Page 84 of Bloom: Part 2

“It’s a small one anyway,” I said. I didn’t want to take this away from Bloom, not after I’d promised to make him my husband and give him my name. “We can even have it at the clubhouse. That reverend friend of yours should be able to officiate, can’t he?”

“I can ask, but I’m sure he won’t say no. In the meantime, you two shouldn’t go off alone,” Grimm said. “Ben’s taken on security work. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind shadowing you.”

“And we’ll pick up the slack when he can’t,” Crowe said. “Sarge was about to leave, but I’ll ask him to stay on for a bit. This is the kind of thing he’s good at.”

Bodyguards. Fuck. I hadn’t needed one since I got rid of the Agosti name. These men didn’t even know me. I’d lied to them about who I was, yet they didn’t question protecting me. A lump formed in my throat.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I know this has nothing to do with you, so—”

“Yes, it does,” Bloom said softly. “This is what a brotherhood is. I’m with you now. They got my back, and now they’ve got yours.”

A knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” Grimm said.

One of the twins poked his head in. “There are two cops trying to get onto the premises. How do you want to play this?”

“They’re here because of what happened,” I murmured.

“You don’t have to talk to them,” Joel said. “Not without a warrant. It would only hold them off for a while, but it’ll give you more time to get your story straight.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll talk to them.”

“I’d strongly advise against it until you consult with a lawyer.”

“Well, you’re here,” Grimm said.

“Technically, I can’t represent him. Ohio and New York have reciprocity agreements, but I’d still need to apply to the bar here and meet their character and fitness requirements. All that takes time. But I can give you legal advice.”

“That’s good enough for me.” I rose to my feet. “I’ll talk to them.”

“So will I.”

I pressed a hand to Bloom’s shoulder. “No, on this, I insist you stay here. There’s no need for them to know you were in the car with me.”

“But what if they arrest you?”

“They can’t hold him for too long,” Joel said. “And he has a solid case of self-defense, so he should be fine. The Ohio Stand Your Ground Law applies in this case. You weren’t the aggressor. You were in imminent danger, and it happened in public.”

I slowly nodded. “And you know all this, though you’ve never practiced here?”

Joel glanced at his father, then lowered his gaze. “I’ve always intended to return to Smoky Vale after I make a name for myself. My dream is to be here, legally representing the people I care about, so I’ve always kept up to date with Ohio rulings.”

Grimm’s face softened. He’d been clenching his jaw throughout most of the meeting, and whenever he looked at his son, he couldn’t hide the poignant disappointment. Now he regarded his son the way a father should—with pride and love.

“You plan to come back?”

Joel nodded.

“As touching as this is, if the doc insists, he should come along now,” the twin said.

“I’ll be fine.” I turned to Crowe. “Take him back to the clubhouse. I’ll meet you there after I finish talking to the cops.” If they allowed me to leave. “Do not let him out of your sight or let him do anything rash.”

“But—”

I thumbed Bloom’s bottom lip and gave him my warning stare. “I need you to trust me, okay?”

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