Page 37 of Silver Sanctuary (The Silver Springs #3)

Christ. Everything about her felt too good. He was fighting to keep himself there, focused on her pleasure. All those years… He was right to wait for her—his wife. Fuck, he loved her so much.

“I love you, too,” she whimpered. Apparently, he’d lost track of his thoughts.

“I’m not going to last…” he groaned as her nails scratched over his shoulders.

“I’m so close. I-I just…” Lacy’s breathing picked up as Nash’s thrusts moved to match their frantic pace.

They were both chasing their release, but Nash wouldn’t go before she did.

He ground his molars together, the familiar tingle at the base of his spine the only warning of what was about to happen.

Her warm breath on his neck was going to be the absolute end of?—

Lacy cried out, her back arching as her walls clamped down around him. The waves of her release sent him spiraling into his own. Nash’s head fell forward, resting on the cool glass of the shower’s wall as Lacy let her own head rest against his shoulder.

For a moment, nothing else in the world existed except for them.

Slowly, Nash’s hearing expanded beyond his own heartbeat and his wife’s labored panting.

As the sound of water splashing against the tile floor brought him back to reality, Nash knew one thing for sure: he was the luckiest guy in the world, and he would do whatever it took to keep his family safe.

“How are you feeling?” Mae’s hand landed on Lacy’s arm and gave a gentle squeeze. They were standing in the small kitchen in Montgomery Defense. Nash had helped her shower—the orgasms he’d given her truly making her body feel boneless and ready for a nap.

Instead, her nerves were back on high alert, waiting to hear what the expensive lawyers in fancy suits had to say about her taking Embrie and running without having custody of her.

“Not as nervous as I was leaving the courthouse.” It was all she could give to Mae, but she hoped it sounded true.

“That have anything to do with the glow on your cheeks and the way Nash keeps looking over his shoulder at you with a sly grin on his face?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Lacy laughed. “He just helped me relieve a little stress, is all.”

Mae patted Nash’s back. “You sly dog. Not even waiting until your wedding night to consummate the marriage! How scandalous. I absolutely love that for you guys!”

Nash handed Lacy a cup of water and kissed the top of her head. “The lawyers are getting set up in the conference room, so whenever you’re ready, we’ll go in.”

“I’m ready. I mean, we shouldn’t keep them waiting any longer.”

“Okay.”

Nash led Lacy down the hall to the conference room. He held the door open for her, and she tried her hardest to walk into the room with her shoulders back and her head held high.

That confidence faltered the second they were seated and the lawyers introduced themselves.

She took a deep breath, fighting the urge to turn into Nash’s chest and cry. But it wouldn’t do her any good to let her nerves take over. She was facing this head on for Embrie. She could do this for her daughter.

“Mr. Montgomery has already retained us to handle this matter for you. Whatever you say in this room is covered by attorney-client privilege. However, I must admit, I think it’s best if it’s just my team and your husband in here when we discuss this.

Should you incriminate yourself in any way, your friends would not be able to claim any protections under the constitution from being compelled to testify against you, were things to go that far. ”

Lacy’s stomach dropped. “I-I don’t… we?—”

Gunner cleared his throat. “We don’t keep secrets from each other. That’s not something we’ve ever done, or will do. Especially when it comes to keeping someone in this family safe.”

The lawyer nodded. “If you’re okay with it, Mrs. Caldwell, then we can proceed. Officially, I can say they know nothing at this point.”

Lacy looked over at Nash. “They want to be here to support you,” he whispered.

“Yes, please. If they want to be here, then I’d like for them to stay.”

The next hour was spent going over every detail of her life.

From when she became responsible for Embrie’s day-to-day care, to how she obtained the counterfeit birth certificate.

They asked her how she paid for doctor’s visits, if she lied to obtain benefits from the government, if Embrie was ever in a dangerous situation because of her.

And as hard as she tried, as much as she wanted to be stoic in front of Nash and all the other guys, she couldn’t hold the tears back as they asked her to tell them the details of the night she fled West Virginia with Embrie.

“Look.” The lead lawyer smiled at Lacy. “We are very confident that things are going to go in your favor. You’ve kept Embrie safe from Amber and her instability. You kept her sheltered, nourished, enrolled her in school—all of these are good things, Lacy. ”

“What are the next steps?” Nash asked.

“We’re going to file a petition for emergency guardianship.

Since you are married, both of you will be listed on the petition.

Again, this is a good thing. You’ve been providing for Embrie all on your own, Lacy, and that is so commendable.

It’s easy to see that she’s well taken care of and incredibly loved.

She has a safe home, and that’s thanks to you. ”

“But…” she whispered.

“But… we still have to deal with the matter of you taking her across state lines without holding actual guardianship of her, and using an illegal birth certificate to help her enroll in school.”

“It’s really bad, isn’t it?”

“Baby, no.” Nash’s reply didn’t give her much confidence. “You were doing it in Embrie’s best interest. You didn’t use it to take benefits away from anyone. You didn’t use it for nefarious means. You enrolled a child in school and took her to the doctor when she was sick.”

“Your husband is right. We’re going to come at this hard and fast, Mrs. Caldwell—petition the court for emergency custody to be granted to the both of you.

We’ll ask that your mother’s parental rights be dissolved, citing decades worth of drug use and the fact that she abandoned her infant child with you, and left you to care for her that entire time.

The fact that she only seems to have interest in custody of the minor as a way to extort money from you will be the nail in the coffin. ”

“But we don’t have any physical proof of that.”

“No, but they have my testimony,” Nash said.

“That won’t be enough.” Lacy knew their word alone wouldn't get results.

“We’re still going to bring it up. And in addition to that, we’ll gather up Embrie’s school records, her medical history.

Demonstrate that you’ve been a responsible caretaker for her.

I cannot promise anything with one-hundred percent certainty, Mrs. Caldwell, but I’ve seen more cases of child abandonment than I care to admit.

You have stepped in and clearly been a loving guardian for your sister.

We are going to make sure that nothing changes for her on that front. ”

“And the charges she might face?” Hawk asked, a shrug of his shoulders the only acknowledgment that Nash looked as if he might strangle him for asking the question.

“We can clearly establish that the falsified documents were not used with malicious intent and were only ever used to protect the child. I’m healthily optimistic that a judge will see the actions of a protective older sister trying to do everything she can to save her innocent sister from facing the same upbringing she herself had to navigate.

” The lawyers stood, gathering their paperwork.

“I know it’s difficult, Mrs. Caldwell, but try not to worry.

We’re the very best at what we do, and we’ll prove that you’ve been the very best mother to Embrie.

You should hear back from us by tomorrow with the results for our emergency guardianship petition. ”

Lacy nodded, acutely aware of the way her mind felt disconnected from her body. She just needed to get through one hurdle at a time. Tomorrow she would legally be Embrie’s guardian… if everything went right.