Page 31

Chapter Thirty

Nate

“That’s a lot of zeros.” I stared at the paper Perry shoved under my nose and wondered if my pain meds were playing games with my perception. I’d followed what Perry said. I’d also followed his paraphrasing of Gayle’s take on the situation, finding I agreed wholeheartedly with Gayle Ridley. I’d have to get Captain Barrington’s take on the situation, but as long as it was on the legal up-and-up, I couldn’t find a reason—other than a moral one—that Perry should dismiss Malcom Johnson’s generosity .

Perry swallowed hard, and his voice was strained when he said “It is. I almost passed out when Gayle told me the number. I made her print it out.” Perry fidgeted with the edge of my bedsheet. “Malcom’s letter implied he wanted to give me more.” Perry shook his head. “I can’t imagine what that number might have been.”

Yeah, neither could I. While I considered myself comfortable, I wasn’t wealthy. I hadn’t come from wealth and didn’t know anyone who could fly to Monte Carlo at the drop of a hat. Malcom Johnson’s gift changed that. Now I was engaged to a millionaire. Did that make me a millionaire? I wasn’t sure, but I also didn’t care. Having Perry Atherton as my fiancé was my own personal lottery win. The paper variety paled in comparison to the man sitting beside me, fretting over his newfound windfall.

“W-what…I mean, what do you think?” Perry’s tone was one part hopeful, two parts worried, and three parts unsure.

“I think Malcom Johnson and the Company have more money than they know what to do with, but that’s beside the point. To be honest, I’ll need to mentally chew on this one for a bit and may change my mind about a dozen times over that many years. However, what I feel very comfortable with is agreeing with Gayle’s take on things.”

Perry’s eyes flew wide. “You do?”

“I do.” Leaning my head back on my pillow, I passed the printed paper back to Perry. “I need to run a couple of things past Captain Barrington. I’d also like to have some colleagues at work check into the account and make certain there are no red flags and that it’s completely on the up-and-up. But knowing Malcom, I’d imagine the account’s clean as a whistle.”

“And untraceable,” Perry added.

“That too.” I could have the financial division of forensics scour the account, but I doubted they’d find anything. In the end, it would most likely be a waste of their time. There was also the fact I didn’t feel a lot of motivation for a deep, deep dive. If the Feds wanted to go after Maverick Insurance, their employees, Malcom Johnson, and the Company, then so be it. Perry was out, safe and sound. I no longer had a dog in that fight, and would happily sit on the sidelines.

I was glad to see Perry’s hands had stopped shaking when he snatched the paper up again. “If I accept the money, I’d never have to work again.” Instead of sounding thrilled like most, Perry sounded doubtful and maybe even a little forlorn.

“No,” I hedged. “You wouldn’t have to, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a job.”

Perry glanced in my direction, his eyelids hooded. “You don’t think that would be weird?”

“Weird how?” I wasn’t sure I was following.

Perry huffed. “Most people would love a life where they didn’t need to work.”

“Most isn’t all.”

“I…I liked working at Maverick Insurance. I felt needed. After everything I went through…after all the recovery, physical therapy, and emotional turmoil, it felt good to be needed. There was a time when I didn’t think that would happen again. I mean, the cats needed me, but Gayle would have taken them in if…”

My eyes slid closed, pushing away the toxic thoughts of Perry no longer existing in this world. While I understood where he was coming from, hearing him speak of a time when he thought the world would keep on ticking with barely a hint of disturbance if he suddenly wasn’t in it any longer gutted me.

Perry’s fingers gripped mine, and he squeezed hard. “I don’t feel like that any longer, Nate. I’ve got a very full life, but I need to feel useful.” Perry shrugged. “I just can’t…not.”

Squeezing Perry’s hand back, I said, “I know. We’ll figure it out.” And we would. While I didn’t think Perry and I could solve all the world’s problems or instigate world peace, I did think we stood a fair chance of tackling and overcoming issues that cropped up in our tiny speck of the world.

“I know we will,” Perry agreed readily, his words light, their previous weight long gone.

“Who knows, maybe we can afford to get a bigger house, one we pick out together. One that has even more room for Starbuck and Apollo to run around in. It’ll be their own personal gymnasium.”

Perry’s laughter filled my hospital room. My heart monitor kicked up the pace as his happiness infused my soul. “They’ll just have more places to lounge and silently judge us.”

I huffed. “Your cats don’t do anything silently.”

“Not true. I’m certain they plot our demise nightly. I see the expressions on their faces, that silent communication they do with each other. I’m telling you, in another life, they were serial killers.”

Great peels of laughter erupted from deep within my chest. I laughed until tears leaked from my eyes. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if it was all the drugs I was on, or if I really found Perry’s statement that amusing. Most likely, it was a combination of both.

My nurse ducked her head inside the door, her look of concern shifting into a wry grin before she walked back out.

“I think we’re worrying the hospital staff,” Perry said.

“They’ll be fine.” I waved off his concern, and as my laughter died, exhaustion set in. My eyes grew heavy. It had been a long day. I’d drifted in and out of sleep a multitude of times. My nurses and doctor advised me to get all the rest I could before the narcotics wore off and the pain took over.

“How long can you stay?” I asked on a yawn.

“As long as they let me,” Perry answered.

My eyes were closed, the room dark, when I felt Perry’s fingers whisper across my forehead and down my cheek. I fell asleep to his softly spoken “I love you, Nate Harmon. Always.”

“ I swear to everything holy, the human race is nothing but a cesspool of depravity, idiocy, and stupidity.” Nat threw a file down on her desk before similarly flopping into her chair. The wheels squeaked, and her chair rolled dangerously before she caught the edge of her desk.

“I think idiocy and stupidity are redundant,” I answered while I continued filling out the computer form staring back at me. God, the paperwork was never-ending. This was one part of medical leave I hadn’t missed. Not that I’d taken much leave. I’m not sure who won the betting pool at work, but I managed to stumble through the door sixteen days after my patellar surgery. That was two months ago, and I was back on active duty.

“Not true. They are different,” Nat protested.

I hummed noncommittally, trying to focus on my current task. Nat grabbed my attention when the pen she flung in my direction struck true, smacking me on the forehead.

“Hey!” I rubbed my forehead. “Not cool. I don’t want a big red splotch on my forehead for the wedding pictures.” I gave Nat the stink eye, but she just grinned back at me maniacally.

“It would make for a great story. You’d have to explain it every time someone looked at the photos.”

“What are you doing to my fiancé?” Perry walked up beside me, laying a hand on my shoulder. Perry had started work at the station a little more than a month ago. I’m not sure if Captain Barrington pulled some strings or not. I hadn’t asked, and he hadn’t said anything. Either way, Perry had applied for and gotten a janitorial position at the station. He worked late afternoons and evenings. His neurologist suggested a pair of glasses that weren’t quite sunglasses but had darkened lenses—enough that it cut down on the daytime glare of the overhead lights and made things easier on Perry’s eyes and brain.

I loved having Perry at work with me. He could take the bus in when needed, and I drove us home when possible.

“Nothing,” Nat said sheepishly.

Perry cocked an eyebrow, the arch barely visible over the top of his glasses. “Why do I not believe you?”

“It could be this big red mark on my forehead,” I whined.

Perry’s cool fingers traced the mark before his warmer lips gently kissed the area. “There, that should fix it.”

My cheeks flushed before my blood ran in a different direction. That was the one drawback to working in the same space with Perry. Those slacks he wore hugged his ass in a very tempting way.

“Harmon!” Barrington boomed. Perry flinched, drawing back. He was still getting used to the loud outbursts that occasionally came from colleagues and my boss.

“Captain?” I questioned while Barrington strode toward my desk.

“What in the hell are you still doing here?” Captain Barrington’s gaze glanced from me to Perry. “Don’t you two have a wedding to get to?”

“Not until tomorrow,” I easily answered.

Barrington rolled his eyes, obviously unimpressed. Checking his nonexistent watch, Barrington tapped his bare wrist and said, “You were officially on leave thirty minutes ago.”

“I’ve just got a couple of areas left to clean,” Perry answered while pulling his hand away from me and backing up. I missed his close proximity immediately.

“Perry, you’re a damn good worker, but I think these heathens can empty their own trash cans once in a while.”

“I’m good. I promise,” Perry answered. With a quick wave goodbye, he didn’t give Barrington the opportunity to protest further. Honestly, I’d never seen anyone work the captain the way Perry did. It was a thing of beauty. I’d noticed other officers’ mouths hanging open as they watched Perry and Barrington interact. The captain definitely showed Perry a softer, gentler side than he did the rest of us.

“He’s quite the busy bee,” Nat said

Barrington agreed. “That he is. The custodial staff is in love with him. Perry’s a hard worker. Bar none, one of the best hires the department has ever made.” The captain gave me a wry grin before slapping me on the back and shoving my gut into my desk. I swear, between Nat and Barrington, I was going to get married sporting black and blue under my tux.

With a grunt, Barrington backed away. Running his fingers through his thick beard, he said, “That’s better than all the complaints I’ve been getting from those that are having to work tomorrow night. Everyone wants to go to the wedding. I’d give everyone the night off if I thought the criminal community would respect your upcoming nuptials and call a truce for one night.”

Nat burst out laughing. “God, that’s funny, Captain.”

“Isn’t it?” Barrington answered. “Barring any major catastrophe, I’ll be there. You get things finished up and head out. Get some rest and enjoy your week off. Trust me, when you get back, I’ll make you pay for it.”

With that pleasant thought, Barrington walked away.

“It’d be nice if he was joking,” Nat said. “As your partner, that means I’ll get thrown into the deep end with you.”

“There’s no one I’d rather tread water with than you, Nat.”

Nat tried not to grin. She really did. She also failed miserably. “You’re a real charmer, Harmon. You know that?”

I gave my widest smile, full of teeth and thin lips. “I like to think so.”

I thought Nat would say something flippant. Instead, she sobered and said, “It’s a good thing too. The world could use a lot more charm and a whole hell of a lot less bullshit.”

“Amen!” a nearby officer said and high-fived Nat while walking by.

Nat reached for her nearby jug—I meant, mug—of coffee. After taking several large gulps, her eyes slipped closed, and she hummed appreciatively. “You better have coffee at this shindig tomorrow.”

“Already taken care of,” I answered easily.

“After all that stressing about the venue, you couldn’t have picked a better spot. Has Perry figured it out yet?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Gayle doesn’t think so either. It’ll be a surprise.” I wasn’t sure how often a significant other was kept in the dark regarding where their nuptials would take place. That was okay. Perry and I weren’t like a lot of other couples, and my fiancé liked surprises. At least he liked the surprises I planned.

“Gayle’s picking him up at our place and driving him over. She’s going to blindfold him and everything. Perry won’t know where he’s getting hitched until Gayle parks the car.”

This time, Nat’s chuckle was soft and fond. “Like I said, Harmon, you’re a real charmer.”

When it came to Perry, I wanted to be more than charming. I wanted to be his forever.