Page 70 of Nothing to Beat

“You can’t tell me that you flipped your life upside down for us and then not expect me to act.I’ve been clear.As long as there’s a chance my father can interfere with us or exploit the connection to your family, we can’t be fully committed to each other.The only way we can be together is if he’s off the board completely.”

“Prison.You want him behind bars.”He didn’t move but lingered before speaking again.“Do you want to testify?”

Why did everyone ask that?It wasn’t like she’d expressed any desire to do it… ever.Okay, maybe not ever, she may have screamed it at her father once or twice as a teenager, but who didn’t threaten their mafia dad with that kind of thing occasionally?

“No.I don’t want to testify.I never wanted to testify.”

“Because Acre and Axon can keep us safe.And if you want to go into official witness protection—”

“You’ll come with me, I know,” she droned.“I’ve already had that conversation with myself.”

Sitting up, he repositioned the pillow at his back to lean against the headboard.“Now have it with me.”

“I haven’t been a part of my father’s world for a long time.Anything I know is old news.Enter Out is still up and running, I checked.I’ve kept an eye on it through the years, because it was something I had that he didn’t know I had.”

“Your file.”

And was she really surprised he knew it existed?No.He’d seen it once, lying on her dining table, during one of his first visits to her apartment.Man never forgot anything.

“I didn’t know we were going to Porter, so I couldn’t give him all the specifics.And Ackley, I decided it was time to play this card when I heard how intent Ackley was to get Joey.If he really is as dogged and determined as people say he is… I know that works against Roxie and Zairn.They have a legitimate conflict with him.I’m not saying I trust Ackley a million percent…”

“But while it’s in his interest, there’s no reason he should have conflict with you.”

“He said he’s having trouble communicating with Trish.”

“Probably because Zairn doesn’t like dealing with him, or Trish is just as pissed at Ackley for the way he treated Zairn as the rest of us.”

“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t—”

“You don’t get to pick who’s in office.Is Roxie upset with you?”

“No!She’s supported me more than… she’s been incredible.”

“Did he ask you to testify?Ackley?”

“I think that’s what he expected,” she said.“When he found out who I was he… Maybe there’s some moral argument here, that I should be willing to stand up in front of my father and call him out for everything.”

“You’re under no obligation to do anything.That said, if it’s the path you choose—”

“I would never take you from your family.”

“And they would never ask me to watch you walk away.”

“Would you really want to raise our children that way?We’d never be safe.I wouldn’t want that.I wouldn’t want them to fear for their lives on a daily basis.The life we have, we could have, the one I’m fighting for, doesn’t involve us running and hiding.”

“We can give Porter the file.”

“Yes,” she said.“Although I don’t know how to get it to him without using means that could be tracked.”

Phone calls would be on record; the postal service and couriers would keep paperwork too.Maybe it meant another trip to Chicago in the not-too-distant future.

“I can take care of that.”

Proof she wasn’t on this journey alone any longer.Why had she ever thought she might be?Roxie and Tripp had been there, Bastian had been there, but Breck… he didn’t just exist beside her, he was her, and just as invested in the possibilities of their future.

Slipping her hand under his, she laced their fingers together again.“This isn’t a done deal, not yet.We’ll have to wait, I don’t know how long.”

“What are we waiting for?Your father to be arrested again?A trial?Sentencing?Our life is on hold.”

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