“Oh, my God!” I laughed. “Never underestimate a woman scorned.”
“No matter how smart a man is, it’s guaranteed their dicks will always make them stupid in the end.”
The three men in the room all turned to glower at Savannah.
“What?” she asked with a shrug. “Don’t act like it’s not the truth.”
Ben chuckled and shook his head. “Anyway, it would appear the asshole thinks he’s so untouchable that he managed to let this slide past his radar.”
“So what now?” Brett asked.
Mr. Pruett’s gaze bounced between the two of us. “Well, I think that with this, paired with the assault charges for what he did to Ms. Webster, it’s safe to say his career will be coming to an abrupt end.”
“And jail time?” I cut in.
“Well, he’ll have to go to trial for the assault. Charges will undoubtedly be pressed for the bribery, not to mention that he framed a colleague. At the bare minimum, he’ll lose his license and be hit with unbelievably steep fines.”
“So there’s no guarantee he’ll serve serious time for any of this?” I could see the muscle ticking in Brett’s jaw as his hands clenched into fists by his sides. He looked like he was ready to blow. He was out for blood where Lance was concerned. Anything less than hard time wasn’t going to cut it for him.
But I had other plans. The last thing I wanted was to sit through a trial. I didn’t want to have to see Lance every single day or testify against him. I just wanted it to go away. I wanted him to go away. I didn’t care about revenge or payback. I just wanted the chance to get back to the life I’d built. I wanted to live happily, knowing that I never had to look over my shoulder again, and that my children were always safe.
“I’m not pressing charges,” I stated firmly, catching everyone’s undivided attention.
“What? Are you kidding me?” Brett shouted, shooting up from his chair and leaning over me. “Beauty, you can’t let him get away with this. He needs to pay.”
“Honey,” I said softly, stroking his cheek, covered in stubble from a few days of missed shaves. “I don’t care about vengeance or making him pay. None of that matters to me. The only thing that matters is that he’s out of our lives for good. Don’t you see? With this information, we can make that happen.”
“How do you plan on doing that?” I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. He honestly believed that unless Lance was in jail, there was no escaping him. But I knew otherwise.
“I know Lance. The only way to really get to him is to hit him where it hurts. His career and reputation are all that’s ever mattered to him. That’s why I thought I was safe when I took the twins and ran the first time. But this time, I have undisputable evidence. He can’t slither his way out of it this time. This can work, baby. You have to trust me.”
Releasing a frustrated breath, Brett sat on the corner of the bed and ran his hands through his hair. The room remained deathly silent as everyone waited for his reaction. After a few minutes, he finally looked back at me. “Are you sure about this, baby?”
“I’m positive,” I smiled.
“All right. What’s the plan?”
It took a lot of convincing to get Brett on board with my plan, but after an hour of talking, Savannah, Ben and Mr. Pruett left my hospital room having agreed that what I wanted to do would garner the best outcome for me and the twins in the end.
“I can’t believe we’re just gonna let that fucker walk,” Brett grumbled once everyone was gone. He climbed back into the bed with me and wrapped me in his arms, planting a gentle kiss on my lips, mindful of the split from Lance’s attack.
“It’s all going to work out for the best. I promise.”
“I hope you’re right,” he sighed.
I looked up at him with a grin. “I am. Now take me home. I want to be back under the same roof with my family.”
His dark eyes shined brightly as he smiled back at me. “Whatever you want, beauty.”
“You don’t have to go in there with me,” I told Brett as we stood with Mr. Pruett inside the Sheriff’s department. He stood rigid, his eyes laser-focused on the door we were about to walk through.
“Like fuck I’m letting you in there with that man by yourself.”
“I’m going to be alone. Mr. Pruett’s going to be there with me.”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at the frown Brett shot me. He’d been anxious all morning long, wanting to put the meeting off until I was healed. But I was finished with waiting. When we’d left the hospital the day before, my entire body felt lighter, like the thousand pound weight I’d been carrying on my shoulders all those years had finally lifted. I knew my plan was going to work; I felt it bone-deep. My mood finally matched the beauty of the day. I was walking on cloud nine until we arrived home.