“Yeah,” Jacob replied, looking very unhappy. “We got a message from McGuire Saturday afternoon, saying that somebody had made him, and that they were right behind him, but that he had critical information. He mentioned two flash drives. Before he could say anything else, he was cut off.”

“Why was he at Inferno?” I asked, apprehensively.

“Probably because he knew that if he tried to come in, they would take him down immediately, and that you were his best chance. He had worked a joint case with the county, and we think he recognized Adam,” Jacob paused before going on, and I could see that all of this was affecting him. “We think he stashed one drive in your apartment and held onto the other, and then he went to go find you.”

“How did he know where I would be?” I asked, suspecting that I already knew the answer, and tensing up in preparation.

“Every apartment is wired, Lily,” Jacob answered simply. He at least had the courtesy to look embarrassed, I noted.

“Oh my God,” I said, looking away as my stomach roiled. I felt so violated and mortified. I wondered if Jacob himself had actually listened to Adam and I having sex, admitting we loved each other, experiencing all of our most private, intimate moments together.

“We think they tried to take him down as soon as he got there,” Jacob went on, “but that he managed to elude them temporarily. When they did eventually succeed, he probably still had the drive on him, since you didn’t have it. We figured that would make them less interested in you, especially if you didn’t immediately vanish.”

“So you let her stay here, because that would be safer for her?” Adam asked, sounding like he didn’t believe him.

“I didn’t want …” Jacob began, voice filled with tension. He let out a deep breath and seemed to collect himself before he went on. “It wasn’t my decision. I wanted to move Lily into witness protection even then, but I was informed that because agent Kazinski was still inside, and the building was still being watched, that she would be safe.”

“Guess they were wrong, huh?” Adam asked sarcastically, and I saw Jacob look up at him with eyes flashing, and his jaw working like he was gritting teeth.

“She wasn’t pursued at home. She was pursued at work and after the incident at the law library I got permission for her to go into protection,” he reminded Adam, angrily, “but she didn’t want to go, presumably, because she didn’t want to leave you. I could have gotten a material witness subpoena and forced her, but I didn’t want to do that to her.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly as that sunk in. Jacob had put my happiness ahead of everything. Maybe I had underestimated him.

“You’re welcome.” He was talking to me, but he was glaring at Adam. “So, we pulled strings to get her into the DA’s office, and since you were willing to stay with her, we figured you could keep your eyes open for us. And you did a good job, Roth. Thanks to your little party plans, we now have the Fox safely in custody, along with three other undesirables.”

“How did Kazinski know to have you waiting on standby?” Adam asked.

“He suspected you were up to something because he didn’t believe anybody would just throw a party for your crazy neighbors.”

“What was up with U. Hu and that clock?” I asked curiously.

“We think that Hu had decided to try to bug the place himself. The clock he placed on the wall was wired.”

“What was going on in McGuire’s apartment when they were all in there?” Adam asked.

“They had all probably figured out that McGuire was gone for good. After he disappeared, we placed surveillance cameras in there in case anyone tried to break in, but nobody had actually tried yet.”

“I’ll bet that was the night you saw them in the hall, listening at his door,” I said to Adam. “They heard someone installing the equipment.”

“The cameras showed each one of them hiding when the next came in. So Hu saw all three, Nardo saw Ivanovich and Diego, Ivanovich only saw Diego and Diego just stole some booze and left.”

“So, what happens now?” I asked.

“Now we put Moretti on trial and try to put him away. Because Adam helped out the U.S. Attorney’s office in a very important case, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s offered a position. You can probably return to law library if you want, Lily, and the two of you won’t have to live together anymore obviously. You can have your old life back.”

Why did it feel like I had just been punched in the gut? I could go back to my former life, working in the library with Jane and Rochelle, writing my books at night, alone at night. Alone again. Of course, Adam and I would still be together, but he had said himself that he had always loved his freedom. He would want to go back to his place. We would see each other on weekends, maybe the occasional weeknight, but I wouldn’t be reading to him in bed regularly and I wouldn’t go to sleep feeling him snuggled up against me every night. We wouldn’t be fighting over garlic presses, or the bathroom, or tic tacs though. That was a good thing, right? So why did I feel like I was going to cry, yet again?

“Okay, if you don’t mind, it’s been a long night,” Adam said, throwing Jacob an obvious hint.

“Before I go, there’s one other thing. I’m withdrawing the motion for removal on the DiBono case. I looked at it again, and you’re right, it’s more appropriately tried in Common Pleas.”

My mouth literally popped open. It was so unlike Jacob to do something like that. He wasn’t one to walk away from a battle. In fact, I could see how much he had been enjoying it. Still, it wouldn’t necessarily affect anything, so it could be a meaningless gesture.

“Good luck trying to convince my mom,” I said with a weak smile.

“She’s not on the case anymore,” he said, stunning me again. “She decided it was a conflict after all. He’s got local counsel now.”

My breath caught. My mother had never stepped aside before. By doing so on this one, she had made a statement that she cared more about me than about a court case. I didn’t have to go any further. I had already stood up and fought. Not only did I believe in myself, my mother had actually shown me some respect. More than that, she had found a way to tell me she cared.

“Thanks,” I said hoarsely, feeling emotional.

He got up to leave but paused. “So, in case I don’t get a chance to talk to you, it was good seeing you again, Lily.” He gave me a look I couldn’t really decipher, and then turned and walked out without a backward glance.

I sat there, still in shock, when Adam pulled me into his arms, gently pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and looked deeply into my eyes.

“Let’s go work for Braden and Gabrielle,” he said. That jolted me out of my reverie.

“But Jacob said you would probably be offered a job with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. That’s so prestigious. You would rather work for a legal aid clinic?”

“If it meant I could work with my friends, and with you. I think that would be a hell of a lot more fun than working with dickhead there, and I would rather enjoy my job than my prestige.”

“Okay,” I said, with a huge grin. “Let’s do it. I think I like being a lawyer and we make a good team.” At least I would get to see him every day at work. He grinned back, looking very happy with my answer.

“So, ready to endure Thanksgiving dinner at the Roth residence?”

“I’m thrilled about it. This will sound weird, but when we were kids I always kind of wanted to be part of your family, even with you in it.”

“You wanted to be a Roth?”

“I did, yeah,” I admitted sheepishly. He paused and I saw him swallow and take a deep breath. He looked like little Josh, trying to work up the courage to ask me about the bath.

“Do you still want to be a Roth? Because there’s a way you could be,” he said, looking at me intently. My breath caught again. He couldn’t mean … Oh my God. My heart started pounding so hard I was sure I would break a rib. I started to tremble, afraid to believe what I thought I was hearing.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice quavering. My mouth had gone dry.

“I mean, why don’t we give my parents something to be really thankful for? Hang on,” he said, getting up and heading toward the bedroom.

“Hang on?” I said, breathlessly. “Wait! Where are you going?” Where was he going?!

He came back a second later, holding something in his hand. He walked over to where I sat paralyzed on the sofa and then he kneeled down in front of me. Then it was like everything moved in slow motion as he took my hand and looked at me like nobody had ever looked at me before. I was shaking so hard and trying to remember everything about that moment because I knew I would be replaying it in my memory for the rest of my life.

“Lily, will you marry me?” he asked, sounding, well scared, frankly. As I looked at him, so tense and worried looking, I realized he wasn’t sure I would accept. But then, I would have the rest of our lives to reassure him.

“Yes,” I said, swallowing hard, “I will, but no more licking my Fruit Roll-Ups.” He let out a huge breath and then smiled a wonderful smile and slid a diamond ring on my shaking hand. It fit, just like us.

“Okay, but no more glitter in my hair,” he answered, sounding very relieved, and happy.

“When did you buy this?” I asked, still reeling.

“The night after you said you would go on a date with me.”

“Oh really? Sure of yourself, aren’t you, Roth?” I teased.

“I just knew that if I finally got to go out with you, Adler, I would never want to let you go. I figured I would have to come up with something and I might as well be prepared.”

“I’m glad we’re both ready now, Adam. It was worth waiting for,” I said, my eyes filling up again. I had apparently become both a cuddler and crier.

He moved to sit beside me, pulled me into his arms, where I belonged, and kissed me deeply. And we kissed for a very long time. In fact, we’re still kissing even now.

The End