Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“I’m so proud of you,” Tallon said as he rested his forehead against mine. “You’re incredible. I knew that I could leave things in your hands.”
I kissed him again and tried to pull him in closer, but after a moment he pulled back.
“Let’s not give them too much of a show,” he said softly, glancing over my shoulder at the guards. “There will be plenty of time for that when I’m home.”
Heat flooded through me as I thought about our reunion. I couldn’t wait to show him exactly how much I had missed having him in my arms.
I grinned at him as my face flushed. “Soon,” I said. “You’ll be home soon, and I’ll be waiting for you.”
He looked over my shoulder and sighed deeply. “Given the circumstances, I can’t risk getting caught out of my cell,” he said sadly.
He was right. The detectives were going to be coming to talk to him about this revelation. He had to be on his best behavior now, so that they wouldn’t have any reason to delay his release.
I nodded. “I know. We have to go.”
“We’ll be together soon,” he said. He kissed me once more lightly, then released me.
It was hard to walk away from him, but I knew that our separation was nearly at an end. We would be together again soon, and we could put this entire ugly mess behind us.
*Tallon*
“I hate this,” the detective said under his breath.
It was taking every bit of self-control I had not to grin in his face. Natalia had promised she would get me out, and I never doubted her, but I never dreamed she would pull it off so quickly.
Mrs. Morton, my lawyer, was waiting for me as the detective walked me into the interrogation room.
She took one look at me, turned her fierce eyes to the detective, and said, “Get those handcuffs off of my client.”
“I’m getting to it,” he muttered bitterly.
“It’s good to see you, Mr. Valentino,” she said with a smile. “I’m sorry for the delay in your release.”
“I understand,” I said. The detective unlocked the cuffs from my wrists, and I rubbed my hands absentmindedly. “There was a lot of paperwork to get through.”
She smiled wryly at that and nodded. “Luckily there wasn’t as much delay in arresting the actual guilty party.”
I nodded. “I’m only glad that the killer is off the streets.”
The detective rolled his eyes, but neither of us acknowledged him. “You’re free to go,” he said tensely. “But since this man was an employee of your company, we’ll likely be asking you to answer some questions about him.”
“The evidence speaks for itself,” Mrs. Morton cut in. “Given the documentation, text messages, emails, and weapons you found in the suspect’s home, I don’t see what testimony you could possibly need from my client.”
“I’ll be glad to help in any way I can,” I said. “With my lawyer’s guidance, of course.”
Mrs. Morton and the detective exchanged a long, dark look before the detective turned to the door.
“You can leave whenever you’re ready,” he said. Then he walked out of the room.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I know that if you hadn’t been breathing down their necks, they would have put off my release as long as possible.”
“It’s a game to them, and they hate to lose,” she said. “Now let’s get you out of here. Your fiancée is waiting outside.”
My heartbeat sped up at the mention of Natalia. I couldn’t wait to hold her in my arms again, this time without an audience or time limit.
I let Mrs. Morton lead me out of the jail and to the parking lot, where Vinny was waiting next to his car. Natalia was a few feet away from him, pacing nervously.
When she saw me, the most brilliant smile broke over her features and she broke into a run.
I braced for impact as she launched herself into my arms. I had to spin to keep the momentum of her jump from sending us both sprawling onto the ground.
I was sure that Vinny was stifling a laugh, but I didn’t mind.
I kissed Natalia as I slowly lowered her back to her feet. She kept her arms locked around my neck and pulled me back in as I tried to stand up.
I laughed and kissed her back.
When she did let me go, her face was flushed, and she was smiling sheepishly at me.
“I’m happy to see you, too,” I teased.
“You have no idea,” she replied. She skimmed her hand lightly down my chest as she let her hands fall from around my shoulders.
I shuddered at the light touch.
Before I could pull her into another kiss, Vinny’s voice broke through.
“Oh, get a room,” he said.
Natalia laughed and covered her face with her hands. I looked at him and grinned.
“I plan to.”
Vinny pulled a face and opened the back door of the car.
I turned to Mrs. Morton, to thank her again and say goodbye, but she was already halfway across the parking lot. I smiled.
Natalia took my hand and we got into the car together. Vinny got into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
As soon as we were on the road, he started to fill me in on what I had missed over the past week and a half.
It wasn’t a very long time, but so much could happen in just a week.
My arrest had caused an all-out panic among many in the family. People had been afraid that they would be next. They had believed that the police would find incriminating evidence in their search of my personal property that would implicate the rest of the family.
For most of the family, the news of my arrest had been like learning that the sky was falling.
The more Vinny told me about the reactions of various family members, the deeper my frown grew. I had done such a poor job of informing the family of the safety measures that we took to keep them safe in the event my records were leaked or seized.
I would never be reckless enough to leave a digital trail that could harm the family. I knew all too well how quickly our lives could unravel, and I did everything humanly possible to make sure that didn’t happen.
I needed to be more transparent with others so that they understood that they were safe under my guidance.
If someone had been frightened enough, they could have gone to the police with a confession in the hopes of getting leniency for themselves. I didn’t believe that any of the men would do that, but I wasn’t sure about some of the wives and children.
