Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
JULIET
“Can we just do this every day? Sex and cuddles? Like why do we have to work? Let’s retire now so we can actually enjoy it, you know?” We’re back on the couch, and I’m totally clinging to my man, running my hand over his chest.
“I’m down for that,” Brooks replies. “I mean, we’ll eventually go broke, but we can live on love.”
I smirk, and his fingers ghost over the shell of my ear, making me shiver.
“I’m donating the rest of Justin’s money.”
His eyebrows climb in surprise, but he’s quiet, letting me continue.
“You never said anything before about being mad or not wanting to use the money that I inherited for the house, or for our lifestyle, but I could tell that you didn’t love the idea.”
“I’d rather not use anything that came from him,” he admits. He’s not angry, but he stiffened up a bit, and I don’t like that.
“I’ve always felt the same way,” I reply with a sigh.
“I hated using that money. Well, not the money from the sale of the house. I had no problem using that to start my business. To buy the building and get everything going. But the cash? It always gave me the icks. Connor had a good point when he said that money isn’t personal, and I was grateful that I had it for the repairs on the building after the flood.
I was able to pay my staff, so they didn’t have to find other jobs while we were closed. ”
“Then keep the money, baby.”
I press my lips together, watching him. “I’m going to keep one million in an account specifically for the business. In case I have a down year or another catastrophe happens. Things like that.”
“For emergencies,” he says.
“Yeah. I like the idea of having a cushion. But honestly, I make enough at the restaurant to draw a decent wage for myself. I don’t need his money.”
“I make good money, too, you know. And we’re married, so my money is your money.”
“That’s just it. We do so well together.
Just you and me. I don’t want to bring what he left me into our relationship.
He doesn’t deserve that. He wasn’t kind to you.
Hell, he wasn’t nice to me. And he would go absolutely ballistic if he knew that I planned to give the money to a women’s shelter for domestic violence victims in Seattle. ”
I grin up at him.
“One last fuck off to him, then?” Brooks asks.
“It’s a perk. But also, that money would just sit because I don’t plan to spend it. It should do some good somewhere. I need you to know that I choose you and your feelings, what you need, always. You’re my priority. Our beautiful life together is my priority.”
He’s watching me with so much emotion running through those dark eyes, and then he’s framing my face and kissing the hell out of me.
“I love you,” I tell him.
“I love you, too.”
Suddenly, the doorbell rings, and Brooks kisses my forehead before he stands to answer it. I crane my neck around to see who it is, surprised when I see Chad standing there.
“Hi, Brooks,” Chad says, and then smiles over at me. “Sorry to interrupt you both at home, but Jules and I have been playing phone tag, and I was in the neighborhood.”
“Come in,” Brooks says, gesturing him inside. “Have a seat. Do you need anything?”
“No, thanks. How are you feeling, Jules?”
“I’m getting there,” I tell him with a smile. “Are you going out with Ava tonight?”
“Yeah, I’m picking her up from work in a bit, but I thought I’d stop here first. I have news.”
I lean forward, and Brooks sits next to me, taking my hand.
“You know, it’s interesting,” I say as a thought occurs to me.
“I just realized that I haven’t heard from Nadine in a couple of weeks.
All of the emails just stopped. I’ve been so busy with reopening the restaurant, and then the accident and everything going on, that I didn’t think about it.
The restraining order must have worked.”
“That’s the thing,” Chad says, leaning forward and frowning. “There hasn’t been a restraining order. Jules, did you ever meet this Nadine Smith in person?”
“No. I didn’t have a funeral for Justin, and there was never a reason to meet her. Daniel said I didn’t have to.”
He nods slowly. “But you did meet Daniel in person?”
“Sure, of course. Several times throughout the years. He and Justin would drift apart and then come back together, the way some friends do. You know, you get busy with stuff, and don’t talk to your friend for a while, and then you’re like, ‘Hey! We should play golf,’ or whatever.”
Chad’s nodding again.
“What’s going on, Chad?” Brooks asks.
“Well, after the state failed to send me any information on a trust set up for Nadine, I called them and was informed that no trust exists. At least, not in the state of Washington.”
My mouth drops. “Uh, but—”
“Then I did some digging in the bank account you gave me information on. The one that was set up for this. It’s not a trust account either. It’s just a regular checking account, but it only has your name on it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Frankly, it’s a fucking mess,” Chad says.
“Are you saying that Nadine doesn’t exist?” Brooks asks.
“She does exist,” I counter. “Justin wrote all about her in the journals I found. He was OCD about writing everything down. His manipulation of me, how he got me to marry him, and then the women he screwed around with. Nadine’s name was listed.”
“Well, she may exist somewhere, and he might have fooled around with her, but he never left her any money as far as I can tell,” Chad replies, and all I can do is stare at him.
“I suspect that Daniel was committing a huge amount of fraud by falsifying the trust, making you sign papers that weren’t actually Justin’s wishes, and taking you for a ride.
He couldn’t access Justin’s money directly because his name wasn’t on any of the accounts, but you could.
So he made up a false trust and was getting a shit ton of money from you every month. ”
“I’m going to fucking ruin him,” Brooks growls next to me.
“He should be arrested,” I add. “Jesus, he should be in jail for this.”
That man made my life a living fucking hell!
“That’s the other thing, Jules.” Chad clears his throat and then pulls his hand down his face. “When I started making inquiries about the trust and requested information from him, Daniel must have panicked because just a few days later, he was found dead in his office.”
Brooks’s arm immediately wraps around me, and I close my eyes.
Shit.
Shit.
“That’s why I haven’t heard from Nadine.”
“Yeah.” I open my eyes and see Chad nodding. “That’s why. It was all a scam, Jules. You were never the trustee for your late husband’s mistress. And the fact that Daniel made you feel that, and live it, is so despicable, I can’t even. I’m sorry.”
I shake my head and let all of this news soak in.
I don’t have to pay Nadine another dime.
Daniel might have been a bigger piece of shit than Justin.
“I hate that he killed himself.” I clear my suddenly tight throat. “Because he should have paid for what he did. He should have owned up to it.”
“I agree,” Chad says, and Brooks squeezes my shoulder.
“But also, this all means that I’m free from that nightmare.”
A smile spreads over Chad’s face. “You’re right. The money in that account is yours. No one is going to abuse or manipulate you again.”
“No, they won’t,” Brooks agrees.
“Chad, if I want to gift the majority of all of the money to a charity, or non-profit, do I need an attorney for that?”
His eyebrows climb into his hairline.
“No, you just need a checkbook or a wire transfer.”
I nod, and then Brooks helps me stand, and I cross over to shake Chad’s hand.
“Thank you for all of your work. Just send me a bill—”
“Nah, this one was on the house. This might be my most interesting case to date. And I hate that he fucked with you like that. You’ve been through enough. Just enjoy your life, Jules.”
He shakes Brooks’s hand, and then he lets himself out. Brooks and I sit down again, cuddled up together in the silence.
“I don’t know what to say,” I whisper.
“How do you feel?” he asks.
“Oh, my leg is—”
“No, baby. How’s your heart doing?”
I let out a breath and look up at him. “It feels lighter. I hate how Daniel chose to go out. You know that.”
“I know. And I’m sorry.” He kisses my forehead.
“But it’s a relief to know that it’s over. It’s time to move on, Brooks. With you. I want our family. Our big, loud, crazy family. And I want babies. I want to watch our kids play in our backyard and go camping at the river. I’m where I’m supposed to be, right by your side.”
“You’re right where you belong, Wildfire. And we’re going to have all of that and more.”
“I can’t wait.”