Page 89 of Best Laid Plans

Nina laughed. "So is Savannah, darlin', a real small town that thrives on gossip."

My conversation with Nova didn't go as well as it did with Nina.

She glared at me when I came into her office. Everyone in Savannah Lace gave me a stink eye. It was common knowledge that their darlin' Nova had been arrested for a crime committed by my ex-fiancée, who had framed her. Diego was right, my life right now was a freaking soap opera.

Bailey had called several times, texted, and sent a message through Alma—I'd ignored them all. I'd made way too many mistakes in my past. Bailey wasn't the biggest one, but she was in the top three.

"Nina, is okay with you setting the Larue Homes Savannah office here?" Nova was incredulous.

"I'm quite persuasive." I settled into the office chair across from her.

She put her hands on her desk as if bracing herself. "What're you tryin' to achieve here, Anson?"

"I'm tryin' to win my woman back."

She rolled her eyes. "Your woman? What is this, the freakin' nineteenth century?"

"No, Sugar, it's 2024, but it doesn't change a thing about me wanting to be with my woman, which, in case you were unaware, is you."

She rolled her eyes again.

She was in a white dress with red poppies scattered over it. Her shoes were black stiletto pumps with a red bow on the side. Her hair was in a slouchy ponytail. Her lipstick matched the poppies, and her eyes were wide because she'd done something to them to make them look dark and smokey and fucking gorgeous.

I wanted to pull her up on her desk, sit where I was, open her up, and taste her. I so badly wanted to have the privilege of doing that, of having her smile at me affectionately, of her calling me honey.

"We came to a good place that night in my cabin," I spoke softly.

"Yeah, and the next day I was arrested…again, thanks to your fiancée."

"Ex."

"Whatever."

Diego had given her all the details of what went down. He'd taken great pleasure in telling me that.

Her phone rang, and she frowned at the name of the caller before taking the call. "Lemon?"

My heart beat a little faster. Lemon Goodwin, I'd learned, was the toughest lawyer this side of the river, and Beau had hired her for Nova.

As Nova listened to what was being said, she went pale.

I went to her side of the desk and crouched next to her, my hand holding her free one. She let me.

"I…I don't understand," she whispered.

She put the phone down after a minute and looked at me, her eyes wide with fear and relief.

"What's up, Sugar?"

"Raymond Carre is dead. He…ah…he got into a fight with…another inmate, and he died."

I kept my face clear of emotion though I was shocked as fuck. Beau had been serious. This could not be a coincidence. Beau Bodine was a fucking dangerous man. He'd had the man who hurt his sister murdered in cold blood. I was certain there would be no proof of his involvement.

"Oh God, Anson, he's dead." Her eyes filled with tears, and I understood, finally, the impact of what Carre had done to her. Since that day, she'd been afraid he'd come back, and his ghost lived rent-free in her head. With him gone, she'd be able to heal.

I didn't believe in murder. I didn't believe in the death penalty. But I was glad Carre was gone. I should buy Beau a bottle of something good.

I stood up and pulled her into my arms, held her close as she let herself feel the relief and probably the guilt that came with being happy about a man dying.

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