US '

ring this meeting. I need to be sure. There's no

know what he wants to say, because he has been repeating the

should do it," I say,

s his thick eyebrows and shakes his head

don't think I ha

eing as he's charging me a fortune for his legal advice. This is not just about me,

not you. Like I always say, I'm only her

wears the expression of someone w

d together for years now, we're also friends. And as a friend, Marcus ge

chuc

funny?" M

uched that you care ab

ghing. At least he's not

you, even if I'm married. So there's no ne

" Marcus shakes

ou're still my friend. Could it be that you

nt. Dumb-ass." Marcus's expression turns seri

I can't tell him I've never thought abou

ost got y

er dad, but he wasn't going to actually kill me had he found out. Dads just say

ven you actual death threats, which suggests that maybe something's wrong with you. But that

about

t Todd?" I

e leak came from a few possible sourc

e. "And even if she was the source of the lea

ings could've happened. A lot of things have happened, actually. In al

the pre-nup airtight. That's wh

hat's only in the movies. I can't fucking believe you're act

l rethink this. At least, after you see her t

as I do that there's no time

Daniella some other

't think I

ou, but damn, I can't believe you'

altruistic. This girl I'm

name again?"

repeat that name like a mantra in my head all the time, I don't often actually s

he's coming here for

nically a j

he doesn't know the ex

d a chance to

find you anyway

one found her, and referred

t know about the hist

We dated for, like, one

y ethical or professional, t

on't c

person who found

ey helped her get set up in the city. They even gave her a bag

family used to com

Fuck, I'd respect the hell out of them, too. So much

ouldn't have met wh

you do for

he clean-up crew, at the very beginning."

p' mean what I

getting rid of dead bo

a sick motherf

protest. "All I did was scoop up

d to give me a

nteresting. Did you know that when someone di

gone through my whole life without knowing that, and

telling Marcus some disgusting stories from my past, if it

receiver. I don't like to take a call in the mi

s, D

ut you told me to call you immedi

She's here?" I ask, adren

l got me nervous. But Alice's different. My heart wil

the waiting room rig

ly ass on my couch while she thumbs through one of my glossy m

o let him know what's happening. From his nod,

ould be a completely different person than the one I remember

ere. Either way, I'll find out for myself soon. I'm excited-I can't deny it. I've

owning her, keeping her safe from the world, and from the men who want to h

for me to do something. But I'm not invit

s," Marcus says as he gets up. "But do me a favor and make

kno

ks, and I'm stil