Page 77 of Charity's Redemption

“Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you.”

“I love you, Nico.”

“I love you too.” I pressed my lips to hers, drinking her in before picking up my briefcase.

Leaving her on the front porch as she watched me brought about a sense of domestication I didn’t realize I had been missing until now. I smiled before sliding into my seat as she waved goodbye and returned my smile.

God, she was beautiful. Even with all the abuse she’d taken the last few months, she still shined like the north star, leading me to paradise where I’d find her waiting for me.

My phone rang through my car speakers as I pulled onto the road towards my office.

“Hello?”

“Nico?” a female voice responded.

“Yes, who is this?”

“Adelaide.”

I swallowed hard from the anticipation. I’d waited almost an entire month for her to call me back after leaving voicemails and sending texts. Hell, I even hired a P.I. to find her, but no luck.

“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you.”

“I’ve been… busy. Listen, I don’t have much time. Just know it’s done. That’s all I can tell you.”

“Okay, so how—”

The speakers beeped, then announced the call had ended.

I redialed the phone number. When it rang repeatedly with no voicemail, I hung up. “Shit.”

By the time I pulled into my parking space, I no longer burned with anger from Charity’s words, and the worry that ate at my core disappeared.

If Adelaide said she erased the DNA evidence from the lab, then I’d have no reason not to believe her. However, if she wanted to get paid for it, she’d need to get back in contact with me. I wouldn’t go chasing her down to make a payment.

I brushed past Martha’s desk after a long elevator ride up that had me thinking of Charity. “How was your anniversary date?”

“It was lovely. Thank you so much for the dinner. We couldn’t have planned it better ourselves.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Do I have any messages?”

I opened my office door as she followed. “Yes. An Officer Parker left a message, telling you to return his phone call. It was urgent.” Parker was a beat cop on our payroll. “I have the Private Investigator’s report on Nash’s girlfriend.”

Sitting down at my desk, she placed a large envelope on the table with the name of the agency I’d hired written on the front.

One of my professors offered me the best piece of advice while I was in law school. ‘If you want to be a good defense attorney, you need to have a good offense.’ That meant, learn everything you could about the plaintiff and use it against them. Point out every character flaw they own and twist it until it paints them in the worst light possible. You want to make the jury question their motives even if they had none in the first place.

“Thank you, Martha.”

“You’re welcome. Let me know if you need anything else.”

I picked up my office phone and dialed Officer Parker from the note left on my desk.

“Hello, give me one second please,” he said.

I sat quietly, listening to the muffled commotion in the background, sounding like a Yankee stadium from a distance.

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