Wilde at Heart (Wilde Security, #3)(80)

Resigned, Reece explained the whole situation. The drugs Shelby was caught with, the undercover work she’d done, and even the marriage manipulation to get closer to him and his company. Before he finished, he paused and grabbed Jude’s coffee because his throat felt too tight, and he was afraid his voice would crack. “So that’s it. I didn’t react well. Basically told her to f*ck off.”

Jude sat up straighter in his chair. “Wait. Shelby’s been working for this ATF agent for how long?”

“Six years.”

Jude scowled and sat back in his seat again. After a moment of thought, he called out, “Hey, Libs. Can you come in here for a sec?”

Libby appeared in the doorway drying her hands on a paper towel, and glanced between the two of them. “Something wrong?”

“Nah, just need your lawyer-y opinion.” He tilted his head back and tapped his lips with one finger. Smiling, she bent to give him a kiss.

Reece turned away from the couple as a hollow ache opened up in his chest where his heart used to be. He’d had that same playful, easy intimacy with Shelby until recently.

Jesus, he really had f*cked up. Big time. But he’d make it better. Somehow.

“So,” Libby said, straightening away from her husband. She planted a hand on her hip and looked at Reece. “Don’t tell me you’re in legal trouble, Mr. Responsible.”

“No, not me.”

Her smile dissolved into a grimace. “It’s Shelby, isn’t it? I should’ve known. Sorry.”

“It’s not what you think, babe,” Jude said. “Can you answer me something hypothetically? And don’t jump to conclusions.”

She perched on the arm of Jude’s chair. “All right. Ask away.”

“How long is the statute of limitations for drug possession?”

She didn’t even have to think about it. “Five years.”

Reece came half out of his chair in surprise. “You’re sure?”

“Well, unless there are other mitigating factors…”

“For example?”

“Uh, if the hypothetical person we’re talking about has been in possession of the drugs for that entire length of time. The statute of limitations only kicks in once a crime ends, so if Shel—I mean, this hypothetical person were to still be in possession of the drugs, they could still be charged.”

“She’s not.”

“Then if no charges were ever brought against her in the first five years, she’s free and clear.” Libby raised a brow. “Can we stop being hypothetical now? What’s going on?”

As concisely as he could, Reece explained everything. When he was done, Libby shook her head. “No. That’s all wrong. This Agent Mallory is holding an empty threat over her head.”

Or at least he was until the firebomb at The Bean Gallery. Then he offered her protection as long as she continued to do his dirty work. That motherf*cker.

“I need to look into this Agent Mallory.”

“If you want, I can help,” Libby offered.

Reece nodded. “I’d appreciate it.”

Jude grinned and pulled Libby down onto his lap, kissing her soundly. “Isn’t my wife brilliant?”

“Yeah, she is. Still don’t know what she sees in a knucklehead like you.”

“I ask myself that every day,” Jude murmured and gave his wife another quick kiss before setting her on her feet. He also stood. “And while Libby’s checking into your shifty ATF agent, we need to get moving. We have a lot of work to do if you want to win Shelby back.”

Wincing, Reece followed his brother. “I’m going to hate this, aren’t I?”

“Yup. And I’m gonna take lots of pictures.” Jude grabbed his coat from the nearby rack and held open the front door, motioning him to go first. “The Wall of Shame at the office will no longer belong only to me. It’s gonna be awesome.”





Chapter Thirty-One


The drive to the courthouse Monday morning was the longest of Shelby’s life. She’d stayed away from the hospital after Reece came back to consciousness, but had received updates on his condition by Cam and Eva, learning he had checked himself out several nights ago, and he’d been asking about her. Still, she’d kept her distance and ignored his calls. Partly because she was afraid of what he’d say now that he was lucid again. Partly because she was afraid she’d throw her pride to the wind and beg him for a second chance. She didn’t know if she could take getting shot down again, so she played the coward and avoided him, putting off the inevitable for as long as possible.

But today, the inevitable had arrived. He was going to file for the annulment, and she couldn’t stay away. Sometime over the weekend, her fear had mutated into anger. He couldn’t throw them away like this. Yes, she’d f*cked up—big time—but what they had together was the kind of thing people spent their entire lives looking for. And call her selfish, but she wasn’t willing to let that go. She’d beg and plead and straight up sacrifice her pride in front of everyone at the courthouse if she had to. Whatever she needed to do to prove her love to him.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn’t see the man with the shock of blue hair in front of her until it was too late. She walked straight into him, and stumbled.