Page 46 of Dirty Little Vow
“And I’m one hundred percent certain that’s why she will win the room in the partner meeting. She’ll do the same to anyone who crosses her.” He scoops up the files. “So you know, Bella, I’m giving them all copies of the will and a confidentiality and ethics agreement to sign before they review it. I’ll go in first, get the paperwork done, and then let Tyler know we’re ready for you both.” He looks between us. “Unless you need me for further consult?”
“Give us the green light when you’re ready for us,” I say.
Gavin gives me a nod and then glances at Bella, smartly offering her respect. She too nods her approval, and he exits the room.
By the time the door shuts, I’m on the other side of the desk, with Bella, my hands on her waist. She’s so damn tiny to pack such a punch. “I agree with Gavin. It had to be you. It always had to be you.”
“You know you have to show them you’re king today, right?”
“And I will. Marry me. Let’s leave tonight and go to Vegas. Screw the will. I can’t wait to marry you and I want you to know when I say I do, it’s because I want to, not because of that will. And I want to know when you say I do—”
“It’s because I love you. But no to Vegas. Yes, to getting married sooner rather than later. Vegas feels like we’re gambling. There’s enough of that in our life right now.”
“Then where? When? How about Paris? Or Italy?”
“Can we get a license to marry there?”
“It’ll take months. The truth is that’s a better place to plan our formal wedding. Why not find a spot in the mountains, invite a few people and get married in a month? Then we can do the formal ceremony anywhere you like.”
“I love the idea of Italy,” she says. “It feels romantic, but it’s not like we have a place there that is our place. Our special place.”
“Why not go find one? We can get on a plane this weekend.”
“We’re going to Dallas to see my father’s race.”
“And I want to spend time with your father,” I assure her, and I do. I need to know the man that means so much to Bella. I’ll be nervous as fuck, but that relationship matters. “We can fly out afterward.”
“You can’t leave right now, Tyler, not after this meeting. Not with all that’s going on. Let’s do Vegas. We can charter a plane from Dallas.”
“You said—”
She pushes to her toes and kisses me. “I know what I said. I just want to marry you. I want to know that, if something happens, something goes wrong, we know we said ‘I do.’”
I fold her close. “Nothing is going to happen. How about Dallas, baby? We’ll all be there anyway. We can find a location, even on short notice. Then we’ll plan a spectacular fucking official wedding. Your dream wedding.”
“Actually, my parents were married in Italy. Maybe wecouldget married there?”
“How would your father feel about that?”
“Do you know how much I love that you asked that?” she asks, her eyes warm. “Let’s ask him together this weekend. I’ll start by calling him about the weekend wedding later today.”
My cellphone buzzes with a text message and I grab it from my desk and eye Bella. “Showtime. They’re ready for us.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Tyler
I walk into the partner meeting with Bella by my side and I read the energy as non-confrontational. I lead Bella to the front of the room with me, step in front of the table and greet our audience. “I assume you’ve all read the will.”
That’s when Amy Moore, a redhead with a feisty attitude speaks up. “Can I just say this is bullshit? Your father was an asshole. I’m glad you and Bella are in love, and you’re a better man—fair and hardworking—than your father ever was, but nothing should be forced on anyone like this.”
Another partner, Andrew Brooks, speaks up. “I could get this thrown out of court, which I know isn’t necessary, but I’m concerned about the threat attached. What happened on that case?”
Several partners chime in with agreement before Andrew adds, “Where are we on figuring out the fallout?”
“There won’t be any fallout,” I assure them. “But before I elaborate, I want to be frank. We can’t find the case file and I have almost no memory of the case. I was second chair. It all seemed up and up to me, but now, I’d say otherwise. I need to come to all of you with honesty no matter how painful. The reality here is that we wouldn’t want to release a case file that hurt us just to hurt them. The threat would seem to be a bluff, if not for one thing.”
“Which is what?” Andrews asks, seeming to be speaking for all.