Page 129 of Devil's Azalea

Just the mere thought of it right now paralyzes the muscles in my throat. Not because I don’t love her—Christ, I love her so much it physically hurts—but because the words are so…heavy.

How could she say them so easily? How did she just open her mouth and let her heart spill out without choking on the magnitude of it?

I pace the length of the cell for the umpteenth time, feeling like a caged animal.

None of my lawyers have checked in all night—presumably too busy working to get me out of here.

And then, as if summoned by my impatience, Marco appears at the cell door, grinning like he just won the lottery, brandishing a document above his head.

“You’re a free man, Rafael. Time to get the hell out of here!”

I snatch the release papers from his hands, scanning the legal jargon with the paranoia of a man who’s learned never to trust good news. But it’s real. It’s fucking real. My shoulders relax, my first thought going to Emilia.Where is she right now?

“Good job. You finally proved yourself worthy of the money I pay you,” I mutter, shrugging into my jacket.

Marco actually laughs. “I wish I could take the credit, but your wife—” He shakes his head like he still can’t believe it. “Rafael, she’s something else. After Romero sent his lawyer to us to point us in the right direction, your wife took over like she was possessed. She’s one incredible woman, Rafael—truly, you’re lucky to have her in your corner.”

My throat closes up, and I rub a hand absently over my aching heart. “What are you talking about?”

“Apparently, when she got back to your apartment, she had one of your men recover the wiped footage and discovered theFBI agents had broken more than a few laws during their little raid. She saw everything they did wrong—stuff I might have found eventually, maybe later today if I was lucky. She got the footage on a flash drive and came straight here demanding justice.”

The ache in my chest spreads, becoming something bigger and more painful. “And?”

“She listed off several misconducts and violations. I filed the complaints, and she had them expedited to the right judge. She wouldn’t rest until the release papers were signed. You, your men, everyone—free as birds. And with what she has up her sleeves, I doubt the FBI will be bothering you anytime soon.”

The pain in my chest transforms into something else entirely. Pride mixed with terror. What does she have up her sleeves? “Where is she?” I ask hoarsely.

“She’s at the Black Diamond hotel. Has a press conference scheduled for 9 AM.”

What?“What time is it?”

“8:45 AM and?—”

I’m already moving, pushing past him out of the holding cell, my legs carrying me faster than my brain can process. What press conference? What the hell is Emilia up to?

My men are waiting outside, and I tilt my head at Enzo, eyeing him for a moment. He doesn’t look half bad for a man who spent the last twelve hours in federal custody.

“Is the car outside?”

He nods, handing me my phone. “Ready when you are.”

Together we stride out of the FBI office, agent eyes boring holes in our backs.Let them stare. They just got schooled by my wife.

“Good morning, Rafael. You’re becoming quite the regular guest of our friends in the bureau,” Alfred jokes as I slide into the backseat, but humor is the last thing on my mind right now.

“Yeah,” I answer distractedly as I turn my phone on. “Take me to the Black Diamond.Fast.”

The screen lights up, buzzing with a flood of notifications. I don’t have to search—the articles are already waiting. I’ve had an alert for Emilia’s name since the day I met her, just so I’d always know when she made the news.

Half the notifications are links to coverage about a press conference happening in—I check the time—six minutes.

“Faster, Alfred,” I say as I skim the articles. But none of them say anything real. Just reworded clickbait about how fascinating it is that hours after my arrest—and minutes after my release—the former FBI agent is holding an‘expose all’press conference.

“What are you thinking,amorina?” I murmur under my breath.

Stacey has been trying to kill her, and if my hunch is right—if the exposé Emilia is about to give is on the FBI director—then she won’t take it lightly.

Why the hell is Emilia putting herself in the direct line of fire?