He nods. “Okay.”
I take a deep breath. “Yesterday when I asked you about your divorce, you went funny on me. I just want to know what that was about. I’m not nagging, I promise. I’m just confused and—”
He presses his finger gently to my lips. “Shhh… I’ll explain.” He might be saying that he’ll explain, but the expression on his face makes it clear this is the last thing he wants to do.
“Oh, God, Luke… What?”
He takes hold of my hands. “Let’s sit down and I’ll tell you what’s going on.”
Now that I know there’s something, I’m not sure I actually want to know. I think it would have been better staying in my cocoon of oblivion.
He leads me to the couch and settles me before sitting next to me. Raking his fingers through his hair, he says, “The divorce has been stalled because the police got involved. They think Jolene committed another murder before she killed her mother, and they asked me to get some information from her. I’ve spent the last month getting this information for them.” He stops talking for a beat. The way he’s now watching me as if he’s unsure how I’ll take all this makes me feel like an important piece of the puzzle is about to be revealed. “In order to do that, I’ve had to spend time at the prison with Jolene, letting her believe I wanted to put our marriage back together.”
My mind runs in a million different directions. But first and foremost, all I can think is how hard the past month must have been for Luke. I reach for his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
Lines etch his forehead as he frowns. “Why are you sorry?”
“Because after everything you’ve had to go through over the last two years, you now have to do this. I can’t even imagine what it takes to go into that prison and do what you’re doing. I’m not sure I would have said yes to the police if it were me. Not after all the hell she’s already put you through.”
“I’m not the awesome person you might think. I had no choice but to say yes.”
“Why?”
“When I was seventeen I got mixed up with this crowd who committed robberies. I didn’t have anything to do with their crime sprees. I just drank with them and hung out with them. One of the guys, Dermot, was a friend of mine from school, that’s how I met them. I eventually moved on and found new friends, but I always kept in touch with Dermot. I tried to help him see that crime wasn’t a great life choice. A year ago, I realised how deep he was involved—he’d found a new gang to run with, and they carried out armed robberies t
hat sometimes involved people getting shot. Nothing I said seemed to get through to him. One day, I’d just picked up some dry cleaning for Paris and was walking back to my car when I saw him in a car down the road. I tried to talk to him that day while he was sitting in the car. Later I found out he’d been waiting for his crew who were in a nearby bank robbing them. I’d fucking approached the driver of the getaway car, and I’d put my prints on it when I leaned against the door. The police threatened to bring me into their ongoing investigation over that robbery if I didn’t help them with their murder case.” His words are bitter, and I don’t blame him.
“Did they really think they could pin anything on you?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. The detective I’ve been dealing with is an asshole, and he’s made it clear he won’t hesitate to drag me through the process of having to clear my name if I don’t help him. He wants to be the one who cracks this murder case, and he’s hell bent on proving its Jolene. I looked at my options and decided to help him rather than put Sean through any more upheaval. Plus, I was trying to avoid more lawyer bills. The last lot wiped me out, and I’m just beginning to turn that around.”
I squeeze his hand. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“I was told not to tell anyone close to me what was going on. Not even Tyler or my mother knew. Just after we slept together, I told the detective I was done. All I want to do is move on—file the divorce and move the fuck on. I ended up asking my mum for financial help, so I have a lawyer helping now. He hasn’t been able to give me much hope, though.”
“Why not?”
“Well, I finally managed to get some information out of Jolene on Saturday that the police wanted. We thought that would be enough for them, but I spoke with the lawyer again today, and he now thinks they may want more.” He blows out a harsh breath. “I’m beginning to wonder if I’m better off sticking to my guns and letting the cards fall where they will. Seeing Jolene does my head in and I’m not sure how much more I can take.”
“But you’re worried about Sean, aren’t you?” I say softly. He’s just a father trying to do the right thing for his son and in the process he’s being screwed by people in authority. It’s a gross misuse of power.
His shoulders slump as he nods. “Yeah. He’s the only one I care about here, Callie.”
I think back to all the grief I’ve given Luke over the past year.
All the arguing I’ve done with him when he’s been trying to look out for me.
All the times I refused to take his help because I thought I knew better.
God, I’ve been so stupid. Taking care of people really is in his DNA, just like he told me.
I shift a little closer to him on the couch. Reaching out to touch his cheek, I say, “You are an amazing man, Luke. I won’t hound you over the divorce again. I know it will happen and until then I’ll be patient. I’m just glad to have you in my life now.”
His hand closes over mine against his cheek. “Fuck, Callie, you haven’t hounded me about the divorce. You can ask me about it anytime. I promise you there are no more secrets. You know everything now. And screw patient. I’m sick of being patient over this. I need it to happen now so I can get on with my life.” He moves his face so close to mine that a shiver of lust races across my skin. “I need you in every-fucking-way,” he growls.
“I need you, too.”
God, how I need him.