Chapter 14
Chris
Inever really understood the concept of a fuck it moment until now.
But, then again, maybe I’ve embraced that a little more than I realized from the second I laid eyes on Lily. And now, sitting here in her kitchen, where the catastrophic events occurred that led her to me, I’m very much leaning into this feeling. We can figure out the rest later.
Lily shakes her head, her brow furrowed.
“Chris, I really appreciate the offer. But really, I don’t want to inconvenience you more than I already have.
I’ve already taken up so much of your time this week.
And now you’re here with me instead of doing whatever you usually do with your evenings.
I can’t in good conscience intrude any more on your life. ”
She’s so cute that she thought that was an offer. If I can’t get her to agree, I’ll be at home, not sleeping, worrying about whether someone’s coming after her.
I need to reassure her that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
I try to soften my tone as much as I can.
“I wasn’t doing anything except sitting at home working, so you didn’t interrupt anything.
And as for tonight, I’m not trying to be a bossy asshole, but you need to pick one.
For my own peace of mind, I need to make sure nothing happens to you. ”
Her head tilts as she studies me for a moment, a swirl of emotion in her eyes reflecting back at me. Finally, her lips twitch into a meek smile. “Okay, thank you. I’ll stay with you, since I’m sure the hotel is getting expensive.”
Before I can say anything more, the doorbell alerts us to what I assume is the arrival of the police. I stand to go let them in and escort them to the kitchen. After some curt greetings, Lily recounts what happened earlier in the evening and sends them a copy of the video.
Neither seems particularly interested, which is frustrating.
They act as if they have no idea what happened here just a few days prior.
After informing us that they’re pretty sure the person is long gone, they walk the property to look for anything suspicious.
Knowing there’s very little chance they’ll actually find anything, I can’t help but feel disappointed when they tell us as much.
We’re told they’ll file the report and send it to me when it’s complete. I’m not convinced they’ll do much to investigate, since there isn’t much to go on and the man’s face is completely concealed in the video, but at least it’s on the record.
When we’re alone again, I ask, “Do you have everything you need?”
She pushes the stool back and stands. “Let me just grab a few things. My suitcase is by the door.”
I nod. “I’m assuming you’ll want to take your car so you have it?”
“Yeah. That way, I can stop paying for rides.”
My stomach twists. I would’ve much preferred to be the one acting as her personal chauffeur, but that was one argument I couldn’t seem to win when I brought it up.
“Alright, go get whatever else you need. I’ll load your suitcase into my car.”
Once she disappears out of sight, I suck in a deep breath. Relief and an odd nervousness are taxing my body. Lily will be safe because she’s with me, but having her so close is going to test my self-control like nothing has before.
But I’m a goddamn professional. One of the best attorneys in the state, according to some. All I’m doing is going above and beyond in order to help my client. That’s all this is.
I continue repeating my newfound mantra to myself until we step out of the elevator and into the hall leading to my condo. Unlocking the door, I push it open, indicating to Lily to go in ahead of me.
She walks inside, looking around, then smiles over her shoulder at me. “I always wondered what the inside of this building looked like every time I would pass by. This is gorgeous.”
Pride fills me. I didn’t become a lawyer to make a ton of money.
That was never my goal. But coming from humble beginnings, I’ve certainly enjoyed the ease in life that having a lot of money brings.
This condo was the first thing I bought after my income increased substantially, and it was the first thing that made me feel like I’d made it.
The inside is large and expansive, with high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows across the far wall, the city lights twinkling below us.
My furniture is simple, but expensive. Everything’s clean and tidy, with minimal decorations, per my instructions to my interior decorator.
A meow and a surprised gasp pull my attention back to Lily. Hank’s rubbing shamelessly against her legs, begging for attention, as if he hasn’t been the sole focus of my life for the last five years.
“You have a cat?”
I laugh at how shocked Lily sounds. “Yeah, found him outside my law firm a few years ago. It was the middle of winter, so I decided to take him in just long enough to get him fed and to a shelter. But the little asshole decided he didn’t want to leave.
So here we are.” I walk into my kitchen. “His name is Hank.”
Lily squats down, petting Hank, and he just eats up the affection. Something about seeing them together makes my heart feel weird. Scooping him up, she stands, clutching him to her chest as he nuzzles into her neck.
“Aw, little Hank. You’re so adorable. Who knew such a grump like your dad would have the world’s sweetest cat?”
I chuckle and roll my eyes. If Mandi were here, she’d probably high-five Lily. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s a pain in the ass.”
Lily snuggles him tighter into her luscious body and, suddenly, I’m jealous of a cat.
“Hank, I’ll never believe him,” she murmurs into his fur before setting him down. Hank stays at her feet, patiently waiting for more attention.
“Did you eat?” I ask.
She nods. “I grabbed something at the hotel before I went to the house.”
“Do you want something to drink? I have water, soda, wine, and bourbon.” I pull open the fridge. “Some possibly expired milk.”
That pulls another smile out of her. “A glass of wine would be great.”
“Have a seat on the couch. I’ll grab us some drinks.”
She turns away and walks the few feet to the couch, Hank right on her heels. I hurry and grab our drinks before joining her. My lips lift into a smile when I see Lily sitting cross-legged, Hank curled up on her lap, purring away.
Handing her the wine, I take the far side of the couch. “Sorry about your pants. You’re going to be covered in hair in no time.”
She shrugs my comment away as she stares down at her newly acquired admirer. “I don’t mind at all. I love animals. Getting covered in hair is worth it.”
I take a sip of bourbon as I watch her, then ask, “I assume you didn’t have any pets because of Blake? Obviously, I didn’t know him, but from what I’ve learned, he didn’t seem like the kind who would enjoy having one around the house.”
Sighing, she rolls out her neck. Not that it lessens her beauty, but I can see the stress lining her features.
“Yeah, he didn’t like animals. And even if he had okayed it, I probably wouldn’t have gotten one. I don’t think I could have trusted him with them. Not that he would’ve hurt them necessarily, but he would’ve been neglectful at the very least.”
Lily looks so serene, curled up on my couch, loving on my cat. I can’t help but think, for the hundredth time, what a fucking idiot Blake was to miss what he had.
I take another sip, letting the alcohol dull the anger I feel toward a man who doesn’t deserve a second thought. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you two meet?”
“It was the classic story of the older, rich man coming into the young, poor girl’s work and wooing her.”
I don’t say anything and wait for her to continue.
“I was twenty-two when we met. I’d just graduated from college and hadn’t found a marketing job, so I was working as a waitress in a restaurant in downtown Seattle.”
“Is that where you’re from? Seattle?”
Lily nods, clearly lost in memories. “Yeah, I grew up in the suburbs right outside the city. Anyway, Blake started coming in all the time and requesting my section. And eventually, he convinced me to go out with him. Then marry him. Then he moved us here a year after we were married.”
Needing to know, but also concerned I won’t like the answer, I ask, “Was your relationship ever good?”
She’s quiet for a few moments before she tells me, “I thought so in the beginning. But looking back, I just thought it was good because I didn’t know any better.
And what I thought was Blake being nice was really him not being an asshole.
” She holds up her pointer finger to accentuate her statement. “Which are two very different things.”
“And when did it start getting bad?” Another question I need to know the answer to, but I know it is going to piss me off.
Lily lets out a heavy breath and takes a sip of her wine. “Right before we moved here. Then it started to get worse. In addition to the physical abuse, there was a lot of him yelling at me or insulting me. Or not talking to me at all.”
I take a few moments to study her. She was able to cover the bruises pretty well, but I can see a hint of their color coming through under her makeup.
“Not to speak ill of the dead, but he sounds like a huge fucking prick.”
The small but genuine laugh that escapes her makes me smile. “Sadly, I can’t argue with you there.”
Neither of us says anything for a few moments, then I ask, “If you had to guess, what do you think that person wanted?”
The chance of Lily knowing the shady things her husband was doing is probably slim, but I’m curious to know what she thinks.
She shakes her head and confirms my assumption. “To be honest, it could be anything. I have no idea about what he did, professionally or personally.”
Nodding, I consider the options. I highly doubt that just because they were careless and almost got caught tonight that they’ll give up and never come back.