Page 96 of Wilde In His Arms

“And you won’t take anyone I care about from me.This is done between us.”

Lopez nodded.“So long as you stay out of my life and business from now on.”

“I have better things to do.”

“And I have bigger battles to wage, so I better not find out that you’re still digging into me.”

“Not me.But the FBI will until they’re satisfied there aren’t more children out there under your thumb.I’ll have the paperwork delivered to your attorney.”

Lopez’s decisive nod ended their discussion.

Nick and Mason walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.For Nick, it felt like closing the door on the case and his past and finally stepping into his future.

Mason dropped his big hand on Nick’s shoulder and squeezed.“It’s over.”

“Thank God.”

Mason asked the question Nick was asking himself.“Do you think Lopez will keep to his end of the bargain?”

“I have to believe, somewhere in his cold heart, he said yes because he truly loved his sister and mother.So, yeah, I think he’ll back off now.”But he’d be ready to defend and protect those he loved if Lopez came after them again.“It’s not like we won’t be on guard in our line of work.In his world, his word means something, so I think we’re safe.”

He wouldn’t bet his life, or the lives of the ones he loved, on it, but he wasn’t going to obsess over it either.

He was going to live his life to the fullest now, because he had so much to live for.Aria.His family and hers.The children they hoped to have soon.

They were going to be happy and together.

Nick tilted his head toward the door.“Let’s go.”Nick led Mason to the room where Aria and Lyric had watched them talk to Javier.

They stepped inside and found Aria and Lyric sitting close together, so Stacy could see both of them in the call screen.

“So he’s really locked up for good?”Stacy stared back from her foster home, earnest and hopeful.

“Yes,” Aria and Lyric said at the same time.

“He won’t ever hurt you again,” Aria assured her.

“But how?”Stacy asked.

Nick didn’t hesitate and said, “Aria took him down, then punched him in the face for hurting you.”

Stacy’s eyes went wide.“You did?Wow.”

“I did it for you, sweetheart.I did it for us.”Aria looked up at him, her heart in her eyes.

“And you’re going to come and visit me, right?”

“Yes,” Aria assured her.“Nick and I will be there tomorrow.”

Nick left Aria with her sister and Stacy and pulled Mason into the hallway.If they were going to adopt Stacy, he needed to marry Aria soon.

He turned to his brother.“Want to go shopping with me?”

Mason looked like he’d rather do anything but that.

Nick raised a brow at him and smirked.

Mason quickly caught on.“Yeah.Let’s go shopping.”

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