“So the baby is his,” I said after reading the article Kincaid handed me. Senator Jenkins required a paternity test, and someone leaked it to the press. I had no doubt it was the man sitting across from me in Will’s living room.

“Oh, it gets better,” he mused. “Albertson was more prepared than I expected and had a contingency plan in place. The media received a handful of incriminating photos that painted Senator Jenkins as an abusive husband, which is actually true. So now Albertson’s campaign managers are busy assigning their lead candidate with the role of white knight.”

“How is that better?” Will asked before I could. He stood leaning against the wall beside the couch, swirling a glass of wine. Those sinful jeans were in place, making me want to lick him. Too bad we had company.

“Because,” Mark drawled, “Bianca will divorce with sole custody of the kid and immediately marry the baby’s father.”

My stomach twisted. “That’s not better; that’s worse.” Ryan would destroy her, and all because . . . I couldn’t even finish the thought. It hurt too much. I’d sent another woman to serve my sentence. How was that fair?

Will, sensing my discomfort, asked the question I couldn’t articulate. “You’re not concerned for Bianca?”

Mark scoffed. “Please, that woman was groomed for this. She’s over the moon at winning the hand of a future senator. He comes from good breeding stock, he has money, and he has a long future in front of him. And it probably helps that he’s prettier than her soon-to-be ex-husband.” He flipped out his phone to show us a photo that was taken from a distance, likely by him. “Does that look like an unhappy woman?”

“I used to look like that,” I whispered, taking in her doting smile and doe eyes. “Give it a year.”

He shook his head sharply. “No, you fail to realize what drives a man like Albertson. You challenge him in a way that this woman never will. Honestly, he’ll get bored with her before he ever lays a hand on her. I’m more concerned that he’s going to come after you again at some point to fill the void, but he’ll be busy maintaining the perfect husband facade for at least the next two years.”

“And if you’re wrong?” Will asked.

“I’m not, but on the very small chance I am, we both know you already took care of it.” Respect colored his features as he added, “The wine was brilliant.”

“I’m certain I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replied.

“Wine?” I repeated, taking in Mark’s obvious amusement and Will’s emotionless expression. “What are you two going on about?”

“Your betrothed sent Albertson a clever message and let him know in no uncertain terms that the Mershanos are an equal, if not superior, competitor in this game.” He sounded impressed, which said a lot about whatever Will had done.

“What was the message?” I asked, ignoring the betrothed comment. “What did you do, Will?”

He rubbed a thumb over his bottom lip as if debating how much to say. I narrowed my gaze, silently demanding him to tell me everything, or there would be hell to pay later. Ryan was my ex, and my problem.

“Mmm,” he murmured, sensing my unspoken challenge. His expression said he liked it, perhaps too much. “Let’s just say I returned the favor by playing with the water in his office, and when he woke up, a bottle of Mershano Vineyards’s finest wine was waiting for him.”

“With a note that said, ‘From my family to yours,’ ” Mark added. “Sorry, but that was my favorite part. Well, and the whole attacking-him-inside-his-own-home bit. Nice.”

Will shrugged. “Seemed appropriate. He knocked out Sam and Beau because he couldn’t get directly to me. I wanted him to know that my contacts don’t lack that particular skill set.”

I gaped at him. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“Because this wasn’t so much about you as about me informing Albertson that I’m not an enemy he wants to fuck with lightly.”

“And now your ex will think twice about touching you,” Mark said. “Because not only would he be putting his career on the line, but he would have to maneuver around Mershano. Which he now knows would be easier said than done.”

My gaze flipped back and forth between them. I was torn between frustration and relief. “You should have told me, Will.” If anything, just so I knew. “But I’m glad you did it.” His connections should have scared me, but I knew him too well to fear him. He wasn’t Ryan. He would never use those contacts against me. But he would use them to protect me should I need it.

Warmth flowed from my chest at the realization that for the first time in years, Ryan Albertson couldn’t touch me.

No more threats.

No more texts.

No more calls.

No more pain.

Freedom.

I blinked back tears as I studied the men before me. I worried this moment would leave me feeling weak, but it was the opposite. Strength and pride lit me from within.

Yes, Mark had done most of the heavy lifting, and Will used his influence to intimidate Ryan, but I was the one who asked for help. I trusted them with the darkest part of me and let them guide me to the light. That took courage.

It wasn’t so much physical as mental, and now I was ready to begin the next step of my healing process. The part where I never allowed Ryan to control me again. It wouldn’t happen overnight. Just thinking about the last time I saw him sent a chill down my spine, but someday, it would disgust me more than frighten me. Knowing he could never touch me again allowed me to start building a new wall, one that belittled his impact on me, and fortified my resolve.

“Thank you,” I whispered, then cleared my throat to say it again with more strength. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to articulate what you’ve done for me.”

Will set his wine on the glass table before joining me on the couch to wrap me in his arms. I melted into him with a content sigh as he kissed the top of my head.

“I love you,” he said, his lips brushing my ear. “I’ll always be here when you need me.”

“I know, and I love you too.”

“And I’ve apparently chosen the wrong time to enter the room. Or perhaps the right time,” Garrett mused as he joined us in the living area. His unexpected presence immediately drew Mark’s undivided attention, or maybe it was an excuse to not observe my embrace with Will.

“Everything good?” Will didn’t sound at all fazed by his friend’s abrupt arrival. He had warned me that Garrett would be stopping by today, but I didn’t realize the man would just walk right in like he owned the place.

“Other than your cousin losing his mind, sure,” he replied as he smoothed a hand over his black tie. Then he trained that startling blue gaze on Mark. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

My friend stood to shake The Devil’s hand, and a moment passed between them that unsettled the room. Garrett might look fancy in that designer suit, but I sensed that a fighter lurked beneath the clothes. One who wasn’t averse to a little pain, and it seemed Mark sensed it as well.

“Your employer intrigues me,” Garrett finally said, cocking his head to the side. “We should talk.”

“Indeed,” Mark agreed.

“If you two are done flirting, I have one final question on the Albertson case.” Will’s voice held a touch of amusement, but his expression was bored. “Does he know we’re behind the media leak?”

Oh, I hadn’t thought to ask that. Good question.

“No, he assumes it’s a political opponent, but his sources are digging into it. If they find anything, and that’s a big if, it won’t point to our meddling.” He didn’t sit down again, and I wondered if it was because of Garrett. Both men maintained casual stances, but neither looked entirely comfortable with the other. “As I’ve already stated, I’m not concerned, especially with Rachel moving in with you next month. Which reminds me”—his devious gaze swung my way—“do you need any help packing? I’ll actually be in town for a bit.”

“Uh . . .” I didn’t get a chance to say anything else, as the other men in the room spoke over each other.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, not you too,” Garrett said as Will pulled away with, “You’re moving in with me?”

Heat crept up my neck as I met my boyfriend’s surprised expression. “Uh, no? I don’t know. I put in a transfer request for the Charlotte office last week, and it was just approved this morning.”

“And he knew this before me?” He pointed to a smirking Mark. The nosy man seemed quite proud of himself.

“Not because I told him,” I said with a glare at the so-called FBI agent. When I looked back at Will, my throat tightened. He looked not so much mad as darkly curious. I wasn’t sure if that was better. “So, uh, Janet called me two hours ago and said the relocation makes sense since I’m Mershano Vineyards’s primary contact. She also said she expected the request, but it’s not mandatory. I can stay in Chicago, but I just wanted the option to, uh . . .” I cleared my throat. “Yeah, we can talk more about this later.” When we didn’t have an audience.

“Oh, we’ll be discussing it,” Will replied, his eyes glittering. “Thoroughly.”

That look captivated me. It held a dark promise, one my body craved more than oxygen. “Yes, sir,” I whispered, knowing he would understand my meaning. It’d become a taunt of sorts that I used when I wanted him. He looked ready to kiss me, but voices in the foyer ruined the moment.

“I miss having an empty house,” he muttered as he stood again to greet his guests.