…”He
wantedtosay—butyouweretoobusylosingyourshit.“Ididn’tgetthechance.”

Thetemperatureinthekitchenincreasedahundreddegrees.Nicole’seyesblazedasshe

turnedthemontoDavis.“Un-be-lievable!”

“DoyoureallywanttodothisinfrontofRaynaandJane?”Hisvoicewasclipped.Davis

wantedtokeeptheirissuesprivate,butapparently,Nicoledidn’tcare.

Janelookedconfusedashereyesdartedbetweenthem.“I-I’m…iseverythingalright?”

Davisrespondedfirst.“Everythingisfine.”

Nicole walked over to Rayna and kissed her.“Mommywillsee you after school.” She

turnedaround.“Everythingisnotfine.”Shegrabbedherkeysfromoffthehookonthewall
andstormedout.

Aftershe’dgone,JaneturnedtoDaviswithherhandsonherhips.“Whatdidyoudo?”

Frustrated, he sighed. “Apparently, not enough. Whatever I do is never enough, and

whenImakealittlemistake,Nicoleblowsitalloutofproportion.”

JaneturnedtoRayna.“Sweetheart?CanyourunupstairsandcheckonDJforme?”

Raynanoddedandquicklyleftthetabletodoasshewasasked.

JaneturnedaccusatoryeyesonDavis.“YouandNicolehavebeenstrainedformonths

now.Idon’tlikethedirectionthingsaremoving.Haveyoutalkedtoher?”

Davispouredtwocupsofcoffeeandhandedonetoher.“Wetalkallthetime.Ijustcan’t

gethertounderstandthatI’mworkingmyassoffbecauseIhaveto,notbecauseIwanttobe
awayfrommyfamily.Igetit.She’sexhaustedfeelinglikeshehastodoeverythingonher
own,butwhatamIsupposedtodo?”

“Well,shedoes!Nicolehasajob.Grantedsheworksfromhomemostofthetime,but

shestillhasajob.I’mastayathomemom,andeventhoughthetwinsarenine,theyarestill
ahandful.Ican’timagineworking,takingcareofthem,andbeingactiveontheboardforthe
AngelFoundation.Whythehellwon’tyoujusthireananny?”

Frustrated,Davisrakedhisfingersthroughhishair.“She’sdeadsetagainsthavinghelp

thankstobeingraisedinfostercare.ShethinksthatifIdon’tspendtimewithherandthe
kids that I don’t love them, which couldn’t be further from the truth.I’m doing the best I
can.”

“Youarebothstretchedwaytoothin.”Janepressedherlipstogetherintoafirmline.“I

knowyouloveyourfamily,buttoday’sabigdayforher.Theboardisrequestingmoneyfor
thatfoster-carefacility.”

“Shit.Iforgotaboutthat.”Davisranahanddownhisface.“Look,IknowthatNicole

hasalotonherplate,butI’mprovidingforourfamily!Shehasnoideathekindofpressure
I’mundertryingtokeepthemlivinginthelifethey’vegrownaccustomedto.”

JaneplacedasoothinghandonDavis’sshoulder.“I’mnottryingtobeinsensitivehere,

butNicoleisnotyourex,Anne.Allowingyourcompanytoconsumeyouwaspartlytoblame
forruiningthatmarriage.Don’tmakethesamemistakes.Youmusttalktoher.Imeanreally
talktoher.”

“I’vetried.”

“Letmeclarify.YouhavetobehonestwithNicole.”

“WhatamIsupposedtosay?ThatthenightmarefromthefiascowiththeLiberationof

Shebet isn’t completely over?That the network that almost killed her is fucking with my
business?!Shewouldfreakout.OrdoItellherthatI’mworkingdayandnighttokeepour
goodoldUSGovernmentfromfreezingallofmyassets?”

“Yes.Tellher.Allofit.Shelovesyou.DoyoureallythinkNicolegivesashitaboutthe

money,thehouses,orthecars?”

“Ipromisedmyself,thatmyfamilywouldhaveeverything.”

“See,that’stheproblem.ToNicole,youandthekidsareeverything.”

JanecouldtellthatshehadgivenDavisalottothinkabout.Sheunderstoodtherootof

hisanxiety.Butsomewherealongtheway,Davisforgotthatmaterialthingswerenevermore
importantthanthepeopleyoulove.Evenifhethoughtwhathewasdoingwasfortheright
reasons,hewasscrewingthingsup.Shegavehimasmallsmile.“Youbettergetgoing,or
you’llbelate,andallofthismadnessthismorningwouldbefornothing.I’llgetDJready
andcallyouwhentheappointmentisover.”

Davis nodded. He heard every word Jane had said, but she was wrong about telling

Nicoleeverything.Itwashisjobtoprotecther,andthat’swhatheplannedtodo.

CHAPTER5

NICOLETOOKOFFLIKEAbatoutofhellfromhergarage.Drivingwhileangrywasnever
agoodidea.Shehadabouthalfanhourridebeforeshearrivedathermeetingandneededto
vent. There was only one person she trusted to have this kind of conversation, and the
womanwasthousandsofmilesawayinFiji.Nicolehatedtocallthislatebecauseofthetime
difference,butifshedidn’ttalkitout,heremotionsweregoingtorunover.Shepressedthe
speeddialbutton.Whenthephonerang,itcamethroughthespeakersofhercarloudand
clear.ItrangtwomoretimesbeforeagroggysoundingDanaLassopickedup.

“Hello?Nicole?”

“Hey.I’msorrytowakeyou,butIneedtotalk.”

Danatriedtoclearhermind.“That’sokay.It’sonly1:19a.m.here.Ithinkmybrainwill

work.What’sgoingon?Iseverythingalright?”

Nicole’sthroatwasthickwithemotion.“Mymarriageisintrouble.”

It was those words that woke Dana, and her joking tone evaporated. She took off her

sleepingmaskandsatupinbed.“Wait?What?That’scrazytalk.Iknowthingshavebeen
toughlately,butyoutwoloveeachother.”

“InthefamouswordsofTinaTurner,What’sLoveGottoDowithIt?Yes,weloveeach

other,buttheproblemisDavisdoesn’ttakemeseriously.Hedoesn’trespectme,orseeme
asanequal—ashispartnerandprobablyneverhas.”

“That’snottrue.Whywouldyousaythat?”

ThewellofNicole’seyesbegantofillandeverythingshe’dbeenholdinginformonths

tumbledoutofhermouthalongwiththetears.“Nothingthatisimportanttomeisimportant
tohimwhetherit’smyworkplacingkidsintogoodfosterhomes,thefoundation,orevenour
family.He can’t even be bothered enough to fake it! The man is almost never home! He
worksconstantly.I’mtiredoffeelinglikeI’minthismarriagebymyself.I’msophysically
exhausted. I literally have to take Vivarin like they are pieces of candy just to have the
energytogetthroughtheday.Ithink…I’mhavinganervousbreakdown.”

“Let’stakethisonethingatatime.”Nicolewasherfriend,buttoday,sheneededtoput

onhertherapist’shat.“Whattriggeredallofthis?”

“Dana,Ineedafriend,notadoctor!”

“Soundslikeyouneedboth.Nowtalk!”

Nicolesqueezedthesteeringwheel.“I’msorry.See?I’mturningintoarealbitch.I’mnot

usuallylikethis.Idon’tevenwanttobearoundmyself.”

Janepressed.“Whathappened?”

“Other than the usual of having to do everything all by myself? Well,DJ’s been sick.

Betweenhisteethingandanearinfection,I’veonlybeenabletosleeplike2-3hoursaday
forthepastcoupleofweeks.It’sbadenoughDavismisseseverythingincludingdinnerwith
thekidsandme,butyesterday,Iaskedhimtodoonething—onething!Iaskedifhecould
takeDJtothedoctorbecauseIhaveameetingthismorning.Canyoubelievehedelegatedit
toJane!Hecouldn’tevenfindthetimetotakehisownsontothedoctor!”

Dana frowned with concern.“That doesn’t sound like Davis. After losing his sister to

pneumoniawhenhewasachild,he’soverlysensitiveaboutstufflikethat.Imean,theman
freaks out when any of you come down with a common cold. Are you sure something else
isn’tgoingon?”

“Idoubtit.Forargument’ssake,iftherewere,shouldn’thehavetoldme?”

“Yes,butyouknowmen,especiallythepigheadedones.Sometimestheywanttogetall

hunter-gathereronyou.”Dananeededtoswitchgears.“Nicole.You’renotsuperwoman.It’s
okay to hire help especially since you both have hecticscheduleslately.Thatwon’tmake
youlessthanamother.”

“What?Ananny?Someoneelsetoraiseourkids?No,thankyou.Ourchildrenhavetwo

perfectlyhealthyparents.There’snoreasonwhyDaviscan’thelpoutmore.Hehasn’talways
beenlikethis.It’sjustoverthepastyearorso…Idon’tknow…Ionlyneedalittlemore
helpfromhim.”

“Nicole,areyousurethere’snotsomethingelsegoingon?You just said that Davis is

actingdifferently.Mysuggestionasyourfriend,andifIweretreatingyouasapatient,which
I’mnotbecauseitwouldbeunethical…”Shesnickered.“Takethemanouttodinnerand
talktohim.Wait…scratchthat,sexhimupreallygoodfirst,thentalktohim.Mentendto
havelooselipsandbemuchmoreamenabletoconversationafterthey’vehadanorgasm.IfI
mightadd,you’retense,soundslikeyoucouldusethereleasetoo.That’smyprescription.”

“Sex?NomatterhowtiredDavisis,heseemstoalwaysbeupforthat.Usually,Ican,

butI’msomadathim,Idon’tknowhowIcanpullitoff.”

“Juststopbeingangry,ormaybenotstop,butpause.Thinkbacktothefirsttimethetwo

ofyoumadeloveonthatislandandhowyoufelt?”

Nicolesighed,andacornerofherlipstickedup.“Theisland.Godthatseemslikeso

longago.”

“Yeah,Irememberhowhardyoufellinlovewithhim.YoutraveledallthewaytoFijito

getoverit.Thatkindoflovedoesn’tjustdisappear.”

“Technically,Iwasrunningawayfrommyex,Todd,andranrightsmackdabintothe

hurricanethatisDavis.”

“Doyoustilllovehim?”

SecondstickedbybeforeNicoleanswered.“Morethananything.Ijustwantthingstogo

backtothewaytheywere.Only,Idon’tknowhowtogetusthere.”Nicolemadeittoher
destination.Thehalf-hourdrivewentbylikenotimehadpassedatall.Shepulledtheblack
MercedesBenzintotheundergroundgarageandparked.

Danawassympathetic.“Iknowyoudo,andhefeelsthesameway.That’showIknow

you’llgetthroughthis.Everyonegoesthrougharoughpatch.So, to answer your question,
What’sLoveGottoDowithIt?Everything.”

Nicolewasn’tsosure.Shereleasedalong-exaggeratedbreath.“Thanksfortalkingme

downfromtheledge.I’vearrivedformymeeting.I’vegottogettothe77

floorbeforeI’m

late.That’snotagoodlook,soI’llcallyoulateratareasonablehour.Sorryforwakingyou
up.”

“Noproblem.Nicole?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you reach out after the two of you talk. Remember, good sex covers a

multitudeofproblems.”Danalaughed,hopingNicolewouldtakeheradvice,notnecessarily
aboutthesex,butdefinitelythetalkingpart.Hopefully,itwouldleadtoanincrediblemake-
upsmashsession.

Nicoledisconnectedthecall.Sexwasneverourproblem,toobadeverythingelsewas.

“I think this is cause for celebration!” Aimee Simon, the Angel Foundation President,
clapped her manicured hands together and declared in a fit of laughter. She pressed the
conference room’s intercom. “Claire, get the champagne. Somewhere in the world, the
afternoonhasarrived.”

Nicolewassoexcitedshecouldbarelysitstill.Theboardsataroundaluxuriouscherry

woodconferencetable,surroundedbythebestviewofthecity,celebratingtheclosingofthe
deal.Roman,orRome,AdarAbboudandhisassociatesagreedtodonatetenmilliondollars
towardthebuildingofthenewAngelGroupHomefacilitydueinnosmallparttoNicole’s
persuasiveskills.ThiswasthemostsignificantdonationNicolehadeverlanded.Herfirst
instinctwastocallDavis,butthatwouldhavetowaituntilshecontactedJaneaboutDJ.

At the end of the meeting, before everyone was about to leave, both parties were

standingaround,shakinghands,andsmilingfromeartoear.Thegrouphadbrokenupinto

pockets of individual conversations. However, the man with the pen and the money, Mr.
Abboud,wantedawordwithNicole.“Ms.Chatham.MayIspeaktoyou—privately?”

Shenoddedandansweredthroughapermanentlyfixeduponherfacegrin.“Ofcourse.”

Nicolesteppedawayfromhercolleaguesandfollowedthegiantovertoasmallcornerofthe
conferenceroom.Romanhadtobeoversix-feet-five.ErikaLancaster,oneofthemembersof
the Angel Foundation’s board, had been crushing on him ever since they met at another
fundraiserforchildren’sautism.Dark,broodingeyes,broadshoulders,thickjet-blackhair,
andasmiletodieforwithperfectlystraightteeththatshinedbrightagainstthenaturaltan
ofhisskinwouldhavemademostwomenweakintheknees.Hewasthetalkoftheofficethe
firsttimetheentireboardmetwithMr.Abboud.Nicolewonderedhowthethirty-seven-year-
oldhadremainedsingleallthistime—especially,onewithaphilanthropicheart.Thatwas
alwayssexyonaman.Still,whilehemadetheotherwomenintheroomlosetheirminds,he
didabsolutelynothingforher—notapitternorapatter.

“Ms. Chatham, I was especially persuaded by your story of growing up in foster care.

Beingawomanofcolor,Iknowitaddedjustanextralayerofdifficultiesthatotherswitha
differenthuemightnothavehadtoface.”

“That’swhythisfacilityissoimportant.Iwantyounggirlswhogrewuplikemetohave

aplacewheretheycanfeelsafe.Aplacewheretherewillalwaysbepeopletohelpthemfeel
grounded.Nothingcaneverreplacealovinghome,butmyhopeisAngelHousewillcome
veryclose.”

“A worthy cause and a woman with pure passion running it. It can’t be anything but

successful.Congratulations again on making a man like me part with his money.” Roman
chuckled.“You’vestagedacoupthatdoesn’thappenasoftenasitshould.Iwouldloveitif
youwouldallowmetotakeyoutolunchtocelebrate.MaybewecoulddiscussmorewaysI
couldbeofservice.”

Thewayhesaidservicewas…interesting.Nicole’ssmileremainedinplacewhileher

brainattemptedtofigureoutwhathemeant.Wasthisinvitationaninnocentrequest,orwas
Romancomingontome?Shedidn’tknow.No—Nicolewasbeingridiculous.Hermindwas
justplayingtricksonher.Themanhadjustdonatedten-milliondollarstoherorganization.
He was obviously interested in the cause. “Oh. Lunch? Unfortunately, I have a pressing
personal matter that I need to attendto.However,I’m sure Ms. Lancaster would be more
thanhappytodiscussotherwaysinwhichthefoundationcanworkmorecloselywithyou.”

Roman’s eyes bore into hers. “I’m sure Ms. Lancaster could be helpful, but I would

muchratherworkwithyou.So,ifnotlunch,letmetakeyoutodinner.Wecouldnotonly
talkabouttheorganization,butperhaps,wecouldhavesomepersonalconversationaswell.”

The man was definitely flirting with her. That was unmistakable. Nicole cleared her

throat.“Oh.Isee.Well,asflatteredasIamthatyouwouldliketohavedinner,Idon’tthink
myhusbandwouldapprove.”

Hiseyes,darkascoal,glittered.“Hedoesn’thavetoknow,doeshe?I’mfineifyouwant

tokeepit…shallwesay…betweenyouandme.”

Nicole’ssmilefaltered.“Mr.Abboud,Iunderstandyoujustdonatedmillionsofdollars,

but, if it comes with strings,youcankeep your money. I’ve heard you are a man of great
integrity.So,forgivemeifI’mmistaken.”

Romanbowedslightly.“You’reabeautifulwoman,andIcouldn’tresist.IapologizeifI

offendedyou.Thatwasnotmyintention.”

Shenodded.“Again,thankyouforyourgenerosity,andifthereisnothingelse,Imust

getgoing.”Nicolecouldn’tbelieveit.Sheturnedandwalkedaway.Thenerveofsomemen.
Theythoughtjustbecausetheywererichandpowerful,itgavethempermissiontosayordo
whatever the hell they wanted. Maybe it worked with some women, but not with her. She
quicklysaidhergoodbyes,gatheredherthingsandleft.

RomanstaredashewatchedtheswayofherhipsandthecurveofherasswhenNicole

struttedaway.She was perfect. Sculptedlikeagoddess, but sexier than anything was her
fire.Nicolehaddonesomethingmenwereafraidtodo—shestooduptohim—andheliked
it—alot.Romancontinuedtostareafterherlongaftershewasgone.Shemayhavegotten
away today, but there would be other opportunities. Roman would make sure of it. He
quicklypulledouthiscelltomakeacall.Hemayhavetorethinkafewthings.

AsNicolemadeherwaytotheescalatorstairsthatleddowntotheelevators,shepulled

her cell phone out of her purse to check for messages.There were several texts, but she
ignoredthemallexceptforJane’s.Itwasthefirstone.

Jane: DJ is okay. He has bronchitis and an ear infection. Dr. Swanson prescribed a

differentmedicationandgavehimadosagebeforewelefttheoffice.He’ssleepingandseems
toberestingwell.

Bronchitis?Thatwasinsane.ShehadtogettohersonASAP.

Nicolewasjustabouttorespondwhenshewasnudgedontheescalator.Actually,itfelt

more like a strong push. She looked up just as her feet slipped off the step she’d been
standingon.Herphone,purse,andportfolio all went flying out of her hands. Shetriedto
gainherbalance,reachingouttograbholdofanythingthatwouldsteadyher,butherhands
found nothing but air.Everything happened in slow motion. She could see herself falling
downtheflightofescalatorstairs.Fortunately,therewasnooneinfrontofherthatmightget
hurt,noranyonetobreakherfall.Shetumbleddownthestairs,hittingherheadeverytime

she rolled over and scraping her legs and knees in the process. A sharp pain pierced her
side.Shecouldbarelybreathe.

Nicole’sheadslammedparticularlyhardintosomething,sendingherentireworldinto

completedarkness.

CHAPTER6

NICOLE’SVISIONSLOWLYSTARTEDTOcomeintofocus.Darknessgavewaytolight.
She blinked a few times to clear the blurriness, and when her eyes finally opened, they
connectedwithafamiliarpairofworriedgreenones.Shecroakedouthisname.“Davis?”It
wasallNicolecouldmanage.Ithurttotalk,breathe,ormove.Herentirebodyached.

Hesmoothedherunrulycurlsawayfromherlovelyheart-shapedface.“I’mhere.”

Nicole realized she was lying in a hospital bed—and then her fall. “I fell down the

escalatorstairs.”

“Yeah, you did, but you’re going to be fine.” When Davis received the call from the

Angel Foundation President, he had initially been frozen in fear. She hadn’t known how
severelyNicolehadbeeninjuredonlythatshehadbeenunconsciouswhentheparamedics
rushedhertothehospital.Terrified,hisinitialparalysisleft,andhehadonesingulargoal—
togettoNicoleasquicklyaspossible.Davisbrokeeverytransportationlawonthebooksin
anefforttodojustthat.

HecalledJanefromthecartotellherabouttheaccident.Theydecideditwasbestfor

hertostaywiththekids.Jane’shusband,Russell,wouldbringtheirtwinsovertowaititout
andkeepRaynacompany.

Nicole’s moan brought him back to the present. She whispered a few words. “I hurt

everywhere.”

Davistriedtosmilewhilehisheartbeatamileaminute.Itwasstillabouttopoundout

of his chest, but seeing those big round hazel eyes staring up into his, with life in them,
allowed him to calm down alittle.He attempted to make light of the situation so that he
didn’t reveal how scared he truly was. “A concussion, a broken wrist, and a couple of
crackedribswilldothattoaperson.”

“Really?Ihaveallofthat?”

Heleanedoverherandnodded.“Unfortunately,yes.”

“ThatmeansIcan’tgohome?”

“You’llneedtostayhereacoupleofdays.”

Nicolewassurprisedtoseethatcreaseformingbetweenhiseyes.Shehadn’tseenitin

years. He must have been really worried, and she didn’t want him to ever feel like that.
Nicolewasabletolookpastthejokesandhisbravadoclearthroughtothesouloftheman.
“Davis,pleasedon’tworry.IpromiseI’llbefine.Ihaveafamilythatneedsme.”

“Whenitcomestoyou,andus,that’sanimpossiblethingtoask.I’llalwaysworry.”

Briefly,Nicoleclosedhereyes.“Hmm…Is’poseyou’reright.Iwoulddothesame,but

inthiscase,I’mtellingyou,I’llbefine.”

Withallthecrazinesssurroundinghim,Davis’sworstpossiblethoughtswerebouncing

aroundinhisheadwhenhefirstgotthecall.He’dimmediatelyphonedHarlanWashington
after telling Jane about the accident.Davis had worked with him on the Shebet case five
yearsago.AlthoughHarlanhadretiredfromtheFBI,hestillhadcontacts.Morethanlikely,
Daviswasjumpingthegun.Hehadn’tknownthedetailsoftheincident,butstill,he’drather
besafethansorry.

Davis asked the one question that had plagued him since he had received the phone

call.“Doyourememberwhathappened?”

Nicole was embarrassed. “It was nothing nefarious. I’m just a klutz. I was leaving my

meetingandwasridingdownthestairs.Iwasn’tpayingcloseattentionbecauseIwasonmy
phone.Now I know why people shouldn’t text while driving or riding on escalator stairs.”
Nicoletriedtolaugh,butithurt.“IwasabouttosendJaneatextregardingDJwhenIlost
mybalance.ThenextthingIknew,Iwokeupandwashere.”

Davis sighed with relief.He hadn’t been breathing the entire time Nicole recited her

story.“I’mjusthappyyouopenedyourprettyeyesforme.”

“IfIcansurviveaplanecrashonadesertedislandwithyou,IthinkIcansurvivefalling

downaflightofstairs.It’sgoingtotakemorethanthattotakemeoutofhere.Still,I’msorry
Iworriedyou.”

“Allthatmattersisthatyou’regoingtobeokay.”DavispickedupNicole’shand,theone

thatwasn’tbroken,andbrushedhislipssoftlyagainstherknuckles.“Noneedtobesorry.It
wasanaccident.”

“DothekidsknowI’mhere?Aretheyalright?”

“Thekidsarefine.TheyareathomewithJaneandRussell.Notsureifshehadachance

totellyou,butDJhasbronchitisandanearinfection.Hetooksomemedicinebeforeleaving
the doctor’s office this morning and already seems to be feeling better. Raynaonlyknows
thatyouhaveabumponyourhead.Russellisprobablyreadingeverybookinthehouseto
keepheroccupied.”

NicolewasinsomuchpainthatsmilingwasoutofthequestionatthevisionofRussell

readingtoRayna.However,shemanagedsomethingthatlookedmorelikeagrimace.“Tell
herthat’smyjobtoworry.Whenshegetsolderandhasherownkids,thenitcanbehers.”
Nicoleattemptedtomoveandwinced.

Concerned,Davispressedthenurse’scallbutton.“Areyouinalotofpain?”

“Some.”Shewouldnevertellhimthefulltruth.Daviswouldhaveeveryspecialistinthe

stateatMercyMedicaltoexamineher.

Momentslater,anurseenteredherprivatehospitalsuite.“Mrs.Chatham,I’mgladtosee

you’reawake.HowcanIhelpyou?”

Davisspokeonhiswife’sbehalf.“She’sinalotofpain.Istheresomethingyoucangive

her?”

Thewomannodded.“Yes.Herphysicianprescribedamorphinedrip.I’llberightback

toadministerit.”

Nicole’s brow furrowed. That was the only thing she could move that didn’t hurt.

“Morphine?I’venevertakenanythingmorethanibuprofenorVivarin.”However,everytime
Nicoleinhaledandexhaled,asharppainwouldshootthroughoutherentirebody.Sinceher
discomfortlevelwasonlyacouplelevelsfrompureagony,Nicolereasonedthatifthedrugs
couldlessenherpain,shewouldmakeanexception.

Davisencouragedher.“It’sobviousfromthelookonyourfaceyouneedit.”

ThenursewaltzedbackintothehospitalroomandputthemedicineintoNicole’sIVbag

whileDaviscontinuedtoholdherhand.

It didn’t take long for it to start working. Nicole’s mouth had gone bone dry and felt

heavy—hereyestoo.They were beginning to droop. She fought to keep them open, but it
wasalosingbattle.Beforeshefellintoadeepsleep,shemumbled.“Thereweresomany
highsandlowstoday.”

Hervoicewasn’tveryaudible.Daviscouldbarelyhearher,soheleanedinclose.“Tell

meaboutthehighs.”

“You,beingherewithme.I’msorryaboutourfightearlier.”

“Me too.” He thanked God he was given a chance to tell her and smiled that Nicole

countedhimbeingwithherasahigh.Daviswantedtowrapherinhisarmsbutwasafraidof
hurtingher.So,hebroughtherhanduptohislipsinsteadandkissedthebackofit.

Shestartedtoslurherwords,andtheybecameevenhardertounderstand.Hervoicewas

nownothingmorethanawhisper.“Welandedthedonor.Hegaveusten-milliondollarsfor
AngelHouse.”

Nicole’s eyes closed. She stopped talking, and her breathing leveled off from short,

choppybreathstolongevenones.Ithadonlybeenmomentssinceshehadbeengiventhe
medication,butalready,shewasoutcold.

Daviswonderedifheheardherright.Didshesaysomeonedonatedten-milliondollarsto

AngelHouse?Ifso,hewasdamnedimpressed,butnotsurprised.HeknewNicolecoulddo

anythingsheputhermindto.Hestoodandstretched.Itwasearlyevening,butitfeltlater.
He ran a tired hand down his face. Now that his adrenaline was slowing down, Davis was
exhaustedandfeltasifhe’drunamarathon.Nowwouldprobablybeanexcellenttimeto
makeacoupleofphonecallswhileNicolewasresting—onetohisofficeandtheothertohis
sister.Hecontactedhisassistantfirsttoletherknowhewouldn’tbeinfortherestoftoday
andmostlikelytherestoftheweek.DaviscalledtoupdateJaneaboutNicole’scondition.
She volunteered to take Rayna and DJ home with her. He could hear Rayna in the
background asking a million questions. She was so smart to only be six. If he didn’t
FaceTime her tonight, there would be no peace in that house, and he couldn’t do that to
Jane.Untilthen,DavisreassuredRaynaoverthephonethathermomwasalittlebangedup
butwouldbehomeinacoupleofdays.Thatseemedtomakeherfeelbetter.

“Daddy.I’lltakegoodcareofDJuntilyouandMommycancomehome.”Notonlywas

shethespittingimageofhermother,butshealsohadherkindandnurturingheart.Rayna
alwayswantedtotakecareofeveryone.

“Thankyou.He’sgoingtoneedyoutobethehelpfulbigsisterthatIknowyouare.”

Ontheotherendoftheline,Raynabobbedherheadupanddown.“Iwillbe.Iloveyou

tothemoon.”

“Iloveyoutotheuniverse.”TheyaddedtheirownspintoDavis’smother’swords.

After he was finished with his calls, he opened his laptop with the intent of going

throughafewe-mailsandreviewingareportuntilheglancedupintohiswife’sbruisedface.
Herwordscamebacktohaunthim.Workcouldwait.Davisturnedthelaptopoffandclosed
itputtingthedamnthingbackintoitsbag.Thenhepulledtwochairstogetherandmoved
themascloseashecouldgettoNicole’sbedbeforestretchingout.Ifshewasgoingtobe
hereallnight,sowashe.

Davisknewwhenhespoketoherthatshecouldn’thearhim.Still,hemeanteveryword.

“I promised you a lifetime of happiness. I plan to keep that vow. Ijustneedalittlemore
timetosortoutthismess,andI’llmakeupforallthelosttime.Iloveyou,NicoleChatham.”
Heplacedherhandinhisoncemore,leanedhisheadbackontheuncomfortablechair,and
fellasleep.

CHAPTER7

DAVIS WALKED THROUGH THE FRONT door of his home, and it looked like a floral
shop.Hesmiledknowinghehadcontributedquitenicelytothehoardofredrosesthatwere
placed throughout the house. As word spread about Nicole’s accident, friends and
acquaintancesmadetheircontributionsaswell.Daviswasjustabouttogofindherwhenthe
doorbellrang.Hedoubledbacktoanswerit,andwhenhepulledthemopen,adeliveryman
stood,carryinganotherbouquetofflowers.Daviswasimmediatelyputonguard.Itwasafter
7p.m.Whatcompanydeliveredflowersthislate?Washebeingparanoid?

The young man sat the arrangement down on the ground. “I have a delivery for Mrs.

NicoleChatham.”

Davis’sresponsewasgruff.“Fromwho?”

Thedriverlookeddownathisclipboard.“ThepaperworksaysRome.”

“Rome?” Davis racked his brain, but he couldn’t place the name as he spoke his

thoughtsaloud.“Mr.Rome?Whothehellisthat?”Hehadn’tbeenexpectingananswer.

“Sir,I’mnotsure,butIthinkRomeishisfirstname.Therewasnotalastnamelistedon

theorder.”

“Whatfloralcompanydeliversafterhours?”

“We’re not a floral company but a specialty delivery service. This delivery is time

sensitive.”

OneofDavis’seyebrowsliftedinquestion.“Reallynow?Andwhyisthat?”

Thedriverwasanxious.“MixedwithintherosesandorchidsareKadupulflowers.They

arenativetoSriLanka.Theywerespecificallychosenforthisbouquet.Theflowersareso
raretheyareconsideredpricelessandhavealreadybeguntodie.Thelifespanisveryshort;
they live only a few hours after they are picked.Getting paid for this job depends on me
deliveringthemalive.”

Curiositypiqued,Daviswondered.Why would Rome send my wife flowers like that?It

wasahugearrangementanddesignedtomakeastatement.Ittookuphalfthespaceofthe
double doors and easily stood as tall as to his knees. He didn’t try to hide the scowl that
begantoappearonhisface.Itdeepenedashebentlowtoinspectthearrangement.After
determining there was nothing dangerous inside of them—except maybe the flowers
themselves—Davisstood.Henoddedforthemantopasstheclipboardovertosignandthen
reachedintohiswallettotiphim.

After Davis settled up with the driver, he picked up the monstrosity of flowers and

kickedthedoorclosedwithhisfoot.Hewalkedtowardthelivingroomeagertobringthemto

NicoleandfindoutwhothehellwasthischaracterRome.

Nicole lay propped up on the sofa. It had only been a couple of weeks since her

accident,andshewasstillinquiteabitofdiscomfort.Notonlywereherwristandribsstill
bothering her, so was her back. She reached over to the table for her prescription pain
medicationandpulledapilloutofthebottle.Shepoppedoneintohermouthandtookasip
ofwater.

NicolesawDavisbeforesheheardhim.Hewashiddenbehindanenormousbouquetof

pink, red, and white blooms. It was quite possibly the mostmassive arrangement she had
everseen.HereyeshadbeensogluedtotheflowersthatDavis’sboomingvoicecaughther
offguard.“Thesewerejustdeliveredtoyou.”

She pressed her hand to her chest. “Wow.” Nicole looked at the bouquet in awe. “I

didn’thearyoucomehome.My.God.Davis,youdidn’thavetodoallofthisforme.They’re
beautiful.” For the first couple of weeks, he had been much more attentive and mostly
workedfromhomeuntilthepastfewdays.Initially,hewentintotheofficeforafewhours,
but today, he’d left early in the morning and was only now returning after 7 p.m. She
supposedoldhabitsdiehard.

Hesattheflowersdownonanearbytable.“Ididn’tbuythese.Theyarenotfromme.”

Shewascurioustofindoutwhotheywerefrom.“Isthereacard?”

DavispluckeditfromthebouquetandthenwalkedovertoNicole.Hewaseagertoask

herwhothisRomeguywas,andtohearwhatwasonthecardtoo.“Yeah,thereisacard.”
Beforehehandedittoher,hebentdownandplantedalongandhardkissonherlips.Ifshe
neededtoberemindedaboutwhoshebelongedto,hewouldbemorethanhappytoremind
her.

His kiss left her breathless. They hadn’t had sex since before the accident. Hermind

waswillingbutherbody—notsomuch.Nicolewasspreadoutonthesofa,sohesatdownat
theoppositeendnexttoherfeet.

She moved agonizingly slow for Davis’s liking as she took the card out of the little

envelopeandreadit.Hishardgazewasunnerving.Hestaredherdownsinceshehadthe
audacitytoreadthedamnthingINSILENCE.

Nicole,

Sending flowers for an extraordinary woman, as an apology, and to wish you a speedy

recovery.

Rome

“Whoaretheyfrom?”

Sheclearedherthroat.“TheyarefromthedonorwhoishelpingusbuildAngelHouse.If

youwant,youcantosstheminthegarbage.”

Davis had already been feeling uneasy; now alarm bells were ringing. “Odd. A man

givesyoutenmilliondollars,andyouwanttothrowouthisflowers?”Hiseyesburnedholes
throughher.“Whatthehelldoesthecardsay?”

“He didn’t give me anything. He gave that money to Angel House. There is a big

difference.Whyareyouactinglikeyou’rejealous?”

“I’mnotactinglikeanything.I’m a concerned husband. Will you read the damn card

—outloud?”

“You’rebeingridiculous.Ifyouwanttoknowwhat’sonthecard,youreadit.”Nicole

handeditovertohim.

Davishadnoproblemwiththat.Hiseyebrowsknittedtogether.“Extraordinarywoman?

Apology?Forwhat?”

“Wehadadisagreementatthemeeting,andIguesstheflowersarehiswayofsaying

he’ssorry.”

“DoIneedtohandlethisRomewithaphonecalloranass-kicking?”

Nicolecouldn’thelpbutrollhereyes.“Neither.Idealtwithit.HeandIhaveonegoal,

andthat’stomakeAngelHouseasuccess.”

Withoutaword,Davisstood,walkedoverandpickeduptheflowers,thenstartedtowalk

away.

“Whereareyougoing?”

Helookedbackoverhisshoulder.“Wherearethekids?”

“Upstairswiththebabysitter.Why?”

“I’llgogetthem.They’veneverbeentoabonfire,havethey?”

“Davis?Whatareyouabouttodo?”

“I’mtakingthekidsoutsidetoplayinthebackyard.Ithinktheymightenjoywatching

daddysetthesedamnthingsonfire.”

Nicole was wired.The medication she had taken earlier still had her buzzing, and it was
already after midnight. She lay in bed unable to fall asleep. Good thing Davis was still

workingonhislaptop,otherwise,hertossingandturningwouldhavekepthimawake.

Heglancedover.“Can’tsleep?”

Shesighed.“No,notreally.I don’t know how it’s possible to be exhausted and full of

energyatthesametime.”

DavishadsomuchheneededtosharewithNicole,butshewasstillrecoveringfromher

accident,andhehadn’twantedtoworryher.Tomorrowwasgoingtobeaveryimportantday
forhimandhiscompany.Hehadnoideahowlonghewouldbegoneandhadalreadyasked
iftheirdatenightbabysittercouldcomebackandstayuntilhegothome,oruntilthekids
wereinbed,whicheverhappenedfirst.

Davis knew he should have talked to Nicole about everything by now but wasn’t sure

howtobringitupwithoutcausingashitstormofanargument.Heleanedoverandkissedher
softlyonthelips.“Isthatonenew?”

“What? My scarf? Yes. Jane bought it for me when I was in the hospital.” Nicole

touchedthesatinmaterialthatshehadwrappedherhairupwith,thenlayherheadagainst
hisshoulder.

“Nicole?”Her beautiful eyes looked up at him. They were more brownish green than

graytonight.

“Hmm…”

Davishesitatedasifhewereabouttosaysomethingthenchangedhismind.“Tomorrow

isgoingtobealongday,soIaskedifTeenacouldcomesitwithyouandthekids.”Hefeltit
themomentherbodytensed.

“You’ve started keeping later hours again. I had hoped things would change after my

accident.”

“Ithas.Thismeetingisimportant.”

Nicole sat up. “Here we go again. Davis, every meeting is important. Every deal is

important.”

“That’snottrue.”

“Yes,itis.”

“Ican’tdothiswithyourightnow.I’vegottofinishgoingoverthisinformation.”

“You are leaving me alone in this marriage. I refuse to go back to how things were

before.”

“You’re not alone!” He was angry. “Please, don’t start up with that nonsense.” Davis

rolledhisheadaroundhisshoulders.“Iwillnotdothiswithyou.”Ifshecouldn’tseehow
muchhewasdevotedtoherandhisfamily,thenNicolewasblind.

Nicoleglaredathim.

If she was already going to be pissed, he might as well put all his cards on the table.

“Weshouldthinkabouthiringsomeonefulltimetohelpoutwiththekids.Iwasthinking
aboutTeena.Shehasbeenagodsend.”

IthadbeennicehavingTeenaaround,buttheyhaddecideditwouldonlybetemporary

untilNicolewentbacktowork.Daviswaschangingtheplan.“Iguessyouhaveitallfigured
out.”Nicolethrewthecoversback,gotoutofbed,andwentintothebathroom.Shecouldn’t
dealwithDavistonight.Shejustwantedtogotosleepandthinkofabsolutely…nothing.
Nicoleopenedthe medicine cabinet and searched until she found it—asleepingpill.She
hopeditwouldsendheroffintolalalandbeforeshedidsomethingstupidlikepunchher
husbandinthethroat.

CHAPTER8

NICOLEWASBURIEDUNDERNEATHTHEmountainofcoversandlostinadeepcoma-
like sleep. The world could have been ending, and she probably would have missed it.
However,Raynawasamorepowerfulforcethanevensomethingassignificantastheending
oftheworld.ShewasonebigballofenergywhenshecameburstingintoNicole’sbedroom.
“Mom!I’mgoingtobelateforschool.”

Nicolegroaned.Shecouldbarelyopenhereyes.Thesleepingpillshadleftherfeeling

groggy—likeshewaswalkingonacloud.“Whattimeisit?”

Raynastoodbyherheadandleaneddownoverher.“It’s7:20.Mybuswillbeherein

tenminutes.”

Nicole still hadn’t been able to move. Her head and limbs felt like dead weight. Her

voicewashoarse.“Where’syourdad?”

“Healreadyleftforwork,butTeenaishere.Shearrivedbeforedaddyleft.C’mon,mom.

Areyougoingtogetup?”

Somehow,Nicolemanagedtoopenhereyesandpushherselfup.Shemovedthecovers

backandthrewherlegsoverthesideofthebed.Nicoledroppedherchindownonherchest
andputuponefinger.“Canyougivemeasecond?”

Rayna, wearing the striped skirt and purple button-down vest of her school uniform,

tiltedherhead.Shehadneverseenhermothersooutofit.“Wereallydon’thaveasecond.
Areyouokay?”Shehoistedherbackpackoverthesideofhershoulder.

“I’mfine.Justalittletired.”Nicoleturnedslightlyandgrimaced.“Myribsstillhurta

little.Canyoubringmemyrobe?”

Raynaranovertohermother’schairtoretrieveitandquicklycameback.Nicolemoved

slowlyandputiton.Themomentshestood,Raynagrabbedherbythearm.“C’monmom!”
ShetriedtopullNicoleoutofthebedroom,butNicolecouldn’tkeepupthepace.Shewas
uncomfortableandstilloutofit.“Rayna!Pleasestopdraggingme.Ican’tmovethatfast!”
Raynafroze.Nicoleneverscreamed,soitwasshockingtobothofthem.

Teena came bounding up the stairs. “Is everything alright, Mrs. Chatham?” Nicole

pinchedthebridgeofhernose.Rayna’seyesfilledwithtears,andNicolefeltliketheworst
parentontheplanet.“I’msorry.Ididn’tmeantoyell.”Sheopenedherarms.“Ican’tbend
downforahug,butI’dsurelikeitifyou’dgivemeone.Icoulduseit.”

Raynawentintohermother’sembrace.Nicoleapologized.“Iloveyousomuch.I’mso,

sosorry.”

“It’sokay.Daddysaidyoumightbealittlecrankybecauseyou’renotfeelingsogood.”

“Hesaidthat,huh?”

Raynaletoutalittlelaugh.“Yes.”

“Well,sometimesyourfatherisright,butonlysometimes,anddon’ttellhimIsaidso.”

Nicoleblewoutabreath.“Let’sgetyoudownstairsbeforeyoumissthebus.”

AssoonasRaynawasgone,Nicolewentbacktobed.Shesleptuntilnoonandstillcouldn’t
seemtoshakethefogofsleep.Shewasinthisweirdspacewhereshewasn’tasleep,butshe
wasn’tquiteawakeeither.Shepromisedherself;Iwillneverever,evertakethosedamnpills
again.

Whenhercellphonebuzzed,shehadjustenoughenergytoanswerit.“Hello?”

“Nicole?”

“Yes.ThisisNicole.”

“Ijustwantedtoknowifyoureceivedmyflowers.”

NicolewhippedherheadaroundasifshewerelookingforDavis.“Mr.Abboud?”

“Myegojusttookahit.”Helaughed.“IguessIdidn’tmakeabigenoughimpressionfor

you to remember what I sound like. Please call me Roman. My special friends call me
Rome.”

“Howdidyougetmypersonalnumber?”

“Ms.Lancastergaveittome.”

“Isee.I’mgoingtohavetohavealittlechatwithher.”

“Don’tbeangry.IcanbeverypersuasivewhenIwantto.Ihopeyouarefeelingbetter.

Didyougetmyflowers?”

Nicole’sbrainwasn’tworkingfastenough.“Theflowers.Oh,yes.Ireceivedthem.”

“I’vebeenwaitingforyoutocall.”

“Forwhat?”

“A“thankyou?”Ididsendyouflowers.Iwantedtowishyouwell.Didyoulikethem?”

Nicole sighed into the phone. “Mr.Abboud, thank you for the flowers, but you really

shouldn’thavesentthem.Theyweremuchtooexpensive.”

“AsIsaidonthecard,itwasmypeaceofferingandbestwishesforaspeedyrecovery.

Areyoufeelingbetter?”

Nicolewasuneasy.Heshouldn’tbecallingher.“Yes.Iam.”

“Gladtohearit.Whenyou’reupandabout,Iwouldstillliketogettogetherforlunch.”

“IalreadytoldyouthatIdon’tthinkthatisagoodidea.”

“Ofcourse.Yourhusbandwouldn’tapprove.”

Nicolerubbedherforehead.“Notonlywouldhenotapprove,butIalsodon’tapprove.

It’sinappropriate.”

“I’msorryyoufeelthatway.Ionlywantedtoshowmyconcern.”

“Mr.Abboud…”

“Rome.”Hisvoicewassilkysmooth,andhisaccentwasbarelythere.

Nicolewasgettingaheadache.“IthinkitsbestthatIcallyouMr.Abboud.Thankyouso

much for the flowers and the well-wishes, but please do not call this phone again. If you
wouldliketodiscussmorewaysyoucanfinanciallybenefittheAngelFoundation,contact
ouroffice.Haveagreatday.”Nicolehungup.Themanwaspersistent,shewouldgivehim
that,butsheandDavishadenoughgoingonthatsherefusedtoaddanunnecessarilyjealous
husbandtothemix.

Nicolewashavingahardtimemovingaround,andRaynawouldbehomefromschoolin

acoupleofhours.Sheneededtobeinabettermoodthanwhenshesentheroff.Otherwise,
Nicolewasn’tgoingtowinanymotheroftheyearawards.Itwasalsoafterlunch,andNicole
hadn’tseenDJsincethismorning.Shehadbettertakeherpainmedicationsothatshecould
besomewhatfunctional.

CHAPTER9

DAVIS’S EXECUTIVE DREAM TEAM, ALONG with several high-powered lawyers, had
beenassembledinhisconferenceroom.Theysataroundthetablefinalizingtheirstrategy
fordealingwiththeUSAttorneyGeneral’soffice.Aftermonthsofcooperationandtryingto
resolvetheirinquiries,ChathamIndustrieswasofficiallyunderinvestigationfortradingand
armsdealingwiththeknownterroristgroup,TheLiberationofShebet.

Frustrated, Davis pushed away from the table and got up. He rubbed the back of his

neckashestartedtopacebackandforth.“Thisisridiculous.I’vedoneabsolutelynothing
wrong.HowmuchmoreproofdotheyneedtoknowthatChathamIndustriesisavictiminall
ofthistoo?”

One of his lawyers, Braylee Hinsdale-Manchetti, spoke up. “We understand how you

feel,Davis,wereallydo,butyou’vegottocalmdownandtrustus.Fiveyearsago,whenyour
personalassistantgotinvolvedwiththatorganization,itleftyouvulnerable.”

Hiseyesblazed.“Iunderstandthat.Butthefactthattheytriedtokillmywife,andwe

helpedtobringdownoneoftheircellsshouldmakemeapatriot,notagoddamnedtraitor!”

Daviswasjustifiedinhisanger,butBrayleetriedtoremaincalmenoughforthebothof

them.Still,itwaspartofherjobtolayoutthefacts.“True, but several offshore accounts
worthbillionshavebeentiedtoyourcompanyandtheLiberation.TheFBIwantstoknow
whoputthemoneythereandwhy.”

“I’ve answered those questions already. I can’t give them information I don’t have.”

Davisturnedhisbackonhisteam,foldedhisarmsacrosshischest,andstaredoutofthe
window.“Ididn’tevenknowthoseaccountsexisteduntiltheFBIcontactedmeaboutthem
sevenmonthsago.Therearen’tanyrecordsofmemakingpersonalwithdrawalsordeposits
intothoseaccounts.”

Brayleetappedherpenonthemahoganytable.“You’recorrect.However,yourPAmade

thetransfersofmoneyfromserversinyourofficebuilding.Intheeyesofthelaw,yourname
ison the building. So, if you weren’t aware, you should have been. Because there isn’t a
directlinktoyoupersonally,thatistheonlyreasontheyhaven’tfrozenyourassets…yet.”

“Areweanyclosertofindingoutanythingmoreaboutthecash?”

Another attorney, JP Rickets, whose area of expertise this fell under, responded.“We

are getting close. There were many shell accounts and international banks used in this
operationtomovethatsumofmoneyaround.We’llfindtheoriginandclearyourname.”

Davis turned to face everyone. “Can anybody in this room tell me why the hell Iwas

targetedinthefirstplace?Initially,Ithoughtitwasformytechnology,but,obviously,there
isalotmoregoingonherethatI’mnotawareof.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of it—all of it.” Braylee had never been more confident. It

wouldtakealittletimetounravelallthemovingparts,butherteamwoulddoit.

Davis’s Chief Operating Office, Paul Williams, had been holding back but needed to

informeveryoneofthenewestdevelopments.“Ireceivedacallfromoneofthemembersof
theboard.Davis,theyarestronglysuggesting,untiltheseissuesareresolved,thatyoustep
aside.Theyareafraidiftheshareholdersfindout,it’llmakethestockplummet.”

Daviscouldn’tkeephisangerfromspillingover.Heroared.“Ibuiltthiscompanywith

nothingbutahundreddollarsandmyintellect.Iboughtadomainnameandusedmysweat
andbloodtobuildChathamIndustriestowhereitistoday.ThedayIstepaside,isthedayI
closethedoorsforever.”

Paulwasuneasy.Not only was part of his compensation package tied to the Chatham

Industries stock, but he also had a significant portion of his own money invested in the
company’sstocktoo.“Ifwordgetsoutaboutallofthis,wemayhavenochoicebuttoclose
thedoors,andsomeofusmightspendquiteabitoftimeinprison.Canyouhonestlysayyou
arethinkingofthegoodofthecompany?”

Daviswalkedbackoverandplacedbothhandsonthetable.Heleanedintomakesure

Paulandeveryoneelseunderstoodhisposition.“I’mthemajorityshareholder.So,letmebe
veryclear,it’snotthecompany,it’smydamncompany.Whoeversuggestedthatbullshit,tell
themtogofuckthemselves.Andiftheywanttowalk,I’mfullypreparedtobuybacktheir
sharestomycompany.”

Brayleelookedonbetweenthetwo.Menandtheirpissingcontests.Itwasoldandtired.

Ifthisroomhadbeenfullofwomen,theentirecasewouldprobablybewrappedupbynow.At
anyrate,shethoughtthedisplaywasafascinatingshowdownbetweenPaulandDavis—if
someonewantedtoclassifyitasthat.Somethingoccurredtoher,andshemadeanoteonher
pad. “Okay, gentlemen, let’s hope it doesn’t get that far. If everyone does their jobs, we
shouldbeabletogettothebottomofthissituation.Ifthereisnothingelse…”Shestood
andsmootheddownherwhitepencilskirtandstartedtoputonthematchingjacket.“There
areacoupleofthingsmyofficeneedstofollowupon.”

The meeting broke up, and everyone gathered their things. Braylee hung back until

everyoneelsehadleft,andshewasalonewithDavis.“ThereareafewmoreitemsIwanted
todiscusswithyou,andIdidn’tthinkyouwouldwantanaudience.”

Davisgrunted.“YouthinkIshouldstepasidetoo?”

“No. But I do think you should hire a PR firm.” She reached into her portfolio and

pulledoutacardandhandedittohim.“Inthepast,you’vedealtwithJKS.Theyaregood,
but this requires a certain type of expertise. The people who work for Masterson and

Hollowayarethebest.”

“Youreallythinkit’llcometothis?”

“WhentheFBIisinvolved,yes.Theyaregoingtodigsofarintoyourpastthey’llknow

thenameofthewomanwhotookyourvirginity.Wearealsolivinginaheightenedpolitical
environment.Ifyou’vedonatedmoremoneytoonepoliticalpartythantheother,theymight
wanttouseyouasanexample.Thatbringsmetomysecondpoint,haveyoutalkedtoyour
family?”

Davisshookhisheadno.“Ineverthoughtthingswouldgetthisfar.”

Brayleeplacedareassuringhandonhisarmandsmiledconfidently.“Doit.Theycanbe

agreatsourceofsupport.Youandyourfamilywillgetthroughthis.Oh…andremember,
youhaveoneweaponthatthegovernmentdoesn’t.”

Davisliftedabrow.“What’sthat…thetruth?”

“The truth is a relative term. You have me, Braylee Hinsdale-Manchetti, attorney

extraordinaire.”Shewaskiddingbutnotreally.“That’swhyyouhiredme.I’lldotheheavy
lifting, so you don’t have to. I just need you to be on top of things, and that includes
preparingyourfamilyforthepossibleonslaughtofnegativepress.”

“Mywife’srecoveringfromanaccident.It’snotagoodtimetolayallofthisonher.”

Brayleeclosedherportfolio.“That’sright.Howisshedoing?”

“Gettingbetterwitheveryday,butnotahundredpercent.”

“Thatwasanastyfall.Butshe’sresilient.African women used to have babies and go

workin the fields the very next day. Like me, Nicole comes from an ancestral history of
struggle. She’s tough. It’s in her DNA.” Davis agreed. Nicole was a fighter, but she had
alreadybeenthroughtoomuch.Hewantedtopamperher,notmakethingsmoredifficult.

Brayleecouldseeherwordsweren’tregistering.“Davis,allI’mtryingtosayisit’snever

agoodtime,butwomenhaveahighthresholdtodealwithbullshitwhenitcomestothose
theylove.Talkingtohermighttakesomeofthepressureoffyou.Justathought.Anyway,I
shouldgetgoing.I’llcallyouifanythingsignificantcomesup.”Brayleegrabbedherpurse
andplacedherportfoliounderneathherarm,thenwalkedoutoftheconferenceroom.

Davisstaredintospace,thinking.HeknewNicolewasstrong,but,fornow,he’dgiveher

justalittlemoretimetogetbetterbeforetellingheraboutthissituation.

Hecheckedhiswatch.Itwasalreadyafter7p.m.Whenhelefttheirbedthismorning,

shehadbeensleeping.Theytalkedoverthephoneacoupleoftimesthroughouttheday,but
shewasstillangryfromthenightbefore.Hecouldreallyusealittleofthatclosenessthey

usedtosharealmostliketheairhebreathed.Unfortunately,Davishadmisseddinneragain.
Thatdefinitelywasn’tgoingtoendearhimtoher.

Asamatteroffact,shewasgoingtobepissed—again.

CHAPTER10

OneMonthLater…

NICOLEWENTTOTHEANGEL Foundation’s corporate headquarters to take a meeting.
Shehadn’tbeenbacksinceheraccident,andgoinguptheescalatorsdidstirupquiteabit
of anxiety. However,she was able to get passed it with a few deep calming breaths. She
arrivedearlyforthisveryreason.However,she’ddoneit.Shefacedthefearofgoingbackto
thesceneoftheaccidentandconqueredit.

Shegreetedsomeofhercolleagueswhoseemedhappytoseeherasshemadeherway

into her office. Since Nicole mostly worked from home, her office was very small. Once
inside, Nicole dropped her bags on the desk, sat down, and shut her eyes in an effort to
collectherself.

Thephoneonherdeskbuzzedshakingherfromherreverie.Initially,Nicolewascaught

offguardsinceshehadn’theardaland-lineringinsolongitsoundedforeign.Shelaughed
inwardlyandpickeditup.“Hello.ThisisNicole.”

“AndthisisDana!”

“Dana?Whyareyoucallingmeonmyofficelineinsteadofonmycell?”

“Because you left it on your island at home. I called your cell phone first, and some

womannamedTeenapickeditup.”

Nicolequicklycheckedherpurse,andsureenough,itwasn’tthere.

“Whoisthat?Ithoughtyourhousekeeper’snamewasRozalyn,andsheonlyworkedon

weekends.”

“Longstoryshort,TeenausedtositforuswhenDavisandIwentondates.Sheisnow

thefull-timenanny.”

“Ahhh…sohefinallytalkedsomesenseintoyou.Ithinkit’sagoodidea.”

“Ha.Ha.Funny.Youknowitdefinitelywasn’tmyidea,butit’salsoonelessargumentto

have,soIagreedtoitonatemporarybasis.”

DanawasthrilledtoheartheenergyinNicole’svoice.“Goodforyou.Learningtopick

yourbattlesissoimportant.Anyway,thereasonIcalledwastoseeifyouwantedtogoto
lunch?”

Nicole snapped her head around and out of her window as if she could see somebody

fromthe77

floor.Hervoicerosewithexcitement.“What?!You’rehere?”

“Intheflesh.”

“Mygoodness!Youshouldhavesaidthatfirst!Forhowlong?”

“Untiltheendofthemonth.I’mactuallystandinginyourlobby.”

“You’rekidding?”

“Nope.”

Nicoleglancedatherwatch.Hermeetingwasintwentyminutes.Still,shegotupfrom

her chair and started walking toward the doors and was snagged backward. Like a chain,
Nicolewasboundbywires.Shegiggledlikeaschoolgirl.“I’llberightout.”Nicolehungup
the phone and quickly made her way to the lobby. As soon as Dana and Nicole saw each
other,theyembracedinafiercehug.

Nicolespokefirst.“It’ssogoodtoseeyou.”

“Youtoo.”Danapulledbackslightly.“Youdon’tlooklikeawomanwhowasatdeath’s

door.”

Nicolerolledhereyes.Theybothspokeinunison.“Davis.”Andlaughterensued.After

itdieddownenoughforNicoletoformwords,shetriedtoexplain.“Iwasneverthatbadoff.”

“That’snotthewayDavisdescribedyou.Hehadmepickingoutamourningdress.”

“Youknowthatmancanbeoverlydramaticwhenitcomestothiskindofthing.”

Danadisagreed.“No.Onlywhenitcomestoyouandthekids.”

“Ican’targuewiththat.”NicoleloopedherarmintoDana’s.“C’mon.Let’sgointomy

office.Ihaveameetingat10a.m.,buthopefully,whenI’mdone,wecangotolunch.”

Oncetheywerebehindcloseddoors,itwasasiftheyweretryingtomakeupforallthe

in-personconversationstheyhad missed over the past two years, which had been the last
timethey’dseeneachother.

“Davisdidn’treallyburntheflowers,didhe?”Danacouldn’tbelieveit.

Nicole laughed. “Yes. He did. One of our neighbors heard about our accident and

figuredsomethingwasoffafternoticingabigballoffireinthebackyard.Ofcourse,Davis
didn’tburnitinthegrill.Thatwouldmaketoomuchsense.He tried to pretend this silly
exercisewasaboutsurvivalskills.HeandRaynaputtheflowersinacircleofrocksandthen
heshowed her how to light it with just the items in the backyard.They turned the entire
thingintoabonfire.So,theneighborcalledthefiredepartment.”

Danawasdoubledoverlaughing.“IfRomanhadDavisburningflowers,hemustbekind

ofhot.”

Nicolecontinuedherownfitofgiggles.Shehunchedhershoulders.“Theladiesinthe

officeseemtothinkso.”

“Youdon’tthinkhe’sgoodlooking?”

“Begrudgingly,I’lladmit,he’skindofcute,buthe’salsoanasshole.”

“Uh-oh.IrememberyousaidthataboutDavis.”

ThinkingbackwistfullyonthenighttheymetattheairportmadeNicolesmile.“Hewas

when I met him. And sometimes he can still exhibit asshole tendencies, but Davis is an
incredibleman.But I swear he gets on my last nerves.” Absentmindedly, Nicole reached
intoherpurseandpulledoutaprescriptionbottle.Shepoppedtwopillsintohermouthand
tookalongpullfromherbottledwater.

Dana’s laughter slowly died on her lips. “Are you still taking prescriptions? Is

everythingokay?”

Nicoletiltedherheadslightlyfromsidetoside.“Somepartsofmearebeingstubborn.”

“It’sbeenaboutsixweekssincetheaccidenthasn’tit?”

“Yes,giveortakeafewdays.However,Istillhavesomepaininmyneckandback.”

Sheputthetopbackonthebottleandshookthem.“Butthesebadboysdefinitelyhelpget
methroughthefreakin’day.”

Curiously,Danalookedon.“Whatexactlyarethose?”

“These.TheyareOxy.”

Worried,Danafrowned.“Oxy?You’vebeenonthosetheentiretime?”

Nicoleputherhandsup.“Stop.Please.Iknowwhatyou’rethinking,butthisiswhatthe

doctorprescribedafterIleftthehospital.IonlytakethemwhenIneedthem.”

Danahadjustheardhersayshetookthemeverysingleday.Thatwasn’tagoodsign,but

shekeptquiet.Well,notcompletely.“Theycanbeveryaddictive.Becarefulwiththose.”

“Yes.Theycan.ButI’mresponsibleandtoosmarttogethookedondrugs.OnceIget

overtheseinjuries,I’llstoptakingthem.”

“Of course you are. As a doctor, six weeks is a long time to be on those things. You

mightwanttoconsultyourphysiciantoseewhatelsetheycandoforpainmanagement.”

Nicole laughed jokingly and responded sarcastically. “I will take your advice into

consideration, Dr. Lasso.” When Dana didn’t laugh too, Nicole got serious. “Look. Please
don’tworry.I know my body and my pain better than anybody else. Ipromise.When the
timecomes,I’llstoptakingthem.”Therewasasofttaponthedoor.Nicolewashappyforthe
interruption.Shelookedup.“Comein.”

Clairepeepedherheadthroughthedoor.“Yourmeetingisinfiveminutes.”

Nicolenodded.“Thanks.”SheturnedbacktoDana.“Stopworrying.Ihaveeverything

undercontrol.”She stood. “I’ve got to get going but should be finished in about an hour.
Let’smeetbackheresayintwo?That’llgivemeenoughtimetomakeafewphonecallsand
tieupanymiscellaneousthingsImayhavemissedwhileI’vebeenonleavefromwork.”

Dana stood too. “Okay. I’ll meet you downstairs at noon.” As she walked toward the

door, her concern meter was still on full-tilt. Dana hoped the excitement and newfound
energythatNicolewasgivingoffwasn’tbecauseofthosedrugs.

CHAPTER11

NICOLE HAD BEEN TO THE Clarks Tower twice in one week. She mumbled to herself,
“Whycan’tpeoplevalueotherpeople’stime?”Nicolewasalreadyirritatedthatshehadto
comebackintotheofficethisweekforatasksomeoneelseshouldhavebeenabletodo,but
nowthepersonshewassupposedtomeetwaslate.

Shestoodoutsideherofficepacingbackandforth.Periodically,shecheckedherwatch.

Wherewerethey?Nicolewasn’tsureifitwashermedicationorwhat,butshewasanxious.
“Claire?”Nicoleturnedtoherassistantwhowasexhaustedfromwatchingherwalkinfrontof
herdesk.Shewasgladthatherheelsweren’tclick-clacking.Fortunately,theywerecasual
withsoftsoles.

“Yes,Mrs.Chatham?”

“Areyousuretheysaidtherepresentativewasontheirway?IfIdon’tleavesoon,I’m

goingtobelate.”

“Yep.”Clairepoppedthepinherresponse.

“Well,I’llgivethemtenmoreminutes,thenI’mleaving.”

Aslightlyaccentedanddeeplymalevoicerespondedfrombehindher.“Iapologizefor

mytardiness,Ms.Chatham.AnoverseascalltooklongerthanIexpected.”

Nicolerecognizedthatvoice.Sheclosedhereyes,scruncheduphernose,andmouthed

the words—DAMN. However, Nicole smiled when she turned to face him. “Mr. Abboud.
Whatareyoudoinghere?”

“IwantedanupcloseandpersonaltouroftheAmericanfostercaresystem.”

“Ihavetoadmit;Iwasn’texpectingtoseeyouagainunlessitwasintheboardroomof

theAngelFoundation,nothereatourKidCareoffices.”

“Rome.PleasecallmeRome.”Hescratchedthesideofhisheadwithafinger.“Ilive

temporarilyonthetopfloorofthisbuilding.IfigureditwasquitepossiblethatIwouldrun
intoyouagain.”

“Ididn’tknowtherewerelivingquartersinthisbuilding.”

He continued to flash her a million watt-bulb smile. “Yes, there are.” He glanced

around.“Isn’tKidCareandtheAngelFoundationthesamecompany?”

“No,theyarenot,buttheysharecertainresourcesliketheseoffices.”

“Interesting.Well,I’mstillpleasantlysurprisedthatyouaremypointperson.”

Nicoledidn’tbelievehimforasecond.Shefoldedherarmsacrossherchestandlifted

aneyebrow.“Isthatso?”

Of course, he was lying, but Roman would never admit it. If KidCare wanted his

financialsupport,hehadmadeitperfectlyclearthattheywouldonlygetit,ifNicolewere
availablefortheridealongandanythingelseheaskedfor.Thatwaswhyhispeoplephoned
herbosstoensurethatshewouldbealongforthislittleadventure.“Iwastoldsomeonefrom
ChildrenandFamilyServiceswouldmeetme.”

“KidCareworkscloselywiththatgovernmentorganization,butIamtherepresentative

fortheday.”

“Oh.Ithoughtyouonlycharmedmenlikemeoutofmoney.Ididn’tknowyouworked

thisclosetotheground.”

“Idon’tcharmanyonefordonations,Mr.Abboud.”

“Rome.PleasecallmeROME.”

Sheignoredhim.“Inanswertoyourquestion,Idon’tusuallyhandlethein-personvisits,

butapparentlytherewasanemergency,andthewomanyouweresupposedtobewithtoday
couldn’t be here. I’m stepping in because there was no one else available on such short
notice.So,ifyou’reseriousaboutwhatwe’redoingtoday—”

“Iam.”Hestaredherdown,challengingherdoubts.

Nicole quickly ran through all the reasons why she shouldn’t believe him. But then

commonsensekickedin.Whywouldn’tMr.Abboudbeseriousabouthowhismoneyisgoing
to be used after donating ten-million dollars?She could only take him at his word. Nicole
droppedherarmstoherside.“WewillgotoacoupleoftheChildrenandFamilyService
officesaswellasvisitafewhomeswherewe’veplacedseveralchildren.”

Romannodded.“Soundseasyenough.”

Shesnapped.Itwasanautomaticresponsewhendealingwithhim.“Letmeclueyouin

onacoupleofthings.One,thisisnoteasy.And,two,determiningifsomeoneistellingyou
thetruthisoftenharder.”

He could tell by her clipped tone that she was referring to him. “I’m not a successful

businessmanbecauseIamoverlytrusting,Nicole.MayIcallyouthat?Nicole?”Romansaid
hernamelikeasoftcaress.

Whatwasshesupposedtosay?Hellno?HehadalreadybeencallingherNicole.Whywas

heaskingnow?Technically, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Still,she narrowed her eyes.
“Mr.Abboud,whatweareabouttoembarkonisseriousbusiness.Itisnotfunandgames.
The quality of these children’s lives just might depend on us.AndI…” She stressed the
word.“Iamnotagameandwon’ttaketookindlytobeingplayedwith.”

“Rome.Isthatsohardforyoutosay?”

“YousaidyourfriendscallyouRome,correct?”

“Yes.So,please—”

“Wearenotfriends.Iprefertokeepourrelationshipprofessional,andthatmeansIwill

callyou,Mr.Abboud.Understood?”

Hesalutedher.“Understood.”

Clairewatchedthebackandforthbetweenthemwithheightenedamusement.Therewas

atensiontherethatwasundeniable.ItwasapparentthatNicolewasgoingtohaveherhands
fullwithMr.Abboud.

“Great.Nowthatyouhavesettherulesandestablishedtheboundaries…”Hechecked

the time on his wrist as Nicole stared through him. “We should probably get going. I
wouldn’twanttomakeyoulate.”

He was mocking her from her earlier statements. Nicole brushed past him toward the

elevators.“IwishsomeonehadtoldyouthatanItaliansuitmightnotbethebestattirefor
thisfieldtrip.”

NicoleandRomanspenttheentiremorningattwoChildrenandFamilyServiceofficesand
thenmadetwowellnesscarevisits.Theywereridinginhercarandhadn’tspokenverymuch
aftertheirlaststop.Eachofthemwaslostintheirownthoughts.

Romanwaspensive.Hestaredaheadashespoke.“Ihadnoideathiscouldhappenhere

in America. This country is rich. Some of the conditions these children live in are
deplorable.”

Nicoleglancedathim,andhergazesoftened.Hecared.“Todaywasactuallyagoodday

—thingscanbeandareoftenalotworse.I’mjusthappythatthechildrenweplacedappear
tohavebeenmatchedwithdecenthomes.It’stemporary,but,whoknows,maybeitwilleven
leadtoadoption.”

Romanfinallyturnedtoher.“Isthatwhatyouhopedfor?Tobeadopted?”

Sheshrugged.“Is’pose.Whowouldn’twanttobeapartofafamily?”

“Me.”Romanletoutaheartylaugh.“Ihavethirteenbrothersandsisters.Nooneever

hadanopportunitytogetlonely.”

Nicolestoppedataredlight.“Thirteen?Iwouldhavelovedthat.”Shesmiledathim.

Itwasthefirstgenuinesmileshehadgivenhimallday.Hell,sincehe’dmether.Itwas

likearayofsunshine.Hereturneditwithoneofhisown.“DidyouliketheflowersIsent?”

Her smile faded. “I thought I told you. They were nice, too expensive, and very

inappropriate.”

“I’mrich.Howweretheyinappropriate?”

“Ihaveahusbandwhodidn’ttaketookindlythatsomestrangemanthathehasnever

metwouldsendhiswifesuchanexpensivegift.”

“Ishouldmeethim.”

Twoalpha’scirclingeachotherbothtryingtoprovewhowasmanlier?Shewasnotupfor

that.“No.Idon’tthinkthatwouldbeagoodidea.”

“Hmm…wouldhebejealous?”

“Hehasnoreasontobejealous.”

Thatdidn’tanswerhisquestionexactly.“Whatdidhedowiththem?”

“Do?Withwhat?”Nicolepretendednottounderstandhisquestion.

“Theflowers.Whatdidhedowiththem?”

Asmilethreatenedthecornersofherlips.“Truth?”

“Nothingbut.”

“Hehadabonfirewithourkidsinthebackyard.”

Roman laughed out loud. A big hearty laugh. “I probably would have done the exact

samedamnthing.”Whenhislaughterdieddown,henoticedNicole’sguardhadcomedown
withit.Nowwas a good time to make his move.“I’m hungry. Do we have time to grab a
quickbitetoeatbeforeournextvisit?”

Nicolestuttered.“L-lunch?Um…I’mnotsure…”Theyweren’tsupposedtobesharing

personalspace,anditthrewheroff.Somuchso,thatshedidn’tnoticethetrafficlighthad
changed.

“It’sjustfood.Yousaidwe’renotfriends.Maybeweshouldworkonthat.Again,it’sjust

lunch.”Romanpointed.“Thelight…it’sgreen.”

Shetorehereyesawayfromhim.“Right.”Nicolepulledoff.Romanmadehernervous.

Herpalmsweredampassheheldontothesteeringwheel.“Alright.Howaboutwestopbya
drive-thruandpicksomethingup?”

RomanwasenjoyingthefactthatNicolewasoffbalance—thatwasagoodsign.“Asin

fastfood?Surely,youcandobetterthanthat.I’vebeenmorethanrespectful.Iwouldsay,

I’vebeenonmybestbehavior.You’vemadeitperfectlyclearthatyouarehappilymarried.
I’ll respect that.” He wouldn’t, but she didn’t know that. “Haven’t I earned a decent
Americanmeal?”

Nicolewasbeingsilly.Romanhadbeennothingbutagentleman.“Youhave been on

yourbestbehavior,andwedohaveacoupleofhourstosparebeforeournextvisit.”Instead
ofgoingbacktoheroffice,shedecidedtohavelunch.Romanwasjustaharmlessflirt.He
hadshownherthattodayand,bythewayhetreatedthosekids,thathewasn’tanarrogant,
self-absorbedjerk.

Romanleanedbackinhisseat.“Yes,Ihave,andyes,wedo.Comeon.I’mstarving.”

Reluctantly,Nicolegavein.“Fine.Whatdoyouhaveatastefor?”

You.Ihaveatasteforyou,NicoleChatham,and,withalittlemoretime,Iplantohave

you.“Youchoose.I’mgoingtoputmyselfinyourhands.”Roman’sdemeanorwasinnocent,
buthisintentionswereanythingbut.

CHAPTER12

DAVISWASATTENDINGHISWEEKLY staff meeting when his administrative assistant
interrupted.“Mr.Chatham?Youhaveaveryimportantphonecall.”

Helookedupirritated.“IsitNicole?”

“No. But it’s a call you need to take.” Davis’s expression turned from irritation to

curious. He stood. “Let’s finish this meeting at another time. If there are any pressing
matters,scheduleaone-on-onewithmethroughSara.”Davisleftthemeeting,walkingside
bysidewithSaratohisoffice.“Who’sonthephone?”

“Yourlawyer,Mrs.Hinsdale-Manchetti.”

Afeelingofdreadcreptoverhim.Herolledhisheadaroundhisshoulders.Whenthey

arrived at his door, Davis thanked Sara and closed it behind him. He walked over to the
phoneandpickeditup.“Davis.”

“Davis,it’sBraylee.IreceivedacallfromtheAttorneyGeneral’sofficetoday.”

Hewasmatter-of-fact.“Goodorbadnews?”

“Yourbusinessandmostofyourpersonalaccountshavebeenfrozen.”

“What!?Ithoughtyousaidbecausetheycouldn’tdrawadirectconnectionbetweenthe

dirtymoneyandme,thattheywereleavingmyaccountsalone.”

“Therewasacaveat.Isaid…fornow.However,theydidn’ttouchtheChathamFamily

Trust.”

“DoesthatmeantheAGbelieveshe’sfoundthelinkhe’sbeenlookingfor?”

“It means nothing, other than they are trying to play hardball. They want information,

andtheythinkyoumayhaveit.Ifyoudon’t,Idon’tthinkitwillmattertothem.Eitherway,
itseemstheyplantouseyouasanexampleoftheireffortstodestroyterrorist’snetworks.”

Heslammedhisfistdownonhisdesk.“Shit,Braylee!Goddammit!”

“Believe me; I understand your frustrations and my team is working on getting this

decisionreversed.You’llneedtoexhibitpatienceunlikeyou’veeverhadtobeforeandwhen
that’sbeenusedup…trustme.Wearehandlingthis.Itmayseemglacial,butwearegoing
tomakeallofthisgoaway.Thatbringsmetotheotherreasonformycall.Thisinformation
isgoingtohitthemediatoday.I’vehadseveralreporterscallmeaboutit.”

Heyelledintothephone.“Itrustyoutokeepmeoutofprison,butBrayleethiscould

ruinmybusiness!”

“Believe me when I say, we are way ahead of you on this. We knew there was a

possibilitythatyourassetscouldbefrozen,andwehaveaplantodealwiththepress.Ihad

hopedwewouldn’tneedtoexecuteit,butthat’swhatcontingenciesarefor.”

Frustrated, Davis ran his hand down his face. “What the hell is the plan? How much

longerbeforeall this nonsense is over?There’s only enough money in that family trust to
keepeverythinggoingforafewmonthsatbest.Ihavepayrollandfamilyobligations.”

“We’regoingtoresolvethisassoonaspossible.AndIwon’tletthissituationtakeyou

down.It’sgoodyoudecidedtohireMastersonandHolloway.I’vebeenintouchwiththem.
Theentireteamneedstohuddleuptoday.Ifpossible,inthenextcoupleofhours.Canwe
meetatyourhome?”

Hewasdespondent.“Yeah.”

“Good. In the meantime, talk with your IT department. Disable outbound e-mails,

company cell phones, and all outbound telephone calls except for emergency numbers for
thenextfewhours.”

“Canwedothat?”

“ITcandoanything.Ifyoursdoesn’thavetheexpertise,callmeback.Icangetsome

peopleovertherewithinthehourtomakeithappen.Also,makesuretheytrackeverything.
We can’t control personal devices, but we don’t want anyone from inside your company
leakinginformation,sosayaslittleaspossible.”

“I’vegottogetaholdofNicoleandtalktoher.Ithinkshehadtogotoworktoday.She

hasnoideawhat’sgoingon.”

“Youhaven’tdonethatyet?”

Davisthrewhisheadbackandclosedhiseyes.“No,notyet.”

TherewasanuncomfortablesilencebeforeBrayleespokeagain.“Davis…I’msorryto

say,butyou’verunoutofborrowedtimetohavethatdiscussion.”

NicolewassurprisedwhenshewalkedthroughherfrontdoorstofindDavishometogreet
her.HewasholdingalaughingDJonhisshoulders.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”Shedouble
checkedherwatchtomakesureitwasn’tlaterthanshethought.

“Ilivehere.”

“Do you, Mr. Chatham?” She said it jokingly, but she wasn’t kidding. “Sometimes I

forgetthisiswhereyoureside.”

“No matter where I am, my heart is always with you.” The love in his eyes was

undeniable.

“Aww … that’s so sweet.” Shekissed him softly on the lips and a smiling DJ on the

cheek. Nicole made a mental note. If Davis keeps this up, pull out the sexy two-piece
underwearandgetalittlefreaky.Lordknowswecouldusesomerelief.

“Nicole,thereareacouple—”

“I’m sorry, before I forget, something weird happened to me a couple of days ago and

againtoday.”

Daviswasimmediatelyonguard.“What?”

“I tried to use a couple of my credit cards, but they were declined. That’s never

happened.Thefirsttime,Ifigureditwasanaccountingerror.Butithappenedagaintoday.I
wasonmywayhomeandstoppedoffatthepharmacytopickupmyprescription.WhenI
triedtousemydebitcard,itdidn’twork.Iendedupusingcashbothtimes.”

Irritated,Davistightenedhisjaw.Herubbedthebottomofhischin.

Herconcernrosewhenshenoticedthecrease.Theonebetweenhiseyesthatonlymade

anappearancewhenDaviswasextremelystressed.Itwasdeepandmorethanalittlevisible.
Somethingwaswrong.Shedecideditprobablywasn’tagoodtimetotellhimaboutherlunch
withRome.“Whyareyouhomesoearly?Iseverythingokay?”

Teena appeared out of nowhere and stood behind them. “Mr. Chatham? Did you still

wantmetotakeDJoutsidetoplayforawhile?”

Heturnedslightly.“Yes.Now would be a perfect time.” DavissighedandhandedDJ

overtoher.“Havefunbuddy.”Heruffledhisson’scurlyhairashislittlearmscontinuedto
stretchoutforhim.Davistriedtoswallowthefearandstressdown.“I’llseeyouinalittle
while…Ipromise.”DJdidn’twanttoleaveortakehiseyesoffDavis,butTeenawasableto
coaxhimintogoingoutsidetoplay.

Oncetheyweregone,DavisreachedhishandouttoNicole.Foramoment,shestaredat

itbeforeplacingherhandinhis.“Davis,what’sgoingon?”

“Weneedtotalk.”

“You’vesaidthatalready.Youarestartingtoscareme.”

“I’msorry.Idon’tmeantoo.”Theywalkedhandinhandfromthefoyerintotheliving

room.WhenDavissatonthesofa,hepulledNicoledownwithhimontohislap.Heplaced
hisforeheadagainsthers,andblewoutalongbreath.Theysatlikethatforawhileneitherof
themsayinganything.Nicole’sheartwasbeatingfast,butshewasdoingherdamnedesttobe
patient.

Finally,Davisspoke.“Idon’tknowhowtotellyouthis.”

Nicolebreathedindeeply.Hervoicewassoft.“Justsayit.”

He nodded. “When you tried to use your credit cards, they didn’t work because our

assetshavebeenfrozen.”

Nicole’seyeswidened,andsheleanedbacktostareintoDavis’sfacetoseeifhewas

joking.Hewasn’t.“Why?”

“TheUSAttorneyGeneral’sofficethinksthatmycompanyandIareinvolvedinillegal

armsdealingandtrading.”

“WhyinGod’snamewouldtheythinkthat?Youdon’t’sellweapons…doyou?”

“No.ButIsellintellectualtechnologythatcanbeusedinweaponry.Thisdatesallthe

waybacktofiveyearsagowhenmypersonalassistantwasworkingwiththeLiberationof
Shebet.”

“We helped the government with that situation. I thought it was all over. After

everythingthathappenedwhywouldtheythinkwewouldbehelpingthem?”

“Money.I’vebeenworkingwiththegovernment—”

“Wait.”Davis’swordstriggeredsomethingelse.“Ithoughtthiswasdoneandoverwith

fiveyearsago.Yousaidyou’vebeenworkingwiththem.Asinrecently?Forhowlong?”

Davis could no longer make eye contact with her. “As far as I knew, everything was

resolved…untilIgotacallaboutsevenmonthsago.Apparently,dirtymoneyhasstillbeen
movinginandoutofoffshoreaccountsthatIdidn’tevenknowIhad.That’swhytheyfroze
our assets. I’ve been cooperating with the AG’s office all this time, but something has
happenedtomakethemeitherbelieveI’minvolved,ormyattorneythinksImightbebeing
usedasapawninanelectionyear.Thecurrentadministrationwantstoprovehe’skeeping
Americasafe.Icanbehungoutasanexampleofthemtakingdownaterrorist’snetwork.”

Nicole pushed herself off Davis’s lap. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. You’ve been

dealingwiththisforthepastsevenmonths,andyouneverthoughttomentionittome!?”

“Ididn’twanttoworryyouandthentherewastheaccident.”

“Myaccidentwasonlysixweeksago!”Sheexploded.“Youdon’tgettodecidewhatyou

shouldandshouldn’ttellme.You’veknownaboutthisforalmostayear!”Shedidn’teventry
tosuppressherangeralthoughsomeofitwasfueledbyfear.“I’myourwife!Ishouldhave
knownaboutthis.MaybeIcouldhavehelpedinsomeway.”

“AnddowhatNicole?Whatwereyougoingtodo?”

Shethrewherhandsupintotheair.“You.Don’t.Get.It.Davis…Iamnotapet!Idon’t

needtobetakencareof.Iamyourwife!ThatshouldmeanIgetasay.Youhavetoshare

everythingwithme.I’myourpartner.”

Heroaredback.“Iknowwhoyouaretome.Youdon’thavetokeepspellingitout.I’m

doingeverythingIcantokeepyouandthekidssafe,andit’sneverenoughforyou.Sincewe
arespellingoutwhatourrolesmean,it’smyjobasahusbandtomakesureyouneverwant
foranything,andyou’rebitchin’atmeforit?”

“No. Don’t go there, Davis. Don’t pretend like everything you’ve done is for me. I

couldn’tgiveadamnifwelivedinaneconomystudioeatingtunafishandporkandbeans
for dinner every night. I don’t care about the money or the material things. I never have.
Yourexpectationsofourrolesareasinine.You keeping me in the dark has nothing to do
withprotectingmeandeverythingtodowithyourneedtocontrolthethingsaroundyou.”

“That’snottrue!”

“Yes, it is. I let you get away with it because I understand where your overprotective

instinctsarecomingfrom.”Shetookabreath,andanotherthoughtoccurredtoher.“Why
areyoutellingmenow?”

Daviswalkedovertothebar.Hepouredhimselfadrink.Hereyesfollowedhisevery

move.Hefeltherangrygazeburnintohisbody.Davisturnedhisglassupanddownedit
before answering. He needed the fiery liquid to calm him. His sigh could be heard from
acrosstheroom.“Thisentireclusterfuckwillprobablyhitthemediainthenextfewhours.
MyattorneyandthePRcompanyIhiredwillbehereanyminutetodiscussourstrategy.”

Disappointed,Nicoleshookherhead.“So,youstilldidn’ttellmebecauseyouvalueme

asyourpartner.You’retellingmebecauseIneedtobeinformedonhowtoplaymypartas
thedutifulStepfordhousewife.”

“Nicole!That’snottrue,andyouknowit!”

Sheplacedherhandsonherhips.“DoI?HowwouldIknowthat?Whatmajordecisions

haveyouincludedmeinsincewe’vebeentogether?”

“Arewereallydoingthisrightnow?DoyouunderstandIdon’tknowwhoisbehindallof

this?Youandthekidscouldbeindangerifsomeonewantsrevengeformebringingdown
thatcellfiveyearsago.IcouldgotoprisonandloseeverythingthatI’veworkedmyassoff
forthepastthirteenyears!”

Nicole turned away. She didn’t want Davis to see her cry. How was she supposed to

arguewiththelaundrylistofthingshehadjustsaid?Hewasright.Buthewasalsosowrong
fornotvaluingher.Thiswasabigproblemandnotoneshewassuretheirmarriagecould
survive,buthowwassheevergoingtomakehimseethat?Thepaininherchestachedso
badly it was as if she’d been physically assaulted. For now, she needed to put her own

emotionstotheside.ThiswasacrisisandDavisdidn’tneedherpilingon.Shewhispered,
“Excuseme.I’vegottogotothebathroom.”Nicolestormedoutandwentintothenearest
bathroomdownthehall.Sheignoredhiscallsasshewentinsideandclosedthedoor.

Nicole’sheartwasracing.Shestoodinfrontofthesinklookingatherreflection,then

turnedonthecoolwater.Shesplashedsomeoverherhotfaceandyankedatowelfromoff
thewalltodryit.

She rolled her shoulders hoping to relieve some of the tension. How the hell am I

supposedtohelpDavisgetthroughthisifhedoesn’tvaluemeormyopinions?Whatelseishe
keeping from me? Nicole’s nerves were shot. She needed to calm down. Then she
remembered—thepills.Theywerenotonlygoodforpain,buttheynumbedalotofshit.Just
one or two would take the edge off.Shehad been holding on to her purse ever since she
walkedthroughthefrontdoor.Withoutasecondthought,Nicolepulledthemout,openedthe
bottle,andshookouttwoofthem.Herhandswereshaky,butsheputtheminhermouthand
washedthemdownwithahandfulofwaterfromthesink.Again,shestaredatherreflection,
closedhereyes,andtookadeepbreath.Whensheopenedthem,Nicolefeltasifshecould
facewhateverelsewascoming.

CHAPTER13

Nicoleheardvoices.Shewalkeddownthehallway,andwasabouttowalkintoalivingroom
full of strangers, when Davis spotted her coming. Hemet her before she stepped into the
lion’sden.Thetensionwaswrittenalloverherface.However,Nicole’sprimaryconcernwas
for her children. She was doing her best to constrain her warring emotions. “Where’s
Rayna?”

Atleastonthisfront,Daviscouldsethermindatease.“She’shomefromschool.Isent

heroutsidetoplaywithTeenaandDJ.Nicole,areweokay?”

“Ifyouareaskingme“willIbehaveforthismeeting,”yes.IwilldeserveanOscarfor

theperformanceI’mabouttoputon.”

Hewasfrustratedtoo.“Don’tdothis.”

Nicoleremainedsilent.

He sighed. They would have to continue this argument later. Davis looked over his

shoulder.“It’sanallhandsondeckkindofmeeting.”

“Seemslikeit.Doyoureallyneedallofthosepeople?”

Heattemptedasmilesomethingofapeaceoffering.

Herfaceremainedsetlikestone.

Davisrakedhishandsthroughhishair.“Accordingtothem,Ido.Theyaresupposedto

bethebestofthebest.Let’sgoinside,andI’llintroduceyoutoeveryone.”

It’swellpasttimethatyoudidthat.And,asangryasshewaswithDavis,shelovedthe

man.Nicoledidherbesttoshelveherangerfornow.Shenodded.“Let’smeetyourdream
team.”

Davisspentafewmomentsintroducingher.Sheplasteredonatightsmileandshooktoo

manyhandstocount.Itwasn’tasifNicolehadn’tdonethisverythingatdinnerpartiesand
fundraisers for Chatham Industries, but this was something different. This wasn’t a joyous
occasion.There weren’t women in beautiful ball gowns or men in tuxedos. No,thesewere
menandwomeninsmartbusinesssuitswithserioustakingcareofbusinessmasksontheir
faces.

Nicole hoped the picture Davis painted earlier wasn’t as dire as he made it. She

supposedthatoverthenextfewhoursshewouldfindout.

Astheconversationsbeganinearnest,everythingbecamesurreal.Wasallofthisreally

happening?Suddenly,theroombecameamadhouse.Cellphonesbeeped,chirped,rang,and
buzzed.Oneofthelawyerssaidaloud,“Apparently,thenewshasfinallygonepublic.”Davis
gotupfromhischairandturnedonthetelevision.Locally,itwasbreakingnews.Anentire

spot had been devoted to “Home Grown Terrorists Cell has Big Moneyed American
Investors”—Chatham Industries along with a few other companies had been named. The
fiascooffiveyearsagohadbeenrehashedandtwistedsofarfromthetruththatitsounded
likesomeoneelse’sstory.ThatmadeNicoleangrierthanDaviskeepingherinthedarkall
thistime.Theyneededtofightback!Couldtheysuethemedia?Libel?Defamation?Shehad
somanyquestions.However,justwhenshewasabouttoask,Nicolebegantofeelhot.Heat
coursed throughout her body. It became difficult to hear the many conversations going on
around her. Mouths were moving, but it was as if they were talking like they were
underwater.NotonlywasNicolehavingadifficulttimehearingandunderstandingwhatwas
beingsaid,hermovementswereasteportwobehindherthoughts.

Davis had been focused on her the entire time and noticed the second her face went

ashen.Hemovedquicklytobebyherside,tookherhandinhis,andsqueezed,thenleaned
intoherbodyandwhisperedintoherear.“Areyouokay?”

Hermouthwasdry,butshemanagedtomoveherlips.Itcameoutawhisper.“Yes,I’m

fine.”Shedidherbesttofocus,butitwashard.

“Areyousure.”

Sheblinkedafewtimesthenanswered.“Yes.”

SomeoneintheroomaskedDavisaquestion,and,aftermakingsureNicolewasalright,

heturnedawaytorespond.

Timetickedby,butNicolemissedmostoftheconversation.Itwastakingallherenergy

justtokeephereyesopen.Shehopedthatwhensomeonespoketoherthatshenoddedinall
therightplaces.

“Mrs.Chatham?Mrs.Chatham?”

Shedidn’tanswer.

Davisheardthemcallingouttoherandturnedtoseewhyshedidn’tanswer.Hecould

seethatNicolewasoverwhelmed.Hershouldershadgoneslack.Hewassocaughtupwith
hislawyersthathehadn’tnoticedthat,whilephysicallypresent,Nicolewasnolongerinthe
room.Itwasn’tuntilsomeonetriedtogetherattention,andwhensheignoredthem,thathe
noticed.HerubbedNicoleonherknee.“Sweetheart,Ms.Cookeaskedyouaquestion.Are
youalright?”Herhead was slow to turn in his direction, but when they did, and his eyes
connectedwithhers,theyhadafarawaylookinthem.“Nicole?”

“I-I’m sorry.” She slurred her words. Nicole couldn’t think and felt as if she were

floating.Hermouthfeltheavy.Itwasdifficulttospeakletaloneanswerinanycoherentway.
Something with her body wasoff, and Nicole needed to get away to catch her breath and

clearhermind.“I-I’msorry,butI’mnotfeelingverywell.”

Hisstomachclenched,andDavis’sguiltweighedonhim.Itwasprobablyhisfaultthat

Nicolewasinastateofshock.He’djustsprungallofthisontoherandexpectedhertodeal
withit.HeturnedtoMs.Cooke.“I’msorry,Nicole’snotfeelingverywell.Please,excuseus.
I’llbebackmomentarily.”Davisstoodandhelpedherup.

Shewhisperedintohisear.Herwordswereevenmoreslurred.“Idon’tthinkIcanstand

onmyown.”

Daviswasworriedbutkepthiscomposure.Hewrappedhisarmaroundherwaistand

helpedwalkNicoleoutoftheroom.

Shewasn’tsurehowhedidit,butDavismanagedtomakeitappearasthoughshewas

walkingbyherself.But,thetruthwas,haditnotbeenforhim,herlegswouldn’thavebeen
abletocarryheranywhere.Nicole’sheadbegantorolltotheleft,thentheright.Itmovedto
thefrontandthentheback.

Daviswasfeelingmorethanjustconcerned.“I’mcallingthedoctor.”

“No.I’mfiiiine…justneedtosleep—torest.”

“Nicole,somethingisnotright.”Herlegsbuckled,andhetightenedhisholdtokeepher

fromfalling.Davissweptherupintohisarmsandcarriedhertotheirroom.Hereyeswere
closedasherheadlayonhischest.“Nicole?”

Hervoicewaslow.“Hmm…”

“Canyouhearme?”

Hereyesflutteredopenandthenclosed.“Yee-sh.”

Astenderlyaspossible,Davisplacedherintothecenteroftheirbedthencoveredher

with the blankets. Bythe time he had her settled, Nicole had fallen back to sleep. If she
wasn’tbetterwhenshewokeup,Daviswascallingthedoctorwhethershewantedhimtoor
not.

Hekissedhergentlyonthelips.“I’msorry,baby.”Davis felt like the world’s biggest

failureashestareddownatherbeautifulface.He had to fix this. Hehadtomakethings
right.Ifnotforhimself,thenforNicoleandhisfamily.With a heavy heart, Davis left the
roomclosingthedoorbehindhim.

CHAPTER14

BYTHETIMENICOLECRACKEDopenhereyes,theclockonherbedsidewasblinking
9:03…a.m.She’dsleptthroughtheevening,night,andmorning.Dammit!Ican’tbelieveI
didthisagain.Rayna’sbuswaslonggone.ThewaytheChatham’sluckwasgoing,itwas
more likely the Department of Children and Family Services would end up at their front
door.AndDavis?Whathappenedatthemeeting?

Nicolewasgroggy,thirsty,andthankfulthatsomeonehadleftabottledwaternexttoher

bed.Shedownedit.Forseveralmoments,shesatperfectlystill,afraidtomove.Herhead
waspounding,herbodyached,andherstomachwasnauseous.Sheclosedhereyes,inhaling
asmuchairasherlungswouldaccept,thenexpelleditinlongexaggeratedbreaths.Shehad
torepeatthatseveraltimesoverbeforeNicolefeltlikeshemightbeabletofunction.Once
shefigureditwassafetostandonherowntwofeet,shemovedasfastasshecouldtogetout
ofbed,whichwasatasnail’space.Sheberatedherself.Dammit,Nicole.You’vegottoget
yourshittogether.Thoughtsofthepreviouseveningcamerushingback.Shehadmisseda
criticalmeeting,theentirenightwithherkids,andnowRayna’sbusthismorning.Nicole
hadn’t seen DJ since Teena had taken him outside to play yesterday afternoon. Itseemed
like,eversinceheraccident,thingsinherlifehadbeenmovinginadownwardspiral.

NicoleowedthebiggestapologytoDavis.Hehadprobablyleftforworkhoursagosoit

wouldhavetowait.Nomatterwhatwasgoingonintheirmarriage,hedeservedhersupport,
andshehadmissedtheopportunitytofindoutwhatallthelawyersandPRpeoplesuggested
thatshebedoing.Nicolehadneverfeltmoreineptasawifethanshedidrightnow.Forall
herrantingandravingaboutDaviskeepingherinthedark,shehadlefthimalonetodeal
withthisproblem.Shementallymadeapromisetohimandherself.Thatwillneverhappen
again.

Nicoleputonherrobeandbrushedherteethtogetthehorribletasteoutofhermouth.

She would call Davis and begin to try to make things right, but her first priority of the
morningwastofindDJ.

It didn’t take long. Her son was sitting in his booster chair in the kitchen having

breakfast with Teena. He saw her and immediately smiled, clapping his hands together.
“Mom!”Shewalkeduptohimandkissedthetopofhishead.“Heythere,honey.”Nicole
eased down into a chair beside him. Her head was still killing her, and, if there were
anythinginherstomach,itprobablywouldn’tbethereforlong.Inaword,Nicolefeltawful.

Teenaturnedconcernedeyestoher.“Mrs.Chatham,canIgetsomethingforyou?”

“Mystomachisalittleupset.I hate to ask but maybe a seltzer water andibuprofen.”

Nicoledidn’twanttoadmitit,noteventoherself,buttheOxycodonehaddoneanumberon
her.MaybeDanawasright.Shehadbeentakingthemtoolong,anditwasstartingtoaffect

herbodydifferently.It was probably past time to leave them alone and figure out another
waytomanageherpain…allherpain.

Teenasmiled.“Surething.”

Nicoleattemptedtoengageherson,butshewasjustintoouncomfortable.Tearssprang

tohereyesassheproppedherelbowsuponthetableandrestedherfaceintothepalmsof
herhands.ThatwastheexactmomentDaviswalkedintothekitchen.

His throat closed up as he saw his wife in obvious distress. He’d caused it. All this

madnesswashisfault.Nomatterwhathappened,Daviswasmakingpreparationstoensure
hisfamilywouldbefine…withorwithouthim.

Heclearedhisthroat.Slowly,Nicolelookedup.Davistookaseatoppositeher.“Areyou

feelingbetter?”

Herheadwaspounding.Ithurttotalk.“Whyareyouhomeandnotatwork?”Herwords

came out harsher than she’d intended. Teena placed the medicine and a glass of seltzer
waterinfrontofher.

“Youhadaroughnight.Iwantedtobeherewhenyouwokeup,andIfiguredIcould

workfromhome.”Hewatchedherasshetookmedicine.

“Oh.”Hervoicesoftened.“Youdidn’thavetodothat,butthankyou.”Nicolesighed.“I

stillhaveanupsetstomach,aheadache,alongwiththeusualachesandpains.”

“Areyousureit’snot…”Davispaused.“Nicole,Ihatethatthissituationismakingyou

sick.”

Shehissed.“I’mnotsomeshrinkingviolet,Davis.Icanhandlewhatevercomesourway.

IFyouwouldonlyletme.Youcan’tprotectmefromlife!Yesterday,Iwasalreadyfeeling
off.I’msick.That’sit.Ijustdon’tfeelwell.”

“It’s not my goal to upset you. Maybe you should make an appointment with the

physician?”

“Stop babying me. I’m not your dead sister, Rayna! Every time someone gets sick, it

doesn’tmeantheyaregoingtodieorneedadoctor’sappointment!”Shecouldn’tbelievethe
wordsthatcameoutofhermouth.

Davispaled,thenhisfacehardened.

“Davis…I…”Nicoleplacedherhandontopofhis,andhesnatcheditaway.Hisface

hardened.

“I would think my wife would be happy that I actually give a shit about how she’s

feeling!”Hischairscrapedthekitchenfloorthenfelloverbackwardashestoodandstalked

outoftheroom.

Shocked, Teena stood back in silence. Fortunately, DJ couldn’t understand all the

words,butheunderstoodenough,andhelookedbewildered.

Nicolepressedherlipstogether.Thenspokesoftly.“I’msorryyouhadtowitnessthat,

Teena.IapologizetoyouandshouldgoandapologizetoDavis.”Nicolestoodtogetupand
theroomtilted.Shewasgoingtovomit.Sheranintothebathroomandmadeitjustintime,
emptyingherstomachofalltheliquidssheconsumed.Whentherewasnothinglefttopurge,
andthedryheavingstopped,Nicolesatonthefloorbasicallyhuggingthebowl.Herapology
toDaviswouldhavetowait.

The rest of the day didn’t get any better. Nicole spent it in bed tossing and turning. The
ibuprofenwasn’thelping.Shehopedahotshowermight.Shewassouncomfortablethatthe
wateronherfacewasn’tjustfromtheshowerbutfromherowntearsasshecriedlikeababy.

She finished her shower and put on her terryclothrobe.It had helped her feel a little

betterbutnotmuch.Asshewalkedoutofherbathroom,Nicolehadhadenoughandcouldn’t
takeitanymore.Itwasasifshewerehavinganouterbodyexperienceassheglancedaround
herroom.Hereyesdartedfromherbedtoherpursethatwassittingonthedresser.Sleepthis
off,Nicole.Likeazombie,shestartedwalking.Sheendedupstandinginfrontofherdresser,
reachinginsideherpurseforthebottle.I’lljusttakeonemoretogetoverthehump.Thiswill
bethelastone.Nicolepoppeditintohermouthandstaredatherreflectioninthemirror.She
hatedwhatshesaw.Herthickcurlswerewetandplasteredtoherhead,buthereyeswere
thoseofastranger.Notwithstandingthedarkcircles,theylookedtiredandhaunted.Nicole
closedthem,soshedidn’thavetoseeherreflection,thenturnedawayfromthemirror.She
walkedovertothebedandpickedupthewaterbottle,swallowingthepills.Nicole got in
bedandpulledthecoversoverherheadinanattempttohidefromherselfandhershame.
Thedayendedjustlikeitstarted—shitty.

Hours later, she woke when the clock clicked to 1:03 a.m. However, Nicole wasn’t in

bedalone—DJwascurledintothecrookofherarms,andRaynaoccupiedthespaceonthe
other side of him. Theyhad snuggled as close as they could get.She had no idea how or
whentheygotinbedwithher.OnepersonmissingwasDavis.Hissideofthebedwascold
andempty.Herbehaviorhaddrivenhimnoteventowanttobeinthesameroomwithher.
Nicolewasturningherbiggestfearintoaself-fulfillingprophecy.

Shefinallyadmittedthatshewasstruggling.Evennow,shewantedtotakemorepills.

Somehow,shehadtofixherproblemwithoutcausingtoomuchofadistraction.Daviswas
alreadydealingwithenoughandhavingadrugaddictasawifesplashedacrossthepapers,

andsocialmediawasn’tfairtohim.WhatamIgoingtodo?HowdidIletthingsgetthisfar?
Thereweren’tanyimmediateanswerstoherquestions,andshewasn’tgoingtogetthemat
thishourofthenight.So,shedidtheonlythingshecouldtocleansehersoul,Nicoleshut
hereyesandcried.

CHAPTER15

DAVIS WAS IN HIS HOME office working on his second drink. Too bad he couldn’t get
totallyandcompletelytrashed.Nicolewasupstairsinbedsickforthethirdday,andoneof
themneededtobearoundfortheirkids.Herwordshadhurthimdeeply.Ittookeverything
nottolashout.Hisownguiltwouldn’tlethim.Daviswasn’tsurehowmuchmorehecould
take.Ifithadn’thavebeenforhisdaughterandtheinnocenceinhisson’seyes,heprobably
wouldhavepackedabagandleft.

Hiscellphonerousedhimfromhisthoughts.Davisstartedtoletitgotovoicemailwhen

herealizeditwasDana.Heansweredit.“Hello?”

“Davis?”

“Yeah.It’sme.”Hervoicehadthatsympatheticthinginit.Shehadheardthenews.He

hatedit.Hedidn’twantpity,Daviswantedhisnamecleared.

“NicoleandIweresupposedtohavedinnertonight,butI’vebeencallingherphone,and

she’snotanswering.Iheardthenewsandfiguredsheprobablywouldn’twanttogoout.Are
youbothalright?”

Hethrewhisheadbackandpinchedthebridgeofhisnoseandlaughedsarcastically.

“Nope.Can’tsayweare.Thingsareprettymesseduprightnow.”

“It will all work out. I feel it. However, I will say that the press can be some evil

bastards.Theyarehoundingme.Thereisaswarmofthemjustoutsideyourgates.Thinkyou
canletmeinside?”

“They’restilloutthere?”

“Yes.”

“Shit.I’llneedtodosomethingaboutthatbeforeRaynagetshomefromschool.I’llbuzz

youthroughthegates.Securityshouldletyouthrough,andI’llmeetyouatthedoor.”

Itwasn’tlongbeforeDanawaswalkingintothehouseandgivingDavisabigoldbear

hug.“Howareyou,myfriend?”

“Ihaveseenbetterdays.”Davishadn’tsleptmuchoverthepastcoupleofnights,andit

showedonhisface.Hisafter-fiveshadowwasdarkeningintoafull-onbeard,andhiseyes
werebloodshot.

Danasawtheemotionalfatiguealloverhimandsmelledthealcoholonhisbreath.“It

maynotmeanmuch,butIknowyouareinnocentofallofthatnonsensetheyarespewingon
thenews.AndanotherthingI’msureof,youandNicolewillweatherthisstormtoo.”

Hissmilewasadefeatedone.“Ihopeyou’reright,butI’mnotsosureoneithercount.

Come on in.” Dana followed him into the living room. Davis walked over to the bar and

pouredhimselfanotherdrink.“Caretojoinme?”

“Umm … maybe later.” She raised an eyebrow as if she were chastising one of her

students.“Areyousureyouneedanotheroneofthose?”

“I’mabsolutelypositivethatIdon’t.ButIcouldsurelyuseit.Asamatteroffact,Ithink

Ideserveit.”Davisallowedthebottletohoveroverhisglassbutdidn’tpourit.Instead,he
cappedthebottleandputitback.Hepickedupawaterbottleinstead.“Howaboutoneof
these?”

Danasmiled.“Thatwouldbegreat.”

Heambledovertowhereshetookaseatandhandedittoher.“Ihatetodisappointyou,

but Nicole stillisn’t feeling very well. That is why she’s not picking up her phone. She’s
beeninbedthepastfewdays.”

Danafrowned.“Really?”

Davissighed.“Yeah.Shewon’tadmitit,butthissituationisstressingherout.”

“Icanonlyimagine.”

“Ican’tseemtosayordoadamnthingrightwhenitcomestoher.”

“Doyouwantmyprofessionalopinionorthatofagoodfriend?”

Davis laughed. “That’s right. Before you went all “save the children,” you were a

psychiatrist.I’mnotreallysureifIwanttobepsychoanalyzed.ButI’mdesperate.Giveme
bothopinions.”

“First,I’llsaythatNicolelovesyoumorethanshelovesherself.”

“Great.You’realreadysettingthisup,anditsoundslikeyourassessmentisgoingtobea

boatloadoffun.”

“I’mjustgoingtobehonest.Youcanbeabitcavemanish.”Davisstartedtoprotest,but

Danaputherhandsuptostophim.“No,no…thatwasn’tanopinionthatwasastatementof
fact.So,don’targue.Withthatbeingsaid,IunderstandandsodoesNicolethemotivation
behindit.You’veworkedhardtogettowhereyouareatunbelievablepersonalsacrifice,and
someofyoursuccessstemsdirectlyfromgreatpersonalpain.Nicoleknowsthis,butshealso
feelsasifyourneedtoprotectherisfromthoseverysamescarsfromyourpast.Shethinksit
keepsherfrombeingafullpartnerinthisrelationship.”

Davisyelled, “What the hell am I supposed to do? How many times do I have to say

this?Ilovemywife.It’smyjobtoprotecther!”

“Letmeaskyouaquestion.Howlonghaveyouknownaboutthissituationandwhendid

youtellNicole?”

Theangerinhisbloodlefthisbody.“Sevenmonths.”

“AndwhendidyoutellNicole?”

Secondstickedbybeforeheanswered.“Threedaysago.”Frustrated,heranhishands

throughalreadymussedhishair.“Ijustdidn’twanthertoworry.”

“Butwhataboutyou?JustlikeI’msureyouwanttohelpandsupporther,Nicolewants

todothesameforyou.Imaginehowyouwouldfeelifthetableswereturned.And,knowing
NicolethewayIdo,sheprobablyhatesthatyouhavecarriedthisburdenallalone.”Dana
wassurethissituationprobablyhadcontributedtoallthelatenights,misseddinners,and
Davisbeingpreoccupied.

“Ihadn’treallythoughtaboutthat.”

“Don’t you think the weight would have been a little less heavy if you didn’t have to

shoulderitalone?”

“Let’ssayyou’reright,andI’mnot,butwhatifyouare?I’vebeenthiswayforsolong.

NicoleknowsthatIhadtotakecareofmyparentsbeforetheydiedandwhathappenedto
my sister. It’s all I know how to do. I take care of people. And, lately, if I ask Nicole
anything,evensomethingassimpleasifshewouldlikeaglassofwater,she’lltakemyhead
off.Hermoodswingsareinsane.Iunderstandsheisstressed,butI’mtheonefacingprison
time.” The guilt kicked in again. “Look, I know I’m the reason she’s sick, that’s why I’m
workingsohardtofixthis.”

Danafrownedslightly.“Sick?Youmentionedthat.What’swrongwithher?”

“Yeah,yesterdaywasbadbutnotasbadasthedaybefore.Shecouldbarelykeepher

eyesopenwhenthelawyerswerehere.I’matmywit’send.She’sstubbornashellandwon’t
letmecalladoctor.Ihavenofuckin’ideawhattodo!”

“Hmm … you two seem to have that in common.” Dana’s eyebrows knitted together.

“Didyousayshe’shavingmoodswingsandwasnoddingoffduringyourmeeting?”

“Iwouldn’tsaynoddingoff,butshewasoutofit.”

“God,thingsareworsethanIthought.”

Hiseyesfocusedinonherlikealaser.“Whatdoyoumeanworsethanyouthought?”

Danawrungherhandstogether.“Look,Iwantedtotalktoyoubutdidn’twanttobetray

Nicole’strust.Isawsomethingwhilewewereoutforlunchtheotherdaythatgavemepause,
andnowyou’retellingmethatshewasn’treallycoherenttheotherday.Ihavetosay,I’m
worried.”

Daviswasmorethanalittleimpatient.“Worried?What?Whathappened?”

“DidyouknowNicolewasstilltakingOxyContin?”

Hehadn’tknown.“Iknewtheywereprescribedtoherrightafterheraccident.”

“Well,yes.She’sstilltakingthem.Whileit’snot Oxycodone, both of them are highly

addictive.TheOxycodoneshouldn’tbeconsumedlongerthanaweekorso.But,hersister
drug,OxyContinshouldn’tbetakenforsixweekseither.Anyway,Nicolewasmoreanxious
andenergeticthanI’veeverseenher.However,overthelongterm,theeffectschange.The
bottomlineisI’mconcerned.”

Davislookedatherskeptically.“Nicolewouldnevergethookedondrugs,Dana.She’s

toosmartforthat.Ifshe’sstilltakingthem,it’sbecauseadoctorprescribedthemforher.”

“I’mnotsayingthatNicolehasaproblem,butkeepalookoutforthesymptoms.Mood

swingsgoingfromsuperenergetictobarelybeinglucid,anxiety,andnausea,justtonamea
few.”

HehadseenallthosethingsinNicole.Impossible.Shewasstressedoutnothingmore.

“I’llkeepthatinmind,butI’msureyou’rewrong.”

Dana wasn’t going to push it. If her suspicions were right, everyone would knowsoon

enough.“Ofcourse.I hope that I am very wrong. But, Davis, you should know that being
smart or your financial situation or social status has never dictated someone becoming
addictedtodrugs.It’sadisease,andachallengethatpeoplefromallwalksoflifecanface.”

DavisheardDana,buttherewasnowayNicolehadaproblemwithdrugs.

DanawasdonebeingtheAngelofDoom.DavisandNicolehadenoughtodealwith.So,

shetriedtolightentheatmosphereandsmiled.“Ididn’tcomeallofthiswaynottovisitwith
mygodchildren.Where’sthathandsomelittleboy?”

DaviswascaughtupinallthatDanahadsaid.Therewasalottounpack.Fornow,he’d

let it go. He returned her smile with one that never reached his tired green eyes. “He’s
upstairstakinganap,thankGod.Ournannyhadanemergencyandhadtotakeoff.Rayna
shouldbehomeinaboutanhour.”

Hersmileturnedintoadevilishgrin.“ThenI’dbettergetonmygodmommydutiesand

gowakehimup!SendRaynatomewhenshegetshome.You,gogetsomerest.Ihavethe
entiredayfreeandplantospenditwiththekids.”

To say he was grateful was an understatement. “Thanks. I think I will do just that.”

DavisleftinitiallythinkinghewouldcrawlintobedwithNicole,buthewasstillfeelingraw
at her from their fight. Instead, of going into their room, he decided the guest room was

probablybest.

CHAPTER16

RAYNA HAD DAVIS WRAPPED AROUND her fingers just like her mother. She had
convincedhimtolethersitwithNicolewhileshesleptlastnightuntilbedtime.OnlyRayna
hadfallenasleepwithherarmswoundtightlyaroundNicole’sneck,andhedidn’thavethe
heart to move her. When DJ saw the two of them in bed, he pitched a fit until he was
snuggledbetweenthemtoo.Davisranatiredhanddownhisface.Thatwashisfamily.The
people he loved the most in this world, yet, he and Nicole couldn’t be further apart
emotionally.

Davishatedsleepingalonethepastcoupleofnights.Notthatallthetossingandturning

he’ddonecouldreallybeconsideredsleeping.Still,intheearlymorning,helayonhisback
staringupattheceiling,wonderingwhatthehellhadhappenedtohislife.Howdidthings
getsooutofcontrol?Howhadheallowedthemostimportantrelationshipintheworldtoget
thatwaytoo?MaybeDanawasright.Herubbedhiseyesandforeheadasifitcouldlighten
theheavinessonhismindandheart.HaveIreallybeenaworkaholicandpart-timehusband
andfatherbecauseIamafraidthatwhathappenedtomyparentsandsistermighthappento
them?Heansweredhimself.“Myfearisgoingtocostmemyfamily and marriage. Ican’t
losethem.”

Davisheardthedoortotheirbedroomopen.Shewasup.Heswunghislegsovertheside

ofthebedandgotuptoo.HequicklymadeitoutofhisroombeforeNicolehadgottentoofar
downthehall.Hisvoicewasgruff.“You’reawake.”

Nicole turned. She was hesitant. “Yes.” Davis was standing in the hallway shirtless

wearingonlyapairofpajamabottoms.Eveninhercurrentstate,itwasdifficulttoignore
howmuchshehadmissedhim—emotionallyandphysically.

Hisarmswerefolded.Therewasn’tanounceoffatanywhereonhisbody.Themanwas

ripped, and when he focused that hooded look at her, it always made her insides turn to
moltenlava.Sheforgotabouteverythingelse.Ithadbeensixlongweekssincethelasttime
theyhadmadelove,andshenotonlymissedhimbutneededhim.Nicolemissedrunning
herhandsalloverhismuscledbody.Butitwasn’tallphysical.Shemissedtheiremotional
closeness. Davis grounded her and gave her a sense of peace—a sense of belonging—
normalcy.

Sherealizedshewasstaringandlookeddownatthefloorthenbackup.Itwastimeto

putherbiggirlpantieson.Nicolehuggedherselfasshewalkedinhisdirection.“Ioweyou
ahugeapology.”Whenshewasonlyinchesaway,Nicoletookadeepbreath.“Therewasno
excuseformyinsensitivityaboutyoursister.Youdonotneedmeaddingmorestresstoan
alreadystressfulsituation.I-Iloveyouand—”

Nicoledidn’tgettofinishwhatshewasabouttosay.Davispulledherintohisarmsand

kissedherhard.Itwasfilledwitheveryemotionrunningthroughhim.“Idon’twanttotalk.
Foralittlewhile,let’sjustpretendnothingelseexistsexceptforus.”

She nodded and returned his kiss with her own brand of desperation. Nicole ran her

handsalloverhischest.Shehadmissedthefeelofhim.Daviscontinuedtokissherashe
walkedherbackwardtowardtheguestroom.

Shetoreherlipsawayfromhis.“Here?”

“IfIdon’tgetinsideyousoon,it’llberighthereinthishallway.I’mnotreadytogivea

sexeducationclasstoRayna,butIwillifIhavetoo.”

“Thatwon’tbenecessary.”NicoletookDavis by the hand and led him into the room,

closingthedoorbehindthem.

Oncetheywereinside,asmuchastheywantedtorush,theyalsowantedtoembracethe

moment.Ithadbeensolongsincethelasttimetheyhadmadelove.

DaviskissedNicoleuntilherkneeswentweak,andbackedheruptowardthebedtaking

herrobeoffastheywent.Shewascompletelynakedunderneath.Herbeautifulbodyspurred
him on, and Davis made quick work of removing his pajama bottoms. They ended up
somewhereintheroom.

WhenthebackofNicole’slegscameintocontactwiththemattress,shefellbackward

pullinghimdownontopofher.Shespreadherthighsandraisedherkneescradlinghisbody
inbetweenthem.Theskinonskincontactsentthembothintosexualoverdrive.Everything
becamemoreintense.Herslickheatmethissilkensteel,andDavisfeltlikeateenageboy.It
had been too long.Davis wasn’t sure how long he could prolong sliding inside her needy
bodyandblowinghisloadsincehewasalreadyonedge.Hertouch,thesmellofherarousal,
hermoans,allofitwasenoughtodohimin.

“You’re so wet for me.”Davis ran his hands up and down the sides of Nicole’s body,

neverreleasingherlipswhiletheykissed.

“Yes,ohgod,yes.”

Hishandsreachedaroundherbackandsliddownuntilhefoundherass.Hegrabbed

handfulsofit,liftingherbodyuptomeethis.

Nicolewastrappedinsidethesensationsofherbody,andithadamindofitsown.She

groundhersexintoDaviswantinghimtohurryupandgetinthere.Shethrustupintohim
hopingtohurrytheprocessalong.

Hehissed.

Sheresponded.“You are making me lose my mind.”Nicolewassoaking.She writhed

aroundunderneathhim,needinghimtoputthembothoutoftheirmisery.

Usingonehandtohoveroverher,Davisgrabbedhimselfwiththeother.Nicolethought

thiswasthemomentshehadbeenfeenin’for.Butno.Hestrokedhimself,andshehadto
watch.“Davis…Ican’ttakemuchmore.”

Finally, he lowered that powerful muscle just outside of Nicole’s entrance but didn’t

pushinside.Instead,hedraggedhiscockbetweenherswollenfolds,liftinghimselfupand
downoverandoveragain.Hisstrokeswereexcruciatinglyslowanddeliberate.Eachtime,
partingherfleshandmixinghermilkycrèmewiththesweetcumthatleakedoutfromthe
bulbousheadofhisshaft.

Nicole thought that Davis was trying to kill her with pleasure, or at the very least,

intentionally torture her with every stroke, but to torture her was to torture himself. She
couldseethestrainandcontrolhetriedtoexhibitalloverhisface.Witheachmovement,
Davisincreasedthepressure,comingcloserandclosertohersweetspotwithoutplunging
inside.

Her throbbing had turned into an oh-so unsatisfying ache. She reached out to take

mattersintoherownhands.First,Nicolereachedforhim,buthemadesuretostayjustout
oftheway.Thensheattemptedtouseherownfingerstogiveherselfthereliefshesought.
ButDaviswouldn’tlether.Heswattedherhandsoutoftheway.Nicoleneededtoholdonto
somethingasshefeltthewallsofhercorestarttocontract,sosheclutchedthesheets.She
wasclose…soclose…butnotthereyet.

Davis dragged himself up and down the valley of her sex once more—then up again

—onlythistimeoverherclit.Nicoledetonated.Herbackarchedoffthebed;shesqueezed
her eyes shut and screamed out his name as one of the most powerful orgasms barreled
throughherbody.

ThatwasthemomentDavishadbeenwaitingfor.Herodethewaveofherorgasmand

thrustdeep.Nicole’sbodyclampeddown,hugginghimlikeaglove.Hot…wet…tight.It
wasmorethanhecouldstand.Hestartedtomove.Davisthrustinandoutofherwithlong,
hardstrokes.Hepulledbackalmosttothepointofpullingoutonlytoslambackinside.The
soundoftheirbodiescomingtogetheronlyincreasedtheirfrenziedpace.Needingmorewith
each thrust, Davis drove into her like a madman, lifting her hips slightly, and penetrating
deeper until he was balls deep. The headboard of the bed beat against the wall with the
rhythmoftheirlovemaking.

Davis stretched Nicole to the point of almost pain. It gave new meaning to the words

—hurtsogood.Still, she was needy. Every time Davis rolled his hips and buried himself
insideherbody,sheroseuptomeethim.

Heleaneddownandcapturedhermouthinanotherkiss.Hefuckedhermouthjustlike

hedidherbody.Adrenalinecoursedthroughhimashepoundedher,andshesqueezedhis
cockevery—single—time,milkinghimdry.Thiswasheaven,andDavisknewit.Hefeltthe
tightening,bothhersandhis.Hisclimaxwasclose,andsowashers.Hestrainedtoholdout
for her. He hit just the right spot, and Nicole’s body began to shake and spasm, and he
erupted.

Shescreamed.

Hegrowled.

MakeupsexwasagiftfromtheGods.Itwasthebestdamnsexintheworld.

Slowly,theirheartratescamedown,andtheirbreathingreturnedtonormal.Nicolelovedto
lieinhisarmslisteningtothesoundofhisheartbeat.

Nowords.Thesilencewasgolden.Wordswouldcausetoomanyproblems.

Davislacedhisfingerswithhers.“Nicole?”

She just wanted a little more time in paradise—to bask in the afterglow of their

lovemakingforjustalittlewhilelonger.Buttherealworldwasabouttocrashdownupon
them.Sheresponded.“Hmm…”

Hewassolemn.“Weneedtotalk.”

Shespokequietly.“Iknow.Ijustwanttoholdontothisfeelingforalittlewhilelonger.”

Davis felt the same way and hesitated before speaking again. But he didn’t have a

choice.Hewasrunningoutoftime.“Ifeelthesameway.Butyou need to be prepared.I
needyou to know, whatever happens, you and the kids will be fine because the next few
monthsaregoingtogetkindofrocky.”

Nicolesighed.Theweightlessnessshehadfeltmomentsagowasreplacedwithaheavy

heart.“WhateverhappensIwanttofaceittogether.”

“Iwantthattoo.ImighthavetostepdownastheCEOofChathamIndustries.Ourstock

isplummeting.Moneyisgoingtobetight.We’llhavetomakecertainsacrifices.”

Nicolesatuppullingthesheetwithher.Shewasn’texpectingthosewordstoevercome

outofhismouth.“No.Youbuiltthatcompanyfromscratch.Youcan’tleave.”

“IfIhaveanychanceofsavingit,leavingmaybemyonlyoption.”

NicolehadneverseenDavislooksodefeated.Shecradledhisfaceinonehand.“Ionly

care about Chatham Industries because I know how important it is to you. Personally, it

doesn’tmattertomeandneverdid.Ifyouhadnothing,theonlyplaceIwouldwanttobeis
inyourarms.Losingtheabilitytobewithyoulikethisistheonlythingthatscaresme.”

Davis kissed the inside of her hand. “I could go to prison for a long time. If that

happens,Idon’twantyoutowaitforme.”

“No!” Her protective instincts kicked in. “I won’t let you think that way. We’ll beat

this.”

“Baby,we’vegottoberealistic.IplantofightashardasIcan,butjustincase,we’ve

gottobereadyfortheworst-casescenario.”

Hereyesbegantowater.“Ihonestlydon’tknowwhatIwoulddowithoutyou,andIdon’t

planonfindingout.”Shewipedawayatear.“WhataretheextraditionlawsinFiji?”Nicole
said it only half-jokingly. The other part of her was solemn. “If shit looks as if it’s going
sideways,weneedtofiguresomethingout.”

TheedgesofDavis’slipscurvedup.“Iwouldn’tdothattoyouandthekids.”

Nicolelay her head back down on his chest. “What can I do to make this better for

you?”

“This.Justholdingyouinmyarmscalmsme.Ihatefightingwithyou.Idon’twanttodo

itanymore.”

“Metoo.I’msorryabouteverything.”

“Yeah,metoo.”Daviskissedthesideofherhead.

“Seriously,Iwanttohelp.Pleasedon’ttreatmelikeaporcelaindoll.”

Dana’swordscamebacktohim.Whatifthetableswereturned?“Thelawyersleftsome

information for you to review when you have a chance. For now, we are not making any
commentstothe press. Our team is making any public statements on our behalf. They’ve
beencampedoutsidethegateseversincethenewsbroke.”

Nicoleliftedherhead.“What?They’reinfrontofourhouse?”

“Notexactly,butcloseenough.Theyarehunkereddowninfrontofourgates.”

“Raynahastobefreakedout.”

“Onthefirstday,shewasalittle,butthepastcoupleofdays,Teenahasbeentakingher

toandfromschool.However,Iwasabletogetanorderforthemtostayonehundredyards
back.”

“ThankGod.”

Thealarmclockwentoff.Theirhourofblisswasinterruptedbytheresponsibilitiesof

theday.Nicolehadmissedtoomanyofthem,butshewouldn’tthismorning.

Davisgroaned.“Idon’twanttoleavethisbed,oryou.”

Nicole glanced around the room that she had redecorated years ago.“This is the first

time we’ve made love in here.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and tightened her
hold, pulling his ear into her mouth. She moaned as she rubbed her sex into his thigh.
“Mmm…”Hervoicewasthick.“Afterwegetthekidssettled,Iwanttocomeback.”

Davis’ssmilegrew.“Youknow…Imaynotbeabletomakeanyotherpromises,but

thatoneIcankeep.”

CHAPTER17

THEMORNINGSTARTEDOFFASifDavisandNicoledidn’thaveacareintheworld.Not
likeeverythingaroundthemwasfallingapart.Shemanagedtokeepherinternalstrugglesto
herselfandmakebreakfastlikeshehaddonesomanytimesinthepast.

Raynagotupfromthetable,andNicolefeltatingeofguiltwhenshelookedintoher

eyes.TheywerebrighterthanNicolehadseeninawhilewhenRaynasmiledandkissedher
goodbye.“Seeyouafterschool,Mommy.”

Nicolehuggedhertight.Raynaleftherarmsandturnedtoherfather.Shethrewherself

intoDavis’sembrace.Afteracoupleofmoments,Teenanudgedheralongandgrabbedher
hand.“C’mon,wedon’twanttobelateforschool.”Raynacouldn’tdraghereyesawayfrom
DJandherparentsasshewalkedoutofthedoorwavinggoodbye.

Nicoleheldherhandstoherthroat;shewasfullofemotion.“Rayna’sgrowingup.”

Davisseemedtohavethesamethought.Heonlyhopedhewouldhavethechancetosee

itupcloseandnotbehindthebarsofaprisoncell.Itwasifhisthoughtsconjuredupthe
outsideworld.Hiscellrang.Davispulleditoutofhisbackpocket,glancedatthescreen,
thenheldituptoNicole.“Thelawyers.I’lltakeitinmyoffice.”

Hewalkedoutoftheroom,leavingNicolealonewithDJ.Hischubbycheekswereall

smiles. The innocence of children somehow made life seem easier even as her body’s
cravingsstartedtobecomemoreintense.Herheadachewasbeginningtogetworse,andher
mouth was like a desert. Nicole went over to the refrigerator and grabbed a water. She
downedhalfthe contents in a few gulps, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and
tookadeepbreath.Youcandothis.Nicoleturnedaroundandwalkedovertoscoopherson
upoutofhischair.“Howaboutwegoupstairsandplaywithyourcarsforawhile?”

Aftertheirmorningofplayingtogether,NicolegaveDJabathanddressedhimfortheday.
Hedidn’tlookasifhewerereadytowinddownanytimesoonandseemedtobehavingthe
timeofhislifesittingonthefloorplayingwithhistoys.ItwasperfecttimingwhenTeena
showedupbecauseshehadreceivedaveryimportantphonecall.

ShemouthedtoTeena.“I’mgoingtotakethisinmyroom.”

Shenodded.

Nicolesatdownonthechaiseloungebyherbed.“Hi,Aimee.Iwasjustthinkingabout

youandplannedtocalltocheck-in.”

Shesoundedveryfauxcontrite.“First,letmesayhowsorryIamthatyouandDavisare

goingthroughthis.”

“Thankyou.It’salllies,andweplantofighttheseslanderouscharges.”

“Asyoushould.Thatbringsmetothereasonformycall.Theboardhassomeconcerns

abouthowallofthismightreflectontheAngelFoundation.They’veconvenedanemergency
meetingthisafternoontodiscussourplansandpositionregardingit.”

“Plans? Position? I don’t understand why the foundation wouldn’t just put out a

statementofsupport.”

“It’snotthatsimple.We’vebeenfieldingcallsfromreportersforthepastcoupleofdays.

Weplantoreleaseastatementafterwemeettoday.”

Nicolecouldn’tbelieveit.“Notthatsimple?Iwouldthinkitwas—Just.That.Simple!”

“Itisnotmydecisionalonetomake,andthat’sthereasonfortheemergencymeeting

thisafternoon.Ihopeyouunderstandandwillbeabletoattend.”

“Let me get this straight. You’ve known Davis and me for years. Not only have we

personally contributed millions, but I’ve alsobrought in millions more in donations to the
organization.You’rethePresidentoftheFoundation.IwouldexpecttheAngelFoundation
tostandbyus.”

“Pleasedon’ttakethispersonal.”

Nicoleyelledintothephone.“HowthehellelseamIsupposedtotakeit?”

“Honestly,Idohopeyoubringthatsamefireandpassiontothemeeting.You’llbeable

tomakeyourcasethere.It’sat1p.m.”

“Iwilldefinitelybethere.”NicolehungupwithoutlisteningtoAimee’sreply.

Daviswasstandinginthedoorwaylistening.“What’sgoingon?”

“ItseemstheAngelFoundationhassomeconcernsaboutoursituation,andhowitwill

affect them. If I weren’t afraid I would end up on The Wendell Williams show or TNZ, I
wouldgoupthereandgiveeveryoneapieceofmymind.”

Davisresponded.“I’msorry.”

“Sorry?Forwhat?”

“Forallofthis.”

“Youcan’tkeeptakingownershipofthingsthatarenotyourfault.”NicolekissedDavis

softlyonthelips.“I’vegottogogetready.”Shehoppedoffthebedandgrabbedherpurse
offthedresserasshewentintothebathroom.Nicolehatedherself,butshewasn’tgoingto
be able to make it through her meeting without some help. She searched and searched
hopingthatmaybeoneortwopillshadfallentothebottomofherpurse.Shestilled.Thereit

wasattheverybottom—onelastpill.

Nicolelefthercellphoneonthetablenexttoherbed.Itbuzzed.WhenDavissawthe

name Rome pop up on the screen, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He
rememberedthatname.Thatwasthemanwhosenttheflowers.Bythetimehesnatchedup
the phone to answer it, he had missed the call.Davis had never searched Nicole’s phone
before,buthehadnoproblemgoingthroughit.

Thereweren’tanyoutboundcallstoRoman,butthereweretwoinboundcallstoherand

onetextmessage.

Enjoyedtoday&hadagreattimeatlunch.

Itwaswrittenseveraldaysago.

Nicole didn’t even have a chance to come out of the bathroom. When she opened the

door,Daviswasstandingontheothersidewithherphoneinhishandholdingituptoher
face.“Whatthehellisthis?”

Shereadit.“Youwentthroughmyphone?”

Davistoweredoverher.Hisnostrilsflaredoutinbarelycontrolledanger.“Hecalled.I

sawhisnameonthescreen,sohellyeah,Iwentthroughyourphone.Youhadlunchwith
him?”

Nicole was wrapped in a towel. She walked past him. “You are overreacting. It’s not

whatyouthink.”

Hefollowedher.“I’moverreacting?He’s sending you flowers with coded messages in

them. Now, the two of you are having lunch that you didn’t tell me about, and I’m
overreacting.”

“Yes.Youare.”Shesighed.“IhadtogointoKidCaretovisitacoupleoftheChildren

andFamilyServicesofficesandtoperformseveralwellnesschecks.Hehadcontactedthe
organizationtodoaridealong.Ididn’tknowhewascoming,andhedidn’tknowIwouldbe
showinghimaround.”

“So,whendidyoustartdoingwellnesschecksbecauseyouusuallydon’t?”

IrritatedthatDavisdidn’ttrusther,Nicoleplacedherhandsonherhips.“It’srare,butI

havedonetheminthepast.Letmegetthisstraight;you’veliedtomeforalmostayear,and
yet,youhavethenervetocallmealiar?”

Hiseyesboreintohers.“Areyousleepingwithhim?”

“What?”Nicolewaslivid.Sheplacedherhandsflatonhischestandpushed.“Getout

ofmyway.”Davisdidn’tmove.

Hisjawsclenched.Hisvoicewasjustanoctaveunderyelling.“Areyousleepingwith

him?”

“Ican’tbelieveyou’reaskingmethis.”Her eyes reflected shock, hurt, and anger. He

wouldn’tmove,soNicolesteppedaroundhimandwalkedaway.Sherefusedtodignifyhis
questionwithananswerandwentintoherwalk-incloset.“I’vegottogetdressed.”

Davisleftlikeahurricane.Heslammedthedoorbehindhimsohardthatpicturesthat

had been sitting on her dresser crashed to the floor. When she came out to see what had
broken,Nicolekneeledandpickedupherfavoritepictureframe.Itwastheonewiththeir
weddingphotoinit.

Nicolewasentirelyoutofsorts.HerfightwithDavishadleftheranemotionalwreck.How
could he think she would ever cheat on him? Romanwashandsome, but she loved Davis
with her whole heart. Now, she had to go into this meeting with the Angel Foundation
carryingtheweightofthatfight.

Shehadbeeninvitedforaoneo’clockmeeting,buttheboardhadbeeninsessionwhen

shearrivedattwelvethirty.Hernerveswereshot.

Nicoledecidedtowaititoutattherestaurantinthelowerlevelofthebuilding.Shewas

antsyandcouldn’tbestill.Herheadwaspounding,andhermusclesached.Nicoledropped
herheadinherhands.Youcandothis.Youdon’tneedanymorehelp.MaybeIcan’t.Feeling
defeated,Nicolecalled up her doctor. “Hi.This is Nicole Chatham. I’m calling because I
accidentallydroppedmylastprescriptioninthetoilet.CanDr.MacEntyrephoneinanother
prescription?”

“Letmegetthedoctoronthephone.Wait,yourlastonewasjustfilledafewdaysago.”

“Right.ButItoldyou,Idroppedtheminthetoilet.”

Awaitercametotakeherorder,andNicolewavedhimawayasshespokeonthephone.

“I’llmakesuretoinformDr.MacEntyre.Pleasehold.”

Nicole tapped her fingers on the table as she waited. Moments later, her physician

pickedup.“Mrs.Chatham?”

“Yes.Thisisshe.”

“I’vejustreviewedyourchart.Unfortunately,duetotheopioidepidemic,I’munableto

provideyouwithareplacementprescriptionforanothertwenty-sixdays.”

Herwaiterreturned.

Nicoleputuponefingerforhimtowait.“Twenty-sixdays?Therehastobesomething

elseyoucando.WhatamIsupposedtodoforpaininthemeantime?Ican’twaitthatlong.”

“I’msorry.Maybeyoucantryanalternativemethod.Icanrecommendanacupuncturist

ormassagetherapist.”

“Thatwon’thelpmeormypain!”Nicoleclosedhereyesandmassagedhertemplesas

shespoke.“I’msorry.Thankyou,Dr.MacEntyre.”

“I’msorryIcouldn’tbemorehelpful.”

Shedisconnectedthecall.

“MayItakeyourdrinkorder?”Nicolehadalmostforgottenthemanwasstandingthere.

“Yes.Please.I’llhaveaseltzerwaterwithlemon.”

Henoddedandleft.Oncehewasgone,Nicolewentthroughheraddressbookandmade

severalmorecallstodoctors.Noneofthemwouldwriteaprescriptionwithoutschedulingan
appointment.

Nicole downed the last of her water just as her waiter was bringing her the check.

“Thankyou.”

Hewhispered,“Imightbeabletohelpyouwithyourproblem.”

“Excuseme?”

“Icouldn’thelpbutoverhearyourphonecall.”

Nicolehesitated.“Helpmelikehow?”

“I’mdueforabreak.Ifyoumeetmeoutsidetherestaurant,inthehallwaygoingtothe

publicbathrooms,there’saprivateroomthatIhaveakeyfor.Wecantalkthere.”

EverythinginNicolesaidno,don’tdoit.However,shecouldn’tformthewords.“Okay.”

Afewminuteslater,Nicolewasabouttobuydrugsfromastranger—astrangernamed

Sam.“TheyarejustasgoodasOxycodone.Fentanylisevenbetter.You’llfeeltheeffects
muchfaster.”

Nicolewashesitant.“Aretheysafe?”

“Areyouseriouslyaskingmethatquestion?Ifyoudon’twantthem,thenI’vegottoget

backtowork.”Hemadeanattempttoleave.

“Wait.”Nicoleplacedherhandonhisarmtostophim.“Howmucharethey?”

“Fiftybucksapill.”

Shecouldn’tbelieveshewasnegotiatingapriceforfentanyl.“Fiftydollarsapill!That’s

highwayrobbery.”

“Lady…doyouwantthemornot?”Gonewasthepleasantpersonfromtherestaurant.

Nicoleopenedherwallet.Shehadfivehundreddollarscash.“Ionlyhaveafewhundred

dollars.”

“I’llgiveyouabreak.Howabouttenpillsforthreehundredandmynumber?Whenyou

getmoremoney,youcancallme,andI’llgetyoumoreofthese.”Heheldupthelittlebaggie
fullofpillsandshookthem.

Nicolebitherbottomlip.

“Idon’thaveallday.Mybreakisalmostover.Doyouwantthemornot?”

Shedidn’thaveachoice.“Fine.”Shepulledthemoneyoutofherwallet,andhegave

herthedrugs.

He tucked it into his pocket, gave her a small bag, andsmiled.“Nice doing business

withyou.Hopetohearfromyousoon.”Heusedtwofingerstosaluteherthenwalkedout.

Nicolewaitedafewminutesbeforesheleftaswell.Sheonlyhadfiveminutestospare

anddecidedtomakeherwaytotheAngelFoundationmeeting.Shewastemptedtopopone
ofthepillsintohermouthbutdecidedagainstit.Theman,Sam,saidtheywouldworkpretty
fast.Nicolehopedherbodycouldsurvivethatmeeting.

“Mrs.Chatham,pleaseunderstandthepositionthatwearein.”

She slammed her hand down on the table. “No, I will not!When I was installed as a

board member, the seven of you sitting around this table, who are now judging both my
husbandandme,wereinadamnstorefrontatastripmall.HaditnotbeenforDavisandme
and our friends who have donated millions to this foundation, you wouldn’t even have a
reputationtoprotect!”

“Pleasecalmdown,Mrs.Chatham.”Aimee still lacked any empathy for hersituation.

Herwordsandherexpressionsdidn’tmatchup.“Again,wearesorryyoufeelthisway.”

“I bet you are.” Nicole stood. “You don’t have to worry about removing me from the

board.You’llhavemyresignationbytheendoftheday.”

Whensheleftthemeeting,herbloodpressurewasboiling.Sheimmediatelyrummaged

throughherpurseandfoundthepills.Sheputoneoftheminhermouthandwalkedtothe
nearestwaterfountain.

Nicole went down the escalator and decided to stop off at her office before heading

home.Someonecalledouttoher.Itwasherboss.

“Julie.”

“Hi,Nicole.”

“I’msorryIhaven’tcheckedin.Thingshavebeenalittlecrazy.”

“Yeah. I heard. I just want you to know I’m so sorry. I’m sure everything will get

straightenedout.”Shepaused.“Ihatetohavetoevenbringthisup.”

Nicoleclosedhereyes.“Youtoo?”

Juliesplayedherhandsoutinanofferofsurrenderandhadagenuinelookofremorse.

“Look.Ifitwereleftuptome,Iwouldsayfuckem’.Butit’snot.Andwe’renotfiringyou.
We’regoingtocallitatemporaryleaveuntiltheinvestigationisover.Iwasabletonegotiate
astatementofsupport.”

“Thishasreallybeenashittyday,Julie.”

“Icanonlyimagine.Butpleaseknow,I’mfightingforyou.”

Nicole’ssmilewasshaky.“Thanks.”

Julie reached out and squeezed her arm. “Take care and please call me if you need

anything.”

Everything Nicole had worked so hard for over the past few years had been stripped

awayinamatterofhours.Sheneededabreakfromeverythingandeveryoneforjustalittle
while.Shedidn’twanttothinkorfeelanything,andsheknewjustthethingthatwouldhelp
herdoit.

Nicolewentintoherofficetogatherherthings.Whenshewasalone,shetookanother

pill and swallowed. This time not bothering to wash it down with water.It took her all of
twenty minutes to finish collecting her belongings. She was starting to feel woozy and
wondered how the hell was she going to get home? Nicole didn’t think she was in any
conditiontodrive.MaybeIcanhideoutintherestaurantdownstairsforafewhours.

Shemadeherwaytotheelevatoronshakylegsandpressedthebutton.Whenthedoors

opened,Romanstoodontheotherside.

CHAPTER18

DAVISHELDTHEPHONEUPtohisear.“Idon’tknowwherethehellsheis!Wehada
fight.Butevenifshewasmadatme,it’snotlikeNicoletobegoneforhoursandnotcall.
Shewouldatleastcheckinwiththekids.”Davispacedbackandforthinhislivingroom
surroundedbyhissister,Jane,herhusband,Russell,andDana.“Harlan,whathappenedto
themanyouhadonher?”Hestoppedwalkinginthemiddleofthefloorthenyelledintothe
phone.“Icalledthefuckin’police!Theywon’tdoadamnedthinguntilshe’sbeenmissing
twenty-fourhours.Yeah…makesureyoudo.”Aftertheydisconnected,Davisthrewitinto
thesofa.

Janeaskedtheobviousquestion.“Whatdidhesay?”

“HisguyfollowedNicoleintotheClarksTowerBuildingwhereshehadhermeeting.He

losttrackofherwhenshegotontotheelevator.”

His phone rang. Davis almost did a hurdle to get over to it. “Yeah!Okay.I’m on my

way.”

“Didtheyfindher?”Dana’seyeswerefullofworry.

“No.”Hisvoicewasstrangled.“Buttheyfoundhercar.Itisstillintheparkinggarage.”

Jane’shandwentuptocoverhermouth.Itslowlylowered.“We’recomingwithyou.”

Davis was adamant. “No. You are not. If someone calls here with information or

demands,Ineedyoutotakethecall.”

Russellspokeup.“We’renotlettingyougoaloneinthisstate.I’llgowithyou.Justlet

megetmygunoutofmycar.”

Nicoleopenedhereyesbutcouldn’tsee.Everythingwasablur,butsheknewshewaslying
inabed.Shestillfeltasifshewerefloatingonair.Abetterdescriptionwasasifshewere
trappedinoneofherdreamsfromwhenshewasachild.Shecouldn’tliftherheadorher
arms.Shecouldn’tmove.Nicolewhisperedintothedarkness.“Davis.”Onlytofallbackinto
acoma-likesleep.However,beforeshedozed,shecouldhaveswornshehadheardamale
voicesaytoher,“Davisisnothere.”

BAM…BAM…BAM!Was there an explosion? What was going on? Nicole couldn’t

makeheadsortellsofanything.Wasshestilldreaming?Shedidn’tknow.Shecouldonly
slipbackintothedarkness.

Davis and a group of guys from Harlan’s security detail burst into the penthouse

apartmentofRomanAbboud.Theyalmost broke the doors down. Roman had beenin the
showerwhentheykickedthedoorsopen.Davis’sheartstoppedwhenhesawNicole’spurse

onanearbytable—andshoes.Hedidn’tknowwhathehadhopedfor.Davisknewhewanted
Nicole to be found alive but not here, not with the man who sent her the flowers. It was
evidentthatshewashavinganaffair.

Romancamerushingoutofhisbathroom.“Whatinthehellisgoingon?”

Davisdidn’tgivehimachancetosayanotherwordbeforeherammedhisfistintohis

face, knocking the man clean on his ass. All he saw was white rage. Davis followed him
downandcontinuedtopoundhisface,burstinghislipandmostlikelybreakinghisnose.
Romantriedtofightback,butDaviswasmuchtooangryandtoostrongforhimtostanda
chance.Hespokethroughclenchedteeth.“Whereismywife?”

Roman spat the blood from Davis’s punches into his face, and he ground out. “You

shouldbethankfulIfoundherwhenIdid.”

Thatgarneredhimtwomorepunches.“IsweartoGod.I’llkillyouifyou’vetouchedher

inanyway.”

“I didn’t touch her. She’s too fucked up for that. But I’ve got video, and I’m sure you

wouldbewillingtodoanythingtokeepitfromthepublic.”

Russellhadgoneaheadsearchingtheapartment,allowingDavistobeatthecrapoutof

Roman,whileheandHarlancontinuedtolookforher.Harlanyelledout.“She’sinhere!”

Davis punched him one last time and tossed him away as if he were a rag doll, then

high-taileditintotheroomwhereRussellhadfoundher.Harlanwentbacktostandguard
over Roman and instructed the two men that entered the apartment with them to search
everynookandcrannyforanythingelsethatmightproveuseful.

WhenDavisfoundNicole,shewasinbedandnaked.Herclothesweresprawledoutall

aroundtheroom.Hisheartbegantopound.“Nicole!?”

Shedidn’tanswer.

Heshookher.“Nicole!?!”

Still,therewasnomovement.

Davispressedhisfingersagainstherneckcheckingforapulse.Itwasthereandbeating

fast.Hebentlow,makingsurethesheetcoveredherandpickedherup.

“Davis?”Nicole’sheadlolledaroundandfinallylandedonhisshoulder.Hereyeswere

barelyopen,buthecouldtelltheyweredilated.Hermakeup,theblackmascara,hadbeen
smearedalloverherface.Shelookedlikearaccoonbytheeyes.

“It’s me, and I’m here.” He carried her out of the bedroom back to the living room.

Romanwasstillhalfnakedbutwrappedinatowelandsittingonthesofabeinggrilledby

Harlanandhisteam.Hiseyes,whatcouldbeseenofthem,glitteredwithrageandhatred.
Theywerestartingtoswellup,andhisfacewasbloodiedandbruised.Davisdidn’tgetany
satisfactioninknowinghe’dbrokenhisnose.Ifhedidn’thaveNicoleinhisarms,hewould
stillbebeatingtheshitoutofhim.

RussellgrabbedNicole’sthingsandfollowedbehindDavis.Whentheymadeittothe

frontdoor,Harlanspoke.“We’lldoacleansweeptomakesurenotraceofNicolewasleft
here.There’savandownstairswaitingtotakeyoutwohome.We’lldrivebothyourcarand
Nicole’sbacktoyourhousejustincasethemediaissomewherelurkingaround.”

Daviswastooangrytodoanythingbutnod.

Harlan stepped closer so that only Davis could hear. “We’ve found some interesting

thingsinthisapartment.We’lltalkmoreaboutittomorrow.Inthemeantime,getyourwife
outofhereandtakeherhome.”

CHAPTER19

DAVIS CALLED TO INFORM JANE and Dana that they had located Nicole—alive. He
askediftheywouldcontactNicole’sphysiciansothatshecouldmeetthemattheirhousefor
anexamination.Afterthecall,DavissatbackonthebenchseatofthevanandheldNicole
inhisarms.Fearofwhatcouldhavehappenedwouldn’tallowhimtolethergo.Fearofwhat
might have occurred gripped his heart. He rested his cheek on the top of her head then
closed his eyes breathing in her scent. Davis had a million questions running through his
mindbutcouldn’tfocusonanyoneofthem.Asbadasthingswere,hetightenedhishold
whenheconsideredwhatcouldhavehappened.

Nicole was still naked underneath the sheet, but Davis swaddled her just like he had

bothRaynaandDJwhentheywereinfants.Itwasn’tuntilhehadtastedthesaltinessonhis
lipsthatherealizedtheywerehistearsthatfloweddownhisface.

For most of the drive home, Davis remained still. His own hands started to ache and

swell.Hehadn’thadachancetowashthemoff,andtheywerestillbloodyfromearlier.His
jaw tightened as he had second thoughts about not killing Roman when he had the
opportunity.

Bythetimethevanpulledintotheirgarage,histearshaddried,andNicolewasstarting

towakeup.Hervoicewassmall.“Davis?”

“I’mhere.I’mhere.”

“I’msick.”

“We’rehome.Let’sgetyouinside.”Hequicklycarriedhertothenearestbathroomand

left Russell behind to fill Jane and Dana in on the details.It wasn’t a moment too soon,
Nicoleemptied what little she had on her stomach the moment she entered the bathroom.
Davisheldherhairbackuntilshestartedtodryheave.Onceshewasfinished,hegavehera
warmtowel.

Nicolewhispered,“Iwanttowashthissickanddirtyfeelingoffme.”

Davissatonthefloornexttoher.“Okay.ButwehavetowaituntilDr.MacEntyrecan

giveustheokay.”

“Dr.MacEntyre?Why?”

Hisvoicewasstrangled.“Doyounotrememberwhathappenedtonight?”

“I-Iwentfor my meeting.” Her chest hurt from how she wastreated.“I was hurt and

angrywhenIleft,andIwasn’treadytocomehome…”Hervoicetrailedoff.“IsawRoman
ontheelevator.Everythingelseisblankafterthat.”

Nicole looked down at herself and realized she was wrapped in a sheet. Her eyes

widenedasshelookedatDavislikereallylookedathim.Hishandswereswollen.Theskin
wastorn,andtheywerebloody.“Mygod.Whathappenedtoyou?”Tearswerecaughtinher
throat.“Whathappenedtome?”

Davisranhishanddownherbackinanattempttosootheher.“Nicole.”

She was starting to get hysterical. “What happened to me!? Did he? Did I? Oh. My.

God!”Herbeautifuleyesglitteredwithunshedtears.

“Whateverhappenedwe’lldealwithit.”

Nicoleletoutagut-wrenchingwail.Davisfeltitclearthroughtohissoul.Hepulledher

intohisarmsandrockedbackandforthasNicolecriedoutwithrawemotion.

Dr.MacEntyreknockedonthedoor.“Davis?Nicole?It’sme.MayIcomein?”

Nicoleshookherheadno.“Ican’t.Idon’t…”

“Sweetheart.Shejustwantstomakesureyoudon’tneedmedicalattention.”

Nicolesniffed.“ButIdo.”Hertearstumbleddownherfacelikeawaterfall.Hecould

barelyunderstandthewordscomingoutofhermouththroughthem.“Davis,I’msick.”

Hegentlymovedherhairfromoutofherfaceandbehindherear.“Okay,Dr.MacEntyre

canhelpwiththat.Justletherlookatyouforafewminutes.Okay?”

Nicole shook her head no at the same time, Dr. MacEntyre called out to them again.

“Davis?Nicole?”

Hepleadedwithher.“Please,Nicole.”

Itwasthebrokennessinhisvoicethatmadehergiveupandagree.

Hecalledout.“Comein.”

EvelynMacEntyrepokedherheadthroughthedoor.“I’dliketocomeinandexamine

youifthat’sokay,Nicole.”

ShamekeptNicole’seyesfocusedonthefloor.“Okay.”

Evelynsteppedintothebathroom.“Davis,I’llneedtoexamineheralone.”

Hewasadamant.“I’mnotleavingher.”

“Inmyexperience,thiswillgoalotsmootherifwecanbealoneandNicoleisfreeto

answermyquestions.”

Daviswasstillhesitant.

“Ipromiseyou;I’lltakegoodcareofher.”

Nicoledidn’twanthimanywhereneartheroomifitturnsoutshehadsleptwithRoman.

Hervoicewasthickwithemotion.“Please.Ijustwanttogetthisoverwith.”

Heanxiouslyrubbedthebackofhisneckashestruggledtolethergo.

“Please.”ItwasthedesperationinNicole’svoicethatmadethedecisionforhim.

“I’llberightoutside.”Hisfeetfeltliketheyhadcementblocksonthemashedragged

himselfawayandclosedthedoor.

Daviscamedownintothelivingroomwhereeveryoneelsehadbeenwaitingforanupdateas
tohowNicolewasdoing.

Jane’s eyes went wide when she saw him. “Davis. Your hands. Did you have Dr.

MacEntyrelookatthem?”

“I’mfine.IjustwanthertofocusonNicole.”

Danaasked,“Howisshe?”

“Inshock.”

“Whathappened?”

“AllshecanrememberisgoingtotheClarksTowerBuildingforameeting,and,when

leaving,sheranintoamanshe’dmetthroughthefoundationontheelevators.Shedoesn’t
rememberanythingelsefromthatpointonuntilshewokeupinthebackofthevan.”

JaneandDanahadbothbeenstandingbutsatdownonthesofa.Theunspokencurrent

intheroomwasthehopeNicolehadn’tbeenviolated.

JanenudgedDanaintheribsandwhispered,“Tellhim.”

Hiseyesnarrowed.“Tellmewhat?”

It was as if Dana was in pain, but she knew Davis needed to know. “I found these in

Nicole’spurse.”Sheheldupaclearbaggieofpills.

“Whatarethose?”

“Fentanyl.”

Hismouthgapedopen.“What?Whythehellwouldshehavethose?”

“Davis…”

Hewasn’treadytohearthewordsthatheknewwereabouttocomeoutofhermouth.

“Dana,you’rewalkingonthinice.I’mnotgoingtoletyoustandinmyhouseaftereverything
thathashappenedtonightandcallmywifeadrugaddict!”

“IloveNicoletoo!Thisisn’teasyformeeither.Whyelsewouldshehavethese?Where

didshegetthemfrom?Whyaretheyinaplasticbaggieandnotaprescriptionbottlewith
hernameonit?Whycan’tsherememberanything?”

Daviswasabouttoerupt,butJanestoppedhimwithherwords.“Dana’sright.Wecan’t

helpNicoleifwe’redenyingwhatmightbegoingon.”

“I’mnotdenyanything.Ijustrefusetolistentothisbullshit!Nicoleistoosmarttoget

caughtupondrugs.”

Dr.MacEntyrewalkedintotheroom.“Anyonecanfallpreytodrugabuse,Davis.It’sthe

one thing that crosses all socio-economic backgrounds. May I have a word with you
privately?”Davisnodded,andtheywalkedintohisoffice.

“I’mdonewithmycursoryexam.Ican’tsaywithonehundredpercentcertainty,butit

doesn’t appear as though shewasphysicallyviolated.Still, to be safe, I used the medical
rape kit on her and administered the morning after pill. I should have the results back
tomorrow.”

Daviswasoverwhelmed.Henodded.“Iunderstand.Hereyesweredilated.Whatabout

drugs?I’msurethatbastarddidsomethingtoher.”

Hervoicesoftened.“WhatI’mabouttotellyouisn’teasy.Nicolehasyoulistedonher

HIPPA Privacy Authorization Form, and, because I’m deeming this a medical emergency
andyouareNicole’shusband,IthinkI’mongoodlegalgroundtotellyouthis.”

Dreadcreptoverhim,butDavislistenedintently.

“Nicolecalledmeearlieraskingforarefillonherprescription.ItoldherIcouldn’tdo

it.I’donlyrefilledthelastoneafewdaysago.Now,Iwon’tknowforsurewhattheresults
willbeforallthetestsI’mrunning,butIamnotsosuresomeoneelsegaveheranything.”

The breath left his body. Davis wasn’t sure his legs would support him. “What am I

supposedtodo?HowcanIfixthis?”

“First,knowthatyoucan’t.IftheproblemiswhatIthink,Nicoleistheonlypersonwho

can resolve it. All you can do is support her.” Dr. MacEntyre walked over and placed a
supportivehandonhisshoulder.“Itookhertoyourbedroom.Sheaskedforyou.”

Davisnodded.Hischestwastight,andhewasbarelyabletobreathe.Still,heturnedon

hisheelandwalkedoutoftheroomwithonlyonegoalinmind.“Ineedtoseemywife.”

Itwasdarkwhenheentered,butthelightsfromthebathroomcastasoftglowontothewalls
oftheirbedroom.Theshowerwasrunning.Hewalkedslowlyinside.Davisheardherbefore

hesawherthroughtheglassshowerdoors.Nicolewaskneelingonthefloorwithherfacein
herhandscrying.

“Nicole?”

Herbodywaswrackedwithtears.Shehadn’theardhim.Slowly,heopenedthedoorand

gotintotheshowerfullyclothed.Thenhewentdownonhisknees.

Hersobsweredisheartening.Nicolestiffenedoncesherealizedhewasthere.“I’msorry,

Davis.I’msososorry.”

Hepulledherintohisarms.Thewaterpeltedhisskin,buthedidn’tcare.“It’sokay.”

“No.No,it’snotokay.Itriedtotellyouearlier.I’msick.I-I…”

“Wecantalkaboutthistomorrow.”

“No,wecan’t.Iwillnotdothistoyouandthekidsanymore.Bytomorrow,Ineedtobe

inahospital—”Nicolecouldbarelygetthewordsout.“Onethattreatsdrugaddicts.”

CHAPTER20

DR. CARMEN WATCHED NICOLE INTENTLY. “You’ve made a lot of progress since
you’vebeenhereatSerenity.Somuch,thatIthinkitmightbeagoodideaforDavistositin
onyournextsession.”Sheawaitedherresponse.

Nervously,Nicoletwistedherfingerstogether.Ithadonlybeenacoupleofweekssince

sheandDavishadbeenallowedtospeakbytelephone.Theyhadjusttalkedafewtimes,
and their conversations were strained and brief. Nicole’s thoughts were all over the place,
buttheonethatstoodoutthemostwaswhatwillhethinkofme?Shewasnotonlynervous
butashamed.

Dr.Carmencontinuedtoprobeher.“Whythehesitation?Whatareyouthinking?”

Nicoletookadeepbreathstillfocusedonherfingers.“Heshouldprobablyhateme.”

Thetherapistscribbledsomethingdownonhernotepad.ThenlookedbackupatNicole.

“I can’t see why your husband would be upset that you needed help and decided to do
somethingaboutit.”

Hervoicewasbarelyawhisper.“No.That’snotit.”Nicolefinallyliftedhereyestomeet

hers.“Iabandonedhimwhenheneededmethemost.”

“Ahh … I see. Let me ask you another question. When you first board a commercial

airplaneandtheinstructorgivesyouthesafetyspielwhentheygettothepartaboutthelife
preserverjacket,whodotheysayyoushouldhelpfirst?Yourneighbortoyourleft,orright?”

Nicolesmiledslightly.“Youdorealizemyhusband,andIsurvivedaplanecrashand

wasstrandedonadesertedisland?”

Shenodded.“IabsolutelydowhichiswhyIfeltlikethisquestionwouldresonate.So,

whowouldyousavefirst?”

“Well,accordingtotheinstructions,Ishouldputitonmyselffirst.”

“Andwhyisthat?”

“BecauseIcannothelpsomeoneelseifIcan’tsavemyself.”

“Exactly.”Dr.Carmensatontheedgeofherseat.“Nicole,ifwekeepwiththisanalogy

you’ve been drowning for a long time.Well before you met Davis. However, the world of
perfectyoutriedtocreateasanadultandwithyourownfamilywasunrealistic.Nevermind
thatperfectionisunachievable,buteachtimeyoubouncedaroundfromfosterhometofoster
home as a child, it deepened the wounds of abandonment. Todd’s betrayal continued to
solidifyyourfeelingsofunworthiness.YouprocessedDavis’sabsenceasabandonmenttoo.”

Nicoletiltedherheadslightly.“Istillthinktheinvestmentoftimeisimperativefora

familytothrive.”

“That’strue.Butyourangerathisabsenceseemedtostemfromthathurtplaceofyour

childhoodthatwasneverresolved.And,nowthatyou’vebeenexposedforbeinghumanand
vulnerable,isthatwhyyouareafraidtoseehim?”

“I hurt him. I can hear it in his voice. In my stupor, I have no idea if I slept with

Roman.”

“Allthemorereasontohashoutyourfeelingsinasafeplacelikethis.”

“Whatifhewantsadivorce?Orworse,whatifhegoestoprison?”

“Eitherway,youwillpickupthepiecesandmoveforward,notonlyforyourchildren

butforyoursoul.So,letmeaskyouthisquestionagain.AreyougoingtocallDavistoseeif
hecanmakeournextsession?”

Theclockbuzzed.Theirsessionwasover.Quickly,Nicolestoodreadytogetthehellout

ofthehotseat.Shewasthankfulitwassomeoneelse’sturn.

“Nicole?”

“Thankyouforyourtimetoday,Dr.Carmen.Youhavegivenmealottothinkabout.”

Sheturnedandwalkedoutoftheroom.

Davissatinhishomeofficestaringoffintospace.Hehatedthistimeoftheday.Raynaand
DJwereinbedasleep,anditwasjusthimalonewithhisthoughts.Thereweremomentshe
missedNicolesobadithurt,andthenthereweretimes,hewassoangrythatDaviswanted
hertofeelasbadlyashehad.

Hisphonerang.Itwasawelcomedreprievefromtheloneliness.Hisvoicewasrough.

“Davis.”

“Um...Davis?It’sme.Nicole.”

SpeakingoftheDevil.Hisheartrateaccelerated.Hehadtalkedherup.“Nicole.It’s…

uh…good…tohearfromyou.Iseverythingalright?”

He sounds like he’s talking to a stranger.Her spirits dropped a little. She chewed her

bottomlipasshespokeintothephone.“Iamtryingtogetbetterandstronger.H-howare
you…andthekids?”

Whatwashesupposedtosay?Hecouldn’ttellherthatoverthepastcoupleofmonths,

there had been no movement on the case and that financially he was almost bankrupt.
ShouldhetellheraboutwhathappenedthatnightwithRoman?Theragebubbledupinside
ofhim.Davistookafewdeepbreathstocalmdown.Hedidn’tknowhowfragileherrecovery
wasanddecidedtokeepeverythingtohimself.“Thekidsmissyou.”

Justthekids?Shethought.“It’shardbeingaway.Pleasehugandkissthemforme.Tell

themhowmuchIloveandmissthemtoo.”Herthroatwasthick,butshepushedonwithher
reason for calling. Nicole raked her fingers through her hair as she sat at the desk being
monitoredbytheSerenitypersonnel.“Iknowit’salottoask,butnextweek…Dr.Carmen
thinksit’sagoodideaifyoucouldmakeittooneofmytherapysessions.”

Therewasdeadsilencethatlastedforsecondsbutfeltasifitwentonforever.Nicole’s

heartwasbeatingsofastwaitingforhisanswer.Herstomachdroppedwhensheheardhim
exhaleintothephone.“Ifshethinksitwouldbehelpful,Icanbethere.”

“Davis,Iknowthisishard.”Nicolepulledthephoneawayfromherear.Sheneededa

momenttocollectherselfandwasn’tsureshecouldhidethetearsinhervoice.Shecleared
herthroat.“Thankyouforcoming.MynextsessionisMondayat6p.m.”Nicole’stimelimit
forthephonewasup.“I’mgettingthesignal.Ihavetogo.PleasetellthekidsthatIlove
themand…Iloveyou.”Sheheldherbreath—waitingforhisresponse.

Hewasamessofsomanyemotions.Surprisingly,thewordsIloveyoutoowouldn’tpass

betweenhislips.“IwillmakesurethatItellthem.”

DaviswenttoChathamIndustriesforanExecutivemeeting.Hehadsometimetokillbefore
itstarted. His eyes were tired because he hadn’t slept much the night before. If he were
honest,Davishadn’thadagoodnight’ssleepsinceNicolewenttoSerenity.

Janeburstthroughhisofficedoorslikesheownedtheplacewithcoffeeinhand.“Good

morning!”ShesanglikeshewasFlorenceNightingale.

Hedidn’tshareorreturnhersunnydisposition.“Morning.”

“Ibroughtthisforyou.”Shehandedhimthesteamingcupofhotcoffee.“Ifiguredyou

coulduseit.”

“Icouldusesomethingalotstrongerthanthisbutifit’sallyouhave.”

Janesatinoneofthechairsinfrontofhisdeskwhilehestoodtoweringoverher.“You

lookalittlemorestressedthanusual.Iknowyou’reupsetaboutthemeeting,butIneedyou
toknowthateverythingisgoingtobeokay.”

“IfIhavetostepaside,IamthankfulthatyouarewillingtotakeontheroleofCEO.I

knowIcantrustyouandmorethanthat,you’lldoagreatjob.”

“That’sinterimCEO.”

“NotifIgotoprison.Itmightbeapermanentgig.I’mjusthappythat,fornow,Istill

ownthemajorityofshares.AppointingyoumightbethelastofficialthingI’llgettodofor

ChathamIndustries.”

“That’snotgoingtohappen.AndyouandIbothknowthatIdon’tknowanythingabout

yourbusiness.Weneedyouandlookforwardtoyourreturn.”

“Paulhasbeenbriefed.Whilenothappyaboutmydecision,hewillhelpyouwiththe

daytodayoperations.Thevalueofhisownstockdependsonyoursuccess.Therefore,let’s
just say he is very motivated.”His eyes said it all. Davis was losing hope. His smile was
weak.“In the event that things don’t go my way; Ihave a contingency plan in place. My
shares will be turned over to you until Rayna and DJ are twenty-five. Eventhen,youand
Nicolewillhavecontroloverwhentoreleasethemtothekids.Hopefully,they’llbewortha
damnconsideringtheyaren’tdoingsowellrightnow.EverythingelsewillbelefttoNicole.
Lookafterherforme.”

“Stopit.Stop this negative talk. None of that is going to be necessary because you’re

goingtobearoundagoodlongtime.Thisisjusttemporary.Inthemeantime,I’lldoanything
for you including making sure I keep an eye on things while you focus on your kids and
clearingyourname.Iknowyouwoulddothesameforme.”Shetookasipofhercoffeeand
goodlonglookintohiseyes.“DidsomethingelsehappenwithyourcasethatIdon’tknow
about?”

“No.”

“Thenwhatisit?Iknowyou,andsomethingisoffevenmorethanusual.”

Davisturnedtostareoutofthewindow.“Nicolecalledlastnight.SheaskedifIcould

attendhertherapysessionnextweek.”

Janefrowned.“Andthat’saproblem?”

His head slowly lifted up and down. “I haven’t seen her in two months. I don’t know

whatisinstoreforourreunion.”

“Myhope—ahappyreunion.”

Davis rubbed the bottom of his chin. “A reunion, sure. A happy one, I’m not so sure.

Initially,whenNicolewentintorehab,Iwasfranticwithworry.Thenighteverythingwent
down,Iwasjustgladshewasalive.Ihadn’thadachancetodigesttheshitstormthatwent
onaroundus.I’mpissed.No,ifI’mreallyhonest,I’mbeyondmadashell.”

“At her?” Jane got up and walked over to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. “She

didn’tgetthiswayonpurpose,Davis.”

“Iknowthat,andthat’smyconundrum.Myfeelingscan’tbegoodforherrecovery.The

kidsneedhertogetbetter.”

“Youneedhertogetbettertoo.”

“Riiiiiight. It’s not as if my life hasn’t already fallen apart. I’ve lost my business and

everythingI’veworkedmyentirelifefor.Imightevenlosemyfreedom.WherewasNicolein
allofthis?She always talked about us being partners, but she’s nowhere to be found. So,
yeah…I’mmadashellaboutthat.”

“Iunderstandyou’reangryandinalotofways,rightfullyso.However,youdidn’teven

tellNicoleaboutyourproblemsuntiltheywerefiveminutesfromabreakingnewsstory.So,
that’sprettyunfairtoher.”

Davisturnedtofaceher.“You’retakingherside?Ineedyoursupport!”

“You’llalwayshavemysupport,butI’llalsotellyouwhenyou’rewrong.I’mnotsaying

youremotionsarenotvalid,butpleasedon’tmixupyourfrustrationwiththissituationand
Nicole.She’s not responsible for any of this.Maybe it would be good for you to talk to a
professionalaboutthisafterall.Therapymightbeagoodidea.”

Davisdidn’trespond.Hejustreturnedtostaringoutofthewindow.

Jane’svoicequieted.“Doyoustillloveher?”

Davisclenchedhisjawanddidn’tanswerrightaway.“She’sthemotherofmychildren.”

“ThatisnotwhatIaskedyou.”

“Iknowwhatyouaskedme.”Hesnappedthenglancedathiswatch.“I’msorry.”Davis

closedandrubbedhistiredeyes.“Look,canwediscusstheclusterfuckthatismylife,later?
Rightnow,IneedtointroducetheexecutiveteamtotheirnewCEOwhileIstillhavethe
powertodoit.”

CHAPTER21

ItwasMonday.Itwas6:00p.m.Everythingwasallsetandreadytobegin.OnlyDavishadn’t
arrived.Nicolepacedbackandforthwringingherhands.“He’snotcoming.”

“From all that you’ve told me, Davis doesn’t sound like a man whose word can’t be

trusted.”Dr.Carmenglancedathercellphonetocheckthetime.“He’sonlyafewminutes
late.Let’sgivehimafewmoreminutes.”

Nicolewasjustabouttositdownwhenthedoorsopened,andanassistantusheredDavis

intothetinylittleroom.Nicolefroze.Hereyesbecameglassyasshedrankinthesightof
him,andhecouldn’tseemtotakehiseyesoffhereither.

Davisseemedtohavethesameexpressioninhisowneyes.

Dr.Carmenlookedfromonetotheother.“Pleasecomeinsideandhaveaseat.”

Hemovedtotakeoffhissuitjacket.“Sorry,I’mlate.Iwasstuckintraffic.”Davisdidn’t

knowwhattheproperprotocolwas.Washesupposedtokissher?Couldhetouchher?He
didn’tdoeither,buthiseyesneverlefthers.“Hello,Nicole.”

Herbreathhadbeensnatchedoutofherbody,andallshewantedwastobewrappedin

thestrengthofhisarms.However,Nicoleremainedcalm.“Hi.”

“Okay,please.Bothofyou,haveaseatandwecanbegin.”DavisandNicolefollowed

Dr.Carmen’sinstructions.“Mr.Chatham,IamnotsurehowmuchyouareawareofNicole’s
recoveryprocess,butabigpartofitisintensivetherapy.AtSerenity,weliketohelpour
clientsfindtherootcauseoftheirpain.Ifwecandothat,thenwecanteachthemhealthy
alternativecopingmechanisms.”

Henodded.“Serenitycamehighlyrecommended,sothatisgoodtohear.”

“Great.Thenlet’sgetstarted.”Dr.CarmenturnedtoNicole.“Lastweek,inoneofour

sessions,youmentionedafewthingsthatwebelievemightbetriggers.Whydon’tyoutell
Davisaboutthatconversation?”

Nicole felt awkward as she thought. . . Really, Dr. Carmen? No warm up? We’re just

goingtodiverightoninaftermonthsofbeingseparated?“Well…Davis…um…IguessI
shouldbeginbysayingthatI’msorry.Thewordsfeelinadequate,butImeanthatsincerely.”
Nicoletookhertimeasshestruggledtofindtherightthingtosay.“WhenDr.CarmenandI
talked last week, I realized that I wrongly equated your absence during our marriage as
abandonment.”

“Abandonment? Seriously? Is that what you call a man working hard to provide his

family with the best life possible all while trying to prevent a personal and financial
disaster?Youliveinamansionwitheverypossibleluxury;youhavecarsandmoney.There

wasnothingIwouldn’thavegivenyou.”

“No!That’s not what I meant. It was never about materialthings, Davis! What I was

tryingtosaywas…”

Daviscutheroff.“Imighthaveworkedlonghours,butIwasneverabsent.Ibroughtmy

ass home every night. I never betrayed you or my family.”The unvarnished anger he had
beentryingtohidewaspeteringontheedgeofrelease.

Herownangerthreatenedtosurface.“Yes,youcamehome,butlatealmosteverynight!

Thatdoesn’tnegatethefactthatIwasaloneinthismarriagemostofthetime.Ifeltlikea
singleparentmanagingourfamily.”

“Youmanagedbecauseyouwantedtomanage.Youcouldhaveeasilyhavehiredhelp.”

“WhyshouldIhavehiredhelpwhenRaynaandDJhaveafather?Justthrowmoneyat

theproblem.Isthatyouranswertoeverything?”

“Ifthatwerethecase,wewouldn’tbehere.So,don’tblameyourdrughabitonmeoron

menotbeingavailableforyou.”

Nicole’sfaceturnedashen.“My…addiction…isnoone’sfaultbutmyown.Iaccept

fullresponsibilityforit.”

Davisdidn’tmeanforthewordstocomeoutofhismouth,buttheyhad.

Dr. Carmen watched the exchange between them before she intervened.“Ithinkwhat

Nicole was initially trying to say was that before your marriage, she had wounds of
abandonmentthathadn’tfullyhealed.Inanefforttosoothetheache,itwasimportantforher
to create the family she never had—with you. When it didn’t materialize the way she
envisioned…thepainitcausedherwasn’tsolelyfromyourabsencebutdueinparttobeing
shuttledbetweenfosterhomeafterfosterhome.Davis,letmeaskyouaquestion.Running
ChathamIndustriesmustbeextremelydemanding.However,fromwhatI’vereadaboutthe
company,whydidn’tyoudelegatemoretoyourexecutiveteamsothatyoucouldspendmore
timewithyourfamily?Whywasitsoimportantthatyouphysicallybethere?”

Davissqueezedthearmrestuntilhisknuckleswerewhite.“I’vealwaysbelievednoone

shouldworkharderthantheownerofhisorherownbusiness.”

“True.Butatwhatcost?Wasn’tthatthereasonyourfirstmarriageended?”

His lips tightened. “My first marriage had more problems than just me working long

hours.”

Dr. Carmen nodded then scribbled more notes down on her pad. “Understood. Let’s

moveonalittlebit.We’llrevisitthatlater.Tellmeaboutyoursister,Rayna.Theonewho

younamedyourdaughterafter.”

Daviswasmorethanuncomfortablewithherlineofquestioning.“Ithoughtthissession

wasaboutNicole?”

“Itis.”

“Thenwhyareallthequestionsdirectedatme?”

“Iapologizeifitfeelsthatway,butwearereallyjustgettingstarted.I’vealreadyhearda

lot from the perspective of Nicole. Itwillhelp me better identify how to help her if I can
understandherfamilydynamicbutfromyourperspective.Withthatbeingsaid,Iknowthis
topicmightbealittlesensitivetoyou,butcanyoutellmeabouther?”

Davisturnedglacial.Hisfacehardened.“Idonotseehowthatisrelevant.”

“Possiblemotivationsforourbehaviorisalwaysrelevant,Mr.Chatham.Please,Iknow

thismightbedifficult,andit’snotasubjectyoudiscussoften,butcanyoutalkabouther?”

The tension in the air was so thick, Nicole needed more than a knife to cut it. She

neededamachete.Shealsodidn’tthinkDaviswasgoingtoanswer.However,hedid.

“My parents didn’t have money or insurance. We lived in a shitty apartment, and she

diedbecauseofit.It’snotalongstory.”

“Doyouthinkyoumightequatebeingpoorwithhavingcontroloveryourlifeandthose

youlove?”

Heusedhisthumbtoscratchabovehiseyebrow.“Itcouldbepossible.Unfortunately,I

don’thavetheluxurytoreallyanalyzeit.Ifyouarenotaware,Ihavemoreimportantmatters
todealwith.”

“Likewhat?”

“Forone,prayingthatmychildrencangettheirmotherback—healthy—keepingmyass

outofjail,andsavingmybusiness.Myplateiskindoffull.”

“Whataboutyourmarriage?”

“Whataboutit?”

“Youdidn’tmentionit.Isitnotonyourlistofpriorities?”

Nicoleheldherbreath.

Daviswouldn’tlookather.“MymarriageismorethanIcandealwithrightnow.”

“Hmm…that’sinteresting.”Dr.Carmenmadeanothernote.

Nicolewantedtoshovethatpenupherbuttuntilsheaskedtheonequestion,sheboth

wantedtoknowanddidn’twanttoknowtheanswerto.

“Doyoustillloveher?”

Could she be even less impersonal in asking the question that could destroy my life?

Nicolewonderedassheheldherbreathandawaitedhisanswer.

Davisrolledhisheadaroundhisshoulders.Heexpelledalong-exaggeratedbreath.His

wordswerestrained.“I’vethoughtaboutthatquestionalotlately.”Davisdroppedhishead,
andhischinrestedonhischest.Hespokequietly.“Yes.Idostillloveher.Nicoleis…the
loveofmylife.”

“Whydon’tyoutellherthat?”

“BecauseIcan’t.Notrightnow.”Davisjustdidn’thavethecapacitytodoanymorethan

healreadyhad.

“Thenifyoucan’ttellherthatyouloveher,tellherwhatyouarefeeling.”

Slowly, Davis raised his eyes and looked in her direction. “There is nothing that I

wouldn’tdoforyou…evenwhenIthoughtyoumightbehavinganaffairwithRoman.”

“Davis,I’msosorry.I-I…”

Heclearedhisthroat.“Thebottomline,Nicole,isthatIamstilldealingwiththatnight

andtryingtoprocessitall.Iknowtheblamedoesn’trestcompletelyon your shoulders. I
honestlydon’tblameyouforcopingthebestwayyouknewhow.ButI’mstillangry.I’mstill
devastated,andIneedtime.”

She held her body rigid to keep from falling apart. She responded in a barely-there

whisper.“Thankyoufortellingmethat.Ifithelps,Ihaven’tforgivenmyselfforthatnight
either.”

Dr.Carmen felt if they continued down this path, there might be hope.She broke the

silence in the room. “Today was a good start.Honestycan be painful but is always good.
Timecanhealamultitudeofissuesbutnotwithoutalotofcommunication.Davis,thankyou
forcomingandmakingyourselfemotionallyavailabletohelpNicole.”

Wasthatit?Thesessionwasover?Hereyesdartedtohis.Hebasicallyjusttoldherthat

helovedherbutdidn’thavetimetoanddidn’twanttodealwiththeirmarriagerightnow.
WasDr.Carmengoingtointroduceaplantohelpthem?“Whatdowedonow?”

Davissoundedtired,exhausted.“Right.What’snext?”

“Well, Nicole has a little more than a month before she can be released, but we’re

makingprogress.Iwouldliketositdownwithyoubothagainnextweek.”

Davisgroaned.

Dr.Carmencontinued.“ThegoodnewsisthatI’mapprovinglimitedvisitswithyouand

ifthatgoeswell,maybewecanapprovetimewiththekids.Ithinkitmightbehelpful.Asa
matter of fact …” She stood. “Since we’re done here for today.”Shelookedat Davis and
Nicole.“Wouldyoulikeafewminutestobealone?”

Nicolewashopeful.“Ifit’sokaywithDavis,Iwouldlikethatverymuch.”

Davis was feeling ripped open and apart. He stood too making more of an effort than

necessarytoputonhisjacket.AnythingnottolookatNicole.“I’vegottogethometoDJand
Rayna.Maybeanothertime.”

CHAPTER22

DAVISHADBEENHOMEFORacoupleofhours.HisvisitwithNicolehaddrainedevery
ounceofenergyhehad.Whathewouldn’tgiveforadrink.Ifhehadn’thadtheentirehouse
drugandalcoholproofed,hewouldhavethrownacoupleback.Instead,Davisfellfacefirst
into his bed not bothering to take off his clothes. He closed his burning eyes and just lay
thereuntilhisphonerang.Davisdebatedwhethertoansweritornot,butitwasafter11p.m.
Thecallcouldbeimportant.Herolledoverandreacheduptothenightstandtograbit.He
answered.“Davis.”

“Iamsorrytohavetocallyouthislate.”

Davis pinched the bridge of his nose at the sound of his lawyer, Braylee Hinsdale-

Manchetti’s,voice.“What?IstheFBIheadedtomyhousetoarrestme?”

“Nothingthatdramaticbutverydisappointing.Tonight,Iwastippedoffthatthepress

hasfoundoutNicoleisatSerenity.Thatnewsisgoingtohitthepresstomorrowmorning.”

“Myfamilycan’tcatchafuckin’break.Shedoesn’tneedthat.”

“No,shedoesn’t.Youmightwanttothinkaboutalternativearrangements.”

“Alternative arrangements? Like,move her? She’sliterally weeks away from finishing

theprogram.IdoubtSerenitywillagreethatthat’sagoodidea.”

“Cantheyhandleahigh-profilecase?Thosebastardsinthemediahavebeentryingto

getaninterviewwithNicoleeversincethenewsbroke.Securitywillneedtobetight.”

“I can tell you that a couple of Senator’s wives and a pop singer have stayed there

before.ButIdon’tknowiftheirstayswereeverdiscovered.”

“Hopefully,theycan,butyouandIknow,tomorrowisgoingtobeazoo.IfIwereyou,I

wouldhaveaplanAandaplanB.”

“Thanks,Braylee.”

“You’rewelcome.And,Davis…we’remakingprogress.Iknowitdoesn’tseemlikeit,

butifwhatwe’reworkingonissuccessful,we’llgetyourlifeback.”

“Right.” He was disillusioned. “At this point, it’s the waiting. Whatever is going to

happen,Icanonlyhope,itwaitsuntilNicoleisfinishedwithhertreatment.Anyway,thanks
againforthecall.”AssoonasDavishungup,hebegantodowhathehadalwaysdone,tryto
fixtheproblem.

Davishadbarelygottenoutoftheshowerthenextmorningwhensomeonefromthestaffof
Serenitycalled.“Davis.”

“Mr.Chatham,thisisRebeccaWinn,theownerofSerenity.”

“Goodmorning.Iwasjustabouttocontactyou.Mylawyercalledlastnighttogivemea

heads-upaboutthepress.IwantedtomakesurewehadaplaninplacetoensureNicole’s
privacyandsafety.”

“Serenitypridesitselfongivingourpatientsthebestofcareandprovidingasafeand

private environment. Our job has been made more difficult because our gates have been
inundatedwithseveraldozenjournalistsandphotographers.Wedon’thavetheworkforceto
handlethis.”

“Theyarevultures.Whatdoyousuggest?Whatdoyouwantmetodo?”

“Mr.Chatham,Ihatetohavetodothis,butNicolewillneedtoberelocated.Thefrenzy

thatisbeingcausedbyherbeinghereisunfairtoourotherpatients.”

“Ifiguredyoumightsuggestthis.Where is your other facility?Where do you want to

takeher?”

“Wedon’thaveanotherfacility.Unfortunately,hertreatmentwithSerenitywillneedto

becutshort.Youwillhavetofindalternativeaccommodations.”

“Sheistwo-thirdsofthewayfinished!Youarejustgoingtokickherout?”

“Aninpatientfacility within the state might be difficult to find considering privacy is

probablythemostimportantfactorinchoosingwhereapatientgoestorecover.”

“I’vepaidSerenitythousandsofdollars.Youcan’tjustkickNicoleoutonherass!”

“Weunderstandyourfrustration,andarewillingtoprovideyouwithapartialrefund.”

“No.You’regoingtohavetodobetterthanthatorIwillmakesureeveryoneknowshow

shabbilySerenityhastreatedmywife.”

“Look,I’msurewecancometosomekindofresolution.”

“Nicolehasaboutamonthleftoftreatment,correct?”

“Yes.”

“Can you send whatever team of people that she interacts with daily to a private

residencetofinishhertreatment?”

“Thatishighlyunusual.”

“Idon’tgiveadamn.”

“Isthatwhatit’lltaketomakeallofthisgoaway?”

“Yes.”

“Thenwe’llmakeithappen.”

“I’llbetheretopickNicoleupwithinthehour.”

Truetohisword,DavisarrivedatSerenitywithinthehour.Mrs.Winnhadnotbeenlying.It
wasazooatthegate.

HewaitedforthemtobringNicoleout.Heheardhervoice.“Davis?”

Heturnedtoseeherface.Shewasworried.“Arethekidsokay?Iseverythingalright?

TheyjusttoldmeIneededtopackallofmythings.”

“The kids are fine. But there has been a security breach, and we need to get you

moved.”

Shenodded.

Davisreachedforherhand.Itwassoftanddelicate.Anelectricitypassedbetweenthem

thathadn’tbeenfeltinawhile.Hedidn’tknowwhattodowiththefeeling,soheignoredit.
“Weshouldgo.”

ThedrivewasmademostlyinsilenceuntilNicolebrokeit.“Wherearewegoing?”

“Ineedtogetyousomeplaceprivateandsafe.”

Asmallprivateairstripcameintotoview.“We’rehere.”Whenlimostopped,Davisgot

outofthecarandcamearoundtoopenherdoor.Shegotoutwithherarmswrappedaround
herbody.

“HowfarawayamIgoingtobe?”

“Severalthousandmiles.”

“What?Whereareyoutakingme?”

“Totheisland.Only…I’mnotgoing.”

Nicole was numb. She sat in her seat for hours as the luxury private jet flew her and a
wellnessteamfromSerenitytotheirisland.Thistime,shewasalone.

Her heart ached, but Dr. Carmen was right, whatever was going to happen with their

marriage,Nicolewouldhavetodealwithit.Shewouldpickupthepiecesandmoveon.No
longer did Nicole want to be defined by the past. No longer could she let who she was
attachedtodefineherasaperson.Shehadalotofworktodotogettowhereshewantedto
be,butforhersake,andforthesakeofherchildren,shewoulddoit.

CHAPTER23

PresentDay…OneWeektoGo…

NICOLE LOVED THIS PLACE AND always would. She hugged herself as she stood
barefootontheveryspotwheresheandDavishadwashedashoreoverfiveyearsago.

Theskystillheldtheearlymorningorangeglow,andthewarmbreezecaressedherskin.

Itblewthroughherhairandstrokedherface.Thesunstillhadn’tfullycomeupbutsoon
would.Here,timestoodstill.Here,shecouldcatchherbreathandbreathe.

Nicolestaredoutattheseaasthewavesgentlyrolledupandkissedthebeach.Crazy

how much things have changed over the past few weeks.Being on their private island had
done more for her spirit than anything. It helped to cleanse her soul and change her
perspective.Simplyput,shewasabletofocusandseelifemoreclearly.Although,somewhat
nervousthatinaweek,shewouldbeheadedhomeandbacktotherealworld.Hertreatment
wouldbefinished.Shewouldnolongerhavethesolitudeoftheislandasasafehaven.Still,
she was ready. Visiting with her kids through the screen of her telephone or computer
monitor wasn’t enough. Nicole hadn’t physically seen them in almost three months and
missedthemlikecrazy.Shespokesoftlyintothewind.“Onemoreweek.”

“Andthenwhat?”Adeepvoicejoinedhers.

Nicolesnappedherheadaroundinsurprise.“Davis?”Shewas so lost in thought that

shehadn’theardhimcomeup.“Whendidyou…how…whatareyoudoinghere?”Tosay
thatshewasshockedwouldbeanunderstatement.

Barefoot,Davisdughistoesintothesand.Hestoodnexttoherwearingsoftlinen-cotton

pants,rolledupattheankles,andawhitet-shirt.“Myplanegotinlatelastnight.Youwere
alreadyasleep,andIdidn’twanttodisturbyou.”Hegazedoutoverthewaterwithhishands
stuffeddeepintohispocketsthinkingaboutthefirsttimehehadseenNicoleonthisvery
beach.Shewassoaked.Herhairclungtoherface,andherclothesmoldedtohergenerous
curves.Shehadneverbeenmorebeautiful.Heslowlylookedinherdirection.Today,Nicole
didn’tlooklikehiswaternymph.Butshewasbynomeanslessbeautifulwearingatankand
cut-offshorts.Itwassimpleandrelaxed.Herunrulydarkcurlsblewwildlyaroundherface,
andwhileshewasclearlysurprisedtoseehim,hereyesheldacalmnessDavishadn’tever
seen. While his anger had simmered, what bothered him most was that seeing Nicole in
personhadn’terasedhiswarringemotions.

Nicoleheldherhairoutofherfacewithherhands.“Butwhyareyouhere?I’vestillgot

aweekleftoftreatment.”

Helookedbackoutovertheseaandspokequietly.“Iknow.Itriedtostayaway,butI

couldn’t.”

“Isthatabadthing?”

Davisspokeasifheweretalkingtohimself.Hedidn’tanswerherquestion.“Everything

forusstartedrightonthisisland.”

Itdidn’tgounnoticedthathehadn’tresponded,butNicoleletitgo—fornow.“Actually,

itstartedwithyoubeinganassholetomeatthatairport.”

“I wasn’t an asshole per se.” A slight smile tickled the edge of his lips. “I was

preoccupiedandhavingabadday.”

“Davis,youwerehorribletome.”

“Okay, maybe I wasn’t as charming as I am now, but I did make it up to you.” He

widenedhisarmsandturnedinahalfcircle.“Isavedyourlifeonthisveryisland.Ishould
getcreditforthat.”

“Idon’texactlyrememberitthatway.”

Davisraisedaneyebrow.“Howdoyourememberit?”

“Wesavedeachother.”

Her words drew her to him, and when Davis turned their eyes met. His hands were

featherlightwhenhetouchedhercheek.Theirbackandforthbantervanished.“So,howdid
wegethere?”

Nicole sighed. “Is there any wonder why two broken people would be drawn to each

other?”

“Broken,huh?”

Nicole twisted her lips to the side and laughed a little. “We’re standing on a beach

whereI’mfinishingtreatmentforadrugaddiction.Iwoulddefinitelysayyes.”

“I’mgladyoucanjokeaboutit.”

Sheshrugged.“WhatelsecanIdo?I’mnolongerashamed,andI’mtryinghardtoget

bettereveryday.NotonlydoIwanttobebetter…”Shepaused.“Iwantustobebettertoo.
Isthatwhyyou’rehere?”

Davis tried to choose his words carefully. “I want to do what’s best for all of us.” He

threwhisheadbackandclosedhiseyes.“Idon’tknowwhatthatis.IcameherebecauseI
wanttofindout.”

Nicolefeltlikeshe’dbeenpunchedinthegut.Shelookeddown.“Oh.”

Afteramoment,withagentletouch,Davisplacedhishandonhershoulder.Hiswords

andhisbrainweren’tconnecting.God,shefeelsgood.Heknewthatcommonsensehadto

prevail.“Nicole,Iloveyou,butsometimeslovejustisn’tenough.Sometimes,twopeoplejust
arenotgoodforeachother.”Evenashesaidthewords,allhewantedtodowaspullherinto
hisarms.

“I agree. Love on its own isn’t enough. But, if you do—still—wantme. Then we can

makeourmarriagebetterthaniteverwasbefore.Butwehavetowantourmarriagetowork,
andthenwehavetofightforit.Ithinkwe’reworthit.”

Shesoundedsoconfident.Still,regardlessofwhatNicolesaid,Davisneverwantedto

seeherinapositionlikethisagain.Hecouldn’thelpbutfeelpartlyresponsible.

“Mrs.Chatham?”Someonecalledouttoher.

Nicoleturnedbacktowardthehouse.Hertherapist,Carmen,wasstandingonthewrap

aroundporch,tryingtogetNicole’sattention.Nicoleyelledback,“I’llberightthere.”She
turnedtoDavis.“I’msorry,butI’vegottogo.Weliketodoearlymorningsessions.Canwe
talklater?”

Henodded.“Ofcourse.”DaviswatchedNicolewalkaway.Hewasn’tsureifhehadthe

strengthtolethergo.Intheend,hehadtodowhatwasbestforher—andeveryone.

CHAPTER24

OTHERTHANTHEMORNINGOFDavis’sarrival,heandNicolehadn’tspentverymuch
time alone. Davis consciously made that decision. He didn’t want to interfere with her
routine,and,ifhewerehonest,hewasn’treadytofinishtheconversationtheystartedalmost
aweekago.Buthecouldn’tstandbeingawayfromher.JustknowingthatNicolewasnear,
soothed him. However, he couldn’t use the excuse of not wanting to interfere with her
recoverymuchlonger.Nicoleonlyhadonemoredayleftoftreatment,whichmeantthathe
onlyhadthatamountatimetomakesomebigdecisions.

Daviswasstillconflictedaboutwhattodoabouttheirrelationship.Hespenthisdayson

the island taking long walks and thinking to the point of exhaustion. Hismindwaslike a
faucetandwouldn’tshutoff.Itwasprobablythefirsttimesincetheplanecrashthathehad
beenawayfromeverythingandcompletelyunpluggedfromtheworld.Janewasstillrunning
thebusiness.Whentheydidtalk,itwasn’taboutwork;itwasaboutDJandRaynasincethey
were staying with her while he and Nicole were away. Teena had been a godsend and
continuedtotakecareofthekidsatJane’shome.Davismadesuretocheck-inatleastonce
aday.

He hiked a path that led to the lagoon where he and Nicole had made love too many

timestocount.Davishadhaditclearedbutleftsomefoliageforprivacy.Itheldaspecial
placeinhisheart.Hestoppedshortwhenhespottedahalf-nakedNicolesittingonthebank
withhershapelylegsswayinginthewater.Warningbellsweregoingoffinhishead.Thisis
a bad idea, he thought, but couldn’t help himself from approaching her. He looked
heavenward.How do You expect me to be rational when you’ve given me my water nymph
back?

Nicolewaslostinherownworld.

Davis moved silently toward her. It was too bad the little red string-bikini she was

wearingwasn’tsilent.Itspoketohisbodyloudandclear.Thecolorcomplementedcaramel
skinthatglowedfrombeingintheSouthPacificsunforthelastmonth.Flashesofkissing
everyinchofherranthroughhismindlikeamovie.Davisfelthiscockjumpatthethought
ofbeinginsideher.Ithadbeentoolong,butuntiltheycametosomedecisionsabouttheir
relationship,hehadtokeephishandstohimself.Thatwasgoingtobeonetallorder.He
adjusted himself inside his shorts, hoping she wouldn’t notice his excitement before
announcinghimself.

Davisclearedhisthroat.“Hey.Ididn’tknowyouwereouthere.”

Herhairclungtoherfaceanddropletsofwaterrestedonherlonglashes.Herpouty,full

lipsgavewaytoasmile.“It’soneofmyfavoriteplacesontheentireisland.I’msureyoucan
imaginewhy.”

He couldn’t stop smiling like a fool. “Yeah.Mine too.” Davis moaned inwardly as he

tookaseatnexttoher.Herfullbreastslookedasiftheyweregoingtoburstoutofherbikini
top.Hewouldgivehisleftkidneytotasteoneofthosetightlypebbledbuds.Thebloodinhis
bodywasallflowingtooneplace.Heneededtogetahandleonitquick,especiallysincehe
vowedtohimselfnottotouchher.

Shereturnedhissmilewithoneofherown.“What’sthatlookfor?”

“Ididn’texpecttoseeanangelsittinginourlagoon.”

Nicolepulledherbottomlipintohermouth.“Angel,huh?”Shehoppeddownintothe

water and waded over, sliding in-between his thighs. “MaybeIdon’t want to be an angel.
MaybeIwanttobealittledevilish.”Herhandsstartedtoslideupanddownhislegsgetting
closertowhereDaviswasnowsportingafullhard-on.Hecapturedherwristsbeforethey
madeittotheirdestination.Hisvoicewasstrained.“Thisisprobablynotagoodidea.”

Her big round eyes looked up into his. He knew that look. The one where they were

moregreenthanbrown.TheonethatsaidIneedyouandmadehimgobatshitcrazy.Shewas
goingtomakethisdifficult.“C’mon,Nicole.I’mtryingtodotherightthing.”

“Therightthingwouldbeforyoutogetdowninthiswaterwithmeandletmewrapmy

legsaroundyourwaist.Andthenforyoutopoundmesohardthatbythetimewe’refinished
neitherofuswillhavethestrengthtomove.”

Daviswashavingahardtimeregulatinghisbreathing.Herestedhisforeheadonhers,

thenbroughtherhandsuptohislipsandkissedherknuckles.“Youhavenoideahowmuch
Iwantthattoo.”

“Thenfuckme.”

“No.”Hesuckedinabreath,shockedbyhisself-control.

Nicole managed to break free of his grip and cupped his face in her hands. Hereyes

wereheatedbylustanddetermination.“I’veallowedyoutohidefrommeallweek.You’re
myhusband,andI’vedecidedtofightforyou.IknowImessedup,butIwon’tletyouwalk
awayfromme.Whatwehaveisspecial.”Nicolemovedincloser,pressingherbodyflush
againstDavis’srock-hardchest.Shesteppedupontohertiptoesandslowly,eversoslowly,
touchedherlipstohis.Thekisswasmixedwithhungeranddesperation.Shewouldn’tletup
thepressureuntilDavisgavein.

Helostit.Davisgrippedherwaistandtookoverthekiss.Allthemonthsofdreaming

abouttouchinghercamecrashingdownonhim,breakinghisresolve.

Nicole ran her hands all over his body. She kissed him back with everything she had

inside.

Davistorehislipsawayfromhers.

IttookamomentforNicole’sbraintoregisterwhatwashappening.Theirbreathingwas

laboredanduneven.

Davis could barely form words and was holding on to his restraint by a thread. “You

makemewant…”Hewasstilltryingtogaincontrolofhismindandbody.“Notlikethis.
Notwhensomuchisunresolved.”

Nicoleplacedherhandsflatagainsthischest.Shewasterrified.NotbecauseDaviswas

physicallywithholdinghimself, but because she couldn’t reach him emotionally—and she
mightneverbeableto.Shewasdesperate.“You’remine,DavisChatham,andI’myours.If
thatisthecase,wehavetherestofourlivestogetitright.Wedon’thavetowaittomake
love.WecanbetogetherANDfixus.”

“You’reinrecovery.”

“Ugggggghhh…Youcan’tkeepusingthatexcuse.Iwillbeinrecoveryfortherestof

mylife.”

“YouknowwhatImean.”

“I’mdonewithtreatment.Ihadmylastsessionthismorning,andeveryoneispacking

uptoheadhome.So,thatexcuseisnolongervalid.Wehaveproblems,Davis.Iknowthat
…bigones.”Nicolepressedhersexintohishardness.“Let’sstartoverataplacethatwe
bothcanagreeisfantasticbetweenus.”

“Youwon’tquit,willyou?”

“No.Iwon’t.LikeIsaid,wehaveourproblems,butsexhasneverbeenone.Let’sstart

wherewecanagreebecauseIbelievewehavetherestofourlivestoresolveourdifferences.
Andguesswhat?Whenwefixthose,therewillbeahundredmoretopopup.”

Davisreleasedhisholdandsteppedawayfromher.“Nicole,youandIbothknowthat

I’mnogoodforyou.Idroveyoutothisplace.Weshouldheadback.”

Nicolestaredathimindisbelief.“Davis.That’snottrue.”

Hewouldn’tlookather.Hisvoicewasfirm.“YouandIbothknowitis.Look,I’mgoing

backtothehouse.Areyoucoming?”Heheldhishandouttohers.

Shedidn’ttakeit.“I’mnotgoingtoletyoudothis.”

Hedroppedhisarms.“Iguessthatwouldbeano.I’llseeyoubackatthehouse.”

Nicolewatchedhimwalkaway—no—hewasrunningaway.Hewasdoingalotofthat

lately,andsheplannedtoputastoptoit.

CHAPTER25

THIS IS MY LAST NIGHT here on this island. I’mdetermined to convince my husband we
haveachance.

Therewasasoftknockonherdoor.Nicolewalkedoverandopeneditjustacrack.It

wasthehousekeeper,Akela,whowasalsothecookthatDavishiredfortheirstay.“Yes?”

Shesmiled.“Everythingyouaskedforisallset.”

Nicole’sownsmilespreadacrossherface.“Great.So,theSerenityteammadeittothe

airstripokay?”

“Yes.Theywerethrilledtobeabletoleavealittleearlysothattheycouldgethometo

theirfriendsandfamily.”

“Iknowthatfeeling.Ican’twaittoseemyownkidswhenweleaveinacoupleofdays.

Wereyouabletotakecareofmyotherrequest?”

“Yes.Itisallsetaswell,andwe’llpreparetherestonceyou’refinishedwithdinner.”

TherewasatwinkleinNicole’seyes.“AndDavisisnonethewiser?”

“No,ma’am.He’sbeenholedupinhisroomallday.Idon’tthinkhe’scomeouteven

oncesincehecamebackearlier.”

Thatstubbornmanhasbeenhidingfromme,butthistimeit’stomyadvantage.Nicole

keptherthoughtstoherself.“Great.Thanksagain,Akela,forallofyourhelp.”

“It’smypleasure.Areyousureyoudon’tneedanythingelse?”

Nicoleshookherheadno.“Forthemostpart,IthinkI’mallset.But,ifIdo,I’llletyou

know.”Akelanoddedandwalkedbackdownthehall.

Nicole closed the door. She had just a couple of things left to do to get ready for her

evening.Tonightwasgoingtobeoneofthemostimportantnightsofherlife.Therewouldbe
nomorerunningandhiding.Theywouldlayalltheircardsonthetable.Thingscouldgoleft
really quickly, but Nicole was determined not to allow it and to convince her stubborn
husbandnottogiveuponthem.

Itwastimetoputherplaninmotion.

NicolestoodoutsideofDavis’sbedroomdoor.Shewasmorenervousthanshethoughtshe
would be but just as determined. She patted her hair to make sure it was in place, then
smootheddownthestrapless,all-whitecottondressthatcamedowntohermid-calf.Davis
lovedherlegs, and Nicole thought the dress showed off how shapely and toned they were
quitenicely.Alltheyogashehadbeendoingsinceshehadbeenontheislandhadpaidoff.

Nicolefeltsexy,andithadbeenquitesometimesinceshehadfeltthatway.ThedayDavis
hadarrivedNicolehadorderedherdress,thestringbikini,andacoupleofotheritems.They
weredeliveredwiththerestoftheirweeklysupplies.Shehadbeenluckytohavefoundthe
clothesonthemainland.Otherwise,Daviswouldhaveseenherinnothingbutcut-offjean
shortsandt-shirtsfortheentireweek.

Shehadstalledlongenough.Nicoleraisedherhandtothedoorandknocked.Hedidn’t

answerrightaway,butshecouldhearhimmovingaroundontheothersideofthedoor.She
knockedagainonlyharder.

Afterafewmoments,Davisopenedit,wearingapairofboardshortsandholdingat-

shirtinhishands.Hisdirtyblondehairwaswetmakingitlookdarkerthanitsnormalcolor.
Hehadprobablyjustgottenoutoftheshower.

Nicole’s mouth watered, and she swallowed. His muscles were on full display. Those

washboardabsalmostalwaysmadeherweakintheknees.

Theweekhadbeengoodtohimtoo.TheSouthPacificsunhadbronzedhisskin.Davis

pulled his shirt over his head, covering up the masterpiece that was his body. Shetsked.
“Suchashametocoverallthatup.”

“Behave.” Davis was telling Nicole to do something that he wasn’t sure he had the

strengthtodohimself.

She couldn’t hide her smirk. “I will—for now. Anyway, I would like to invite you to

dinner.”

Davis knew Nicole was pulling out all the stops. She was drop dead gorgeous in that

dressandallhewonderedwashowfasthecouldtakeitoff.Histhoughtschanged,andDavis
couldonlyhopethathewouldhavetherighttotakeherclothesoffagain.

Nicolesawit.Themomenttheheatinhiseyescooled.Itwasdisappointing,butshewas

determinedtoreachhim.Hewaspullingawaybecauseofthatcrazyneedtoprotecther.She
wouldn’thaveit.Shedidn’tneedprotecting.Sheneededhim.PERIOD.“Sincewemissed
lunch,Iwantedtoinviteyoutodinner.”

“Dinner?”

“Youdon’thaveanyexcusesnottodinewithmetonight,Mr.Chatham.”Shewaggedher

finger.“Nohidingforyou.”

Daviswastiredofhearinghersaythat.Hescoffedattheidea.“I’magrownassman.I

don’thide.I’mjusttryingtoprotectyou.”

“Thendinnerwithme,tonight,aloneshouldbenoproblem.”

“We’reneverreallyalonehere.”Thatwasactuallyagoodthing.

“Wearetonight.IwasabletoarrangefortheentireSerenityteamtoleaveadayearly.

They are already gone. The only people left on the island are Akela, Raphael, and island
security.”

Thebufferhe’dcometodependonhadleft,andNicolewasdressedlikeawomanona

mission. It was going to be a long night. It was possible that after they talked that she
wouldn’twanttohaveanythingelsetodowithhim.Giventhattonightwasthelastnightthey
wouldbespendingontheisland,Davishadrunoutoftime.Hehadtotellhereverything,
includingthe decisions he had made. “Honestly, dinner would be great. We have a lot to
talkabout.”

The seriousness in his tone was a little unnerving. Nicole’s voice was soft, her

confidenceslippedjustalittle,butsheforgedon.“Okay.Ithoughtitwouldbefuntoeaton
thebeach.”

“Thatsoundsgood.”Shewasdoingherbesttomakethisaromanticevening.Davishad

tokeepheratbayuntiltheydiscussedtheirfuture.

Nicolewidenedhersmile.“Then,ifyou’rehungry,everythingisready.”

“Nicole…”Daviscouldn’tbelieveit.

The butterflies in her stomach grew more intense, and she couldn’t contain her

excitement.“Doesitremindyouofanything?”

Thetarphadbeenreplacedbyatent,but,otherwise,thebeachhadbeentransformed

intoanexactreplicaofwhentheywerestranded,andthenightthattheyhadmadelovefor
theveryfirsttime.Itwasthenighttheirdaughterhadbeenconceived.

Heswallowed.“Youneverceasetoamazeme.”

Nervously, Nicole nibbled on her bottom lip. “I hope to have a chance to do that

forever.”

Davisranhishandsthroughhishair.“Nicole—”

Thereitwasagain—thattone.Shedidn’tlikeit.“Maybeweshouldsitdownandhave

dinnerbeforewetalk.That’sanotherthingthat’salittledifferentthanbefore.Akelamade
an excellent meal.” The food washidden underneath three large silver containers. Nicole
droppedtoherkneesandstaredupintoDavis’seyes.Shereachedherhandouttohim,and
hetookit.Hesatdownontheblanketnexttoher.

She lifted the covers off the food.Akela had outdone herself. Theymarveled over the

meal she had prepared and laughed about the things they’d eaten to stay alive when they
werestranded.Theyfellintoafamiliarcomfortablenessandkepttheconversationeasy.

Nicolewaswistful.“DJhaschangedsomuchinthelastthreemonths.God,Imissthe

kidsandcan’twaittogethome.”

Davishadbeenenjoyinghimself,andthenherwordshomeinstantlysouredthetasteof

thefoodinhismouth.

Shehadn’tnoticedhiseasydemeanorhadchanged.“Thebedsherearegreat,butI’m

lookingforwardtosleepinginmyown.”

The easy smile from moments before vanished. Davis cleared his throat. “A lot has

happenedoverthepastfewmonths.”

“I’msure.But,whateverhappens,wecangetthroughit.Iknowyou’reterrifiedofgoing

toprison,andI’mterrifiedtoo,butI’mstrongenoughtosupportyou.”

“I’mnotgoingtoprison.That’sbeenresolved.”

Hereyeswidened.“What!?”Nicole threw her arms around him. Automatically,Davis

wrappedhisaroundher.Nicole’ssmilecoveredherentireface.“You’vebeenhereaweek
anddidn’ttellmethat!Why?Whathappened?”

He blew out a breath. It was as if he didn’t want to say the words, and Nicole looked

confused. Davis had no choice. He had to bring up the elephant in the room. “Roman.
Romanhappened.”

CHAPTER26

Nicole’sfacefroze.“Roman?W-whywouldhehaveanythingtodowithyourcase?”

“The night we found you, Harlan and his team went through the entire apartment to

removeanytracethatyouhadeverbeenthere—includingtheClarksTowervideo—where
youmetwithsomeoneelse.I’m guessing that’s when you bought the drugs Dana found in
yourpurse.”

Nicole’sface turned crimson, but she would own up to her mistakes. She responded,

sadnessinhervoice.“Iwasverydesperatethatnightandinalotofpain.But,yes.Thatis
whereIgotthem.”

Daviscouldn’thelpbuttouchherinanefforttoeaseherdiscomfort.Heplacedhishand

onherthigh.“Ithappened.Wecan’tignoreit,butIhavefaithinyouandyourrecovery.”

Nicoleplacedherhandontopofhis.“Thankyou.”

Afterbeingfrozeninplace,Davisslowlyremovedhishand.“Harlanalsofoundoutthat

RomanwasamemberofTheLiberationofShebetandwassentheretocompromiseme—
throughyou.”

Nicolewashorrified.“I-Idon’tunderstand.Idon’tknowanythingaboutyourbusiness,

andevenifIdid,Iwouldneverhavetoldhimanythingaboutit.”

“Romanwasgoingtovideotapeyouandhimtogether.Itwastobeusedtocontrolme.If

by some small miracle their money laundering scheme didn’t land me in prison, it was
supposedtobeawaytoshutmeup,tokeepmefromworkingwiththeFeds.”Hisvoicewas
low.“Whodoesn’tknowthatthereisn’tanythingIwouldn’tdoforyou?”

Hiswordswarmedherheart.“Butthemoney?Itdoesn’tmakeanysense.Whywouldhe

givetheAngelFoundationtenmilliondollars?”

“They were trying to tie all of our investments to the Liberation—more insurance for

them.”

Theyweresilent.ThenNicolespoke.“Davis,I’vesaidthisalot,butIcan’ttellyouhow

sorryIamthatIputyouinthatsituation.IwishIcouldtakeitallback.”Sofar,theyhad
talkedabouteverything, except for what really weighed on her mind and heart. Her voice
trembled.“Youmayneverforgivemeforthatnight,butIpromiseI’lldoeverythingIcanto
makeituptoyou.”

“Youdidn’tsleepwithhim.”

Nicolelookedintohiseyes.“What?”

“The video showed that you were passed out from the time he brought you into his

apartmentuntilwearrived.WhateverRoman’splanswere,hehadn’texecutedthemyet.”

Relief swept through her. “Thank, God.” Nicole pressed her lips together and briefly

closedhereyes.“Iknowthatwondering,andthenwatchingthatvideocouldn’thavebeen
easyforyou.Ihavebarelybeenabletostandit.Again,Iamso,sosorryforputtingyouin
thisposition.Ipromiseyouitwillneverhappenagain.”

Hisownguiltwaseatingawayathim.Hehadtotellherthetruth.“Forawhile,Iwasso

angryIcouldn’tseestraight.ButIwouldhavedoneit.Iwouldhavedoneanythingtokeep
youandthekidssafe.Fortunately,you give Braylee Hinsdale a few crumbs to work with,
andshecanmakemagic.HerteamalongwithwhatevershadycharactersHarlanworkswith
wereabletoturnthatsituationaround.Harlanfoundbankrecordsandafewotherthingsin
Roman’sapartment.Themoney he donated to the Angel Foundation and the millions that
werefunneledintothoseoffshoreaccountswerefromthesamesource.HarlanandBraylee
wereabletotracetheoriginallthewaybacktothesourceofthemoney.”Davisgazedupat
thesky.“Thesaying‘followthemoney’hasneverbeentruer.Anyway,Braylee’slawfirmdid
somekindofhocuspocus,andthechargeswerequietlydropped,andmyassetshavebeen
unfrozen.”

“That’s…that’sincredible!Wehaveourlivesback.”

“Sort of. Chatham Industries stock ain’t worth much these days. We might have to

downsizeandputafewpropertiesupforsale.I’mnotaswealthyasIusedtobe.Noteven
close.”

“The island?” Nicole looked around. “Now that you’ve made our private paradise

livable.I’msureitwouldsellforasmallfortune.”

Davispulledhiskneesuptohischestandrestedhiselbowsonthem.Hespokequietly.

“Icouldneversellthisplace.”

“If I had to, I could live with the memories. I never cared about the money, Davis.”

Nicolereachedforhishandandlacedherfingerswithhis.“Ionlyevercaredabouttheman.
So,ifIneedtogetajobtohelpputfoodonthetable,Ihavenoproblemwiththat.Ijust
needyoutotrulyforgivemeandgiveusachance.”

“It’snotyouthatIcan’tforgive.”

“Thenifit’snotme,whyareyouholdingback?”

“It’s me. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt or be in this godforsaken

mess!”Davisgotupandwalkedovertothewater’sedge.Helookedoutoverthejet-black
sea.Ifitweren’tforthetwinklingstarsandthemoon,itwouldhavebeenpitchblack.

Nicolegotupandstalkedovertowherehewas.Shestoodbehindhimandwrappedher

arms around his waist. “Why do you do that? Why do you always take responsibility for

everyoneelse’sactions?Youcan’tcarrytheentireworldonyourshoulders!Iwon’tletyou
carrymyburden.I’mherebecauseIcouldn’tcopewithmylife,andIturnedtodrugs.That
wasn’t on you. That was on me! Stop blaming yourself because you couldn’t save your
parents.”Hisbodystiffened, but Nicole wouldn’t let him go. She held on. “So,what.You
didn’thavealotofthingsthatmoneycouldbuy.ButIbetyouanything…yourmomand
daddidn’tcareaboutthat.Why?Becausetheywererichinthethingsthatmattered—each
other.Takeitfromme;Iknowthedifferencebetweenbeingrichandpoor.Youalsohaveto
stop blaming yourself for what happened to Rayna.” At the mention of his dead sister’s
name, Davis tried to squirm out of Nicole’s embrace; she continued to hold on tight. She
wouldnotlethimgo.“Youwerejustakidyourself.Releaseit,Davis.Letitallgo.It’stoo
muchforanyonepersontocarry.Andyouknowsomethingelse,it’samiracleyouweren’tin
bednexttomeatSerenity.Ifbeingaworkaholic was a treatable disease, you would have
been.That is how you’ve allowed yourself to cope all these years—by working yourself to
death.”

Hesqueezedhiseyesshut.“It’snotthatsimple.Andyouwouldn’tbesoforgivingifyou

knew…everything.”

Thehairsalloverherbodystoodonend.Sheclosedhereyesandpressedhercheekinto

hisback,steelingherselfforwhateverelsethatneededtobesaid.“Tomoveforward,we’ve
gottobehonest.Thatmeansbeingcompletelyhonest.Tellme.”

Everythingwasquietexceptforthemusicalsoundsfromthejungleandthesmallwaves

washingashore.Nicolewaited.

“Icameintoyourlife,andsomanytragicthingshavehappened.”

Nicolekissedthecenterofhisback.“Somanygoodonestoo.”

“Youwerealmostkilledinaplanecrash.”

Sheresponded.“Aswereyou,butitwasthebestthingtoeverhappentome.”

“TheLiberationofShebetalmostkilledyou…twice…becauseofme.”

Nicole had no idea where he was going with his confession but relaxed a little at his

words.“Thereyougoagain,tryingtotakeownershipof something that wasn’t your fault.”
Sheattemptedalittlehumor.“Ifwewanttobeaccurate,theyweretryingtokillyou,notme.
Iwascollateraldamage.”

“Itdoesn’tmatter.Youstillendedupinthehospital,and…”Hisvoicetrailedoff.“It

wasyouthattheytargeted.Youthattheypusheddowntheescalator.”Davisstilled,waiting
fortherealizationofhiswordstohither.

Nicolerelaxedherholdonhiswaistanddroppedherarmstoherside.Thenshestepped

back.“Thatwasjustanaccident.Thatwasnobody’sfault.”

Davis shook his head no. “When Harlan interrogated Roman, he admitted that the

originalplanwastosendmeamessagethroughyou.But,afterhemetyou,hechangedhis
mindandconvincedtheleadersofthatorganizationthatyoucouldbemoreusefulalivethan
dead.Iwasthetarget.Thatiswhyallofthisismyfault.Inordertomakesureyouandthe
kidsstaysafe,wecan’tbetogether.”

Nicolestaredathimforlongmomentswithoutsayingaword.

Davis hadn’t moved—hadn’t even breathed—waiting for her reaction anticipating her

angerandhatred.

Finally,herwordscame.“I’msupposedtoletyouwalkawayfromthekidsandmeover

that?”

Hedidn’tgetthereactionhethought.Itsurprisedhim.“It’snotsafetobearoundme.”

“Piecesofmewoulddiealittleeverydaywithoutyou.”

“Youdon’tmeanthat.”

“Imeaneverysingleword.Iknowthatjustfrombeingawayfromyouthesepastthree

months.”Shesteppedupcloseandplacedherhandsflatonhischestwhilestaringdeeply
intohisemeraldgreeneyes.“ImeantitwhenIsaidIwon’tletyourunawayfromme,or
yourself. I love you, Davis Chatham, and I plan to live a long and happy life with you
—forever.”

Hesearchedhereyesforthetruthbehindherwords.Once he found it, hepulledher

intohisbodyandkissedherlongandhard.

Nicole tore her lips away from his. Her voice was husky. “I’ve been dying to be with

you.”Shesnakedherhandsdownintohisshortsandheldhiminafirmgripthenstrokedhis
cockbackandforth.Somehow,hisshortssliddowntohisfeet.Daviswasalreadycrazywith
desire; her touch was almost too much. Bits of pre-cum oozed out onto her fingers, and
Nicole couldn’t wait to taste it. She dropped to her knees and darted her tongue out for a
sample,butthatwasn’tenough,soshelickedthemilkysubstancecleanoffbeforepulling
himintohermouth.

Davis’smoansweregettinglouderashewrappedherhairaroundhisfistandpulled.It

wastakingasuperhumaneffortnottothrustforwardintothebackofherthroatandmake
lovetohermouth.

WhenNicolegazedupintohisface,thelookofpurepleasurewaswortheverything.She

openedhermouthwiderandslowlypulledhiminchbyagonizinginchintoherwetmouth.

Herheadbegantomovebackandforthasshesuckedthebulbouspartofhim.Sheswirled
her tongue around the head and sucked at theopening.His legs started to shake, and he
couldn’tstophimselffromthrustingforward.Surprisingly,Nicoletookallofhim.Tosteady
herself,sheplacedherhandsonthesidesofhishipsasherotatedthem.

Davis’s body had a mind of its own,andittookover.She felt so good that he pushed

faster and faster.His intensity picked up hitting the back of her throat. He was going to
erupt.Hisvoicewasstrained.“I’mgoingtocum.Ineedtopullout.”

Nicoletightenedhergripandcontinuedtofeastuponhim.Shewasgoingtofinishwhat

she started. When the first bursts of liquid sprayed onto her tongue, Nicole took a deep
breaththroughhernoseandflattenedhertongue.Momentslater,Davisthrewhisheadback
andyelledoutintothedarkness.“Ahhhhhh…”Heemptiedhimselfcompletely,andNicole
swallowedeverysingledrop.

Davisdroppedtohisknees.HewasalmostlevelwithNicolewhenhepulledherdress

over her head and discovered she was completely naked underneath. Her beautiful body
tookhisbreathaway.Gazingather,Daviscouldn’tgethisshirtofffastenough.

Oncetheywerecompletelyundressed,DavispushedNicoleontoherback.Whilewhat

theyhadjustexperiencedwasincredible,itwasnothinglikethefeelingofmovinginsideof
her.He didn’t need any time more to recover. He was hard, thick, and ready to do some
damage.Daviskissedherwithafierceurgency.

Nicolewrappedherarmsaroundhisneckandheldontight.Shespreadherlegswideas

he positioned himself at her opening. She was desperate for him. “We’ve waited long
enough.”

Hehadn’tmadelovetohiswifeinmonths.Itwasimpossibleforhimtogetanyharder.

Nicolewaslaidoutbeforehimlikeatastytreat.

“Iwantyousomuch,”hewhisperedintoherear.

Nicole had dreamed of this for so long that she grabbed his hip to urge him on. She

groundintohim,andthistimetherewerenobarriers.

Nicole was breathless and could barely speak. “I can’t wait any longer, Davis. Please

makelovetome.”HethrustdeeplyintoNicole.Thepleasureforbothofthemwasinsane.
Davisknewhewouldn’tbeabletotakehistimeespeciallywhenherbodyheldontohim
likeaglove.

Once he was inside … their bodies took over. He pumped and thrust and thrust and

pumpedintoherchannel.TheirlovemakingwassopowerfulthateverytimeDavisplunged
intoher,herbodyliftedoffthesand.Nicolescreamedouthisnameoverandover.

Davisfelthisorgasmbuilding,buthewasprayinghecouldholdoutuntilshecame.The

sweatfromtheirbodieswasdrippingallover.

Nicole tried her best to hold on. Moments later, her body exploded, and her muscles

spasmedandclenchedaroundhim.

“Davis … I … oh … my … god. I’m coming!” Davis felt tighten around him, and,

secondslater,heexperiencedthebestreleaseofhislife.

NicolewasbreathlessasshelayinthecrookofDavis’sarm.

Hestrokedherhairashetriedtocatchhisbreath.

Shesighedcontentedly.“YouknowIwasthinking.”

Davisremainednestledbetweenherthighs.Hehadn’tfeltthiscarefreeinyears.“What

about?Anotheramazingroundwithme?”Hisbitdownlightlyontheslopeofherneck.

Nicoleraisedherkneesuptohishipsandmoanedasshepressedherslickheatontohis

hardness.“Definitelythat,butIwasthinking…I’mallforrecreatingourtimeontheisland
whenwewerestranded,butsomethingsIcandowithout.”

Hekissedheronthelips.“Likewhat?”

Shemussed.“Like…Ireally don’t like sand in my ass. Can we go in the house and

makeloveinthebedlikecivilizedpeople?”

Davisthrewhisheadbackandroaredwithlaughter.“I’llmakelovetoyouwheneverand

whereveryouwant.”

Nicolepushedgentlyonhisshoulder,andDavismovedgettingupfromofftheground.

Hewascompletelynakedandunashamedtoletitallhangout.HehelpedNicoletoherfeet.
Shewascompletelynakedtoo.Davislookedatherwitharenewedhungerinhiseyes.

Therewasasparkleinhereyesandsomethingelsethathadn’tbeenpresentinawhile

—joy.“Ifwedon’thurryandgetinside,we’regoingtoendupgivingAkelaandRaphaela
freakshow.”

Feelinglighterthanhe’dfelthisentirelife,Davisgrinned.“Thenyoubetterrunbecause

I’mnotsureifIcanwaituntilwegettoabed.”

Nicole could see that he was serious and took off running across the beach in all her

nakedglorywithDavisrightonherheels.

EPILOGUE

NICOLE SAT ON THE PASSENGER side of the drop-top convertible. The wind was
whippingthroughherhair,andshewasgoingtochewherbottomlipoff.Daviswasdriving
andcouldseehownervousshewas.He reached out and caressed her bottom lipwithhis
thumb.“I love your lips. But, if you keep doing what you’re doing to them, I won’t have
anythingtonibbleon.”

Nicolerealizedwhatshewasdoingandimmediatelystopped.“I’msonervous.Ihaven’t

seenmybabiesinthreemonths.”

“Noneedtobenervous.Theyarejustasexcitedtoseeyouasyouarethem.”

“Ijustpraythatmytimeawaydoesn’tleavelastingscars.”

“Yourbeingawayhasmadeyouabetterwoman.Ican’tseehowthatdoesn’ttranslate

intomotherhood.Iknowit’shadagreateffectonme.”

“Thankyouforthatandforextendingourstayhereforanothercoupleofweeks.Iwant

DJandRaynatoshareinourhappinessandthere-birthofourmarriage.”

“I want that too.” Davis’s satellite phone rang. He answered it, and the voice came

throughthespeakersofthecar.“Davis.”

“Oh. My. Gawwd! Have you seen the news? Of course, you haven’t. Have you been

online?”

DavislookedoveratNicole.Sheblushed.Ifitrequiredgettingoutofbed,theyhadn’t

donemuchoverthepastcoupleofdays.“Can’tsaythatIhave.Why?What’sup?”

“Didanyofyourlawyerstrytocallyou?”

“There are a couple of messages on my phone. Iignoredthem.Look, Jane, if it’s bad

news,itcanwaituntilwe’rebackstateside.Nicoleand I are on our way to the airstrip to
pickupthekidsandTeena.”

Janewasburstingwithexcitement.“It’snotbadnewsatall.It’sfreakingfantastic!”

“Okay,thenspillit.We’repullinguptotheairfield.Idon’thavemuchtime.”

Janesoundedasifshewasgoingtohyperventilate.“Okay…okay.Thelatestpatentfor

yourartillerytechnologywasapproved.Ithitthenewstodaywithallkindsofglowingstories
that you were working undercover with the US government to bring down one of the most
heinousterrorist’s groups in modern history, The Liberation of Shebet! Chatham Industry
stockisgoingthroughtheroof!”

“What?”Daviswasstunned.SowasNicole.“Howisthatpossible?”

“Idon’tknow.Ihavenoideabutbeforethecrisishitstockforthecompanywasselling

at$124ashare.Thenitdroppedallthewaydownto$12ashare.Asofthisphonecall,itis
sellingatawhopping$209ashare!”

“You’rekidding.”

“No,Iamnot.And,Ididn’ttellyouthis,butwhenitdroppedtoitslowestdollarvalue,I

boughtbackmoreshares.IalwayshadfaithinyouthatonedayChathamwouldriseagain.
Youarethemajorityshareholderofseventy-fourpercentofyourcompanynow!”

“Idon’tbelieveit!”

“Believeit!”Fromhersideofthecall,Janefannedherself.

Nicolejoinedintheconversation.“That’sincredible.”

“Isn’tit?IneverthoughtIwasasavvybusinesswomanbutfillinginforDavishasme

rethinkingafewthings.Waitmyotherlineisringing.”

“Ijusttoldmysisterwewerepullinguptotheairstrip,andsheputmeonhold.”

“Yep.Shedid.But,c’mon.Thisisfabulousnews!”

Jane’svoicepoppedbackontheline.“Sorry.Thatwasyourattorney.Brayleesaidtotell

you…thepresswasallher.Shemadeacoupleofcalls,and,inlieuofaformalapology
fromourgovernment,yourpatentwasapprovedandthatyou’rewelcome.”

“I’llcallherfirstthingtomorrow.”

“Okayguys,I’mheadingofftoameeting.Enjoyyourtimeaway—youbothdeserveit.”

Davishungup.HeknewNicolehadlefttheconversationthemomenttheplanecame

into view. If she could have hopped out of the car as it rolled to a stop, she would have.
However,hewasgratefulitwas almost at a standstill before she opened the door and ran
towardRaynaandDJ.

TheywerestandingnexttotheplanewhenRaynaspottedNicole.Shetookoffinasprint

towardhermom.DJprobablywouldhavetooifTeenahadn’tbeenholdinghimonherhip.
Hewassquirmingandreachingout.

Nicolecouldn’tgettoherkidsfastenough.Sheranasfastasherlegscouldcarryher.It

wasashortdistancebutseemedtotakeforever.Finally,shemadecontact.Nicoledropped
down to Rayna’s level and hugged her tight. Rayna did the same. She wrapped her arms
aroundhermotherastheybothcriedineachother’sarms.

NicolerainedkissesalloverRayna’sfaceandcheeks.“Imissedyousomuch.”

Throughhertears,sheresponded.“Imissedyoutoo,mommy.Imissedyousomuch.”

Nicole shook her head from side to side. “I promise I will never leave you like that

again.”

TeenainchedcloseenoughforDJ’sshortlegstorunovertoo.“Mom…Ma!”

Nicole pulled back enough to pick DJ up and sit him on her lap without ever letting

Raynago.Hewassandwichedin-betweenthem.Sherainedkissesalloverhimaswell.“I
loveyousomuch.Imissedyouevenmore.”Thereweretears…moretears…andhugsand
kisses.

Davis stood back and watched his family. He must have been out of his mind to

contemplateeverleavingthem.Hewatchedthereunionofhiskidsandwifebeforejoining
in. Davis wrapped his strong arms around them. Nicole looked up with watery eyes and
smiled.Hereturnedit.“This,Mrs.Chatham,ourfamily,istheonlythingthatreallymatters.
Thankyouforteachingmethat.”

“Iloveyou.”

“Iloveyoutoo.”

Eyeswet,Raynalookedatherparents.“Iloveyouboth.”

Davistappedheronthenose.“Really?”

“Yes,daddy.”

Davisgottohisfeet.Histhroatthick.“RememberthatpromiseImadetoyou,Rayna?”

HehelpedNicoletoherfeetbecauseDJwasholdingontoherfordearlife.

Raynalookedconfused.“Ipromisedyoupancakes.”

Hereyeswidened.“You’regoingtocookthem?”

Theywalkedbackarminarmtowardthecar.“Yep.”

“Whatkind?”

“I was thinking strawberry today, blueberry tomorrow, banana the day after that, and

thenwe’llhavetogetreallycreative.”

Nicolereplied,“That’salotofpancakes.”

“IpromisedRaynapancakeseverydayfortherestofherlife,andawisewomanonce

toldmenottomisstoomanymoments.IplantomakeupfortheonesImissedandenjoythe
onestocome.Eachandeveryoneofthem.”

THANKYOU

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