Read Online Let Us Prey: BBW Military Paranormal Romance (Wild Operatives, #2) by Vivienne Savage - Free Book Online

and me on the sofa.
    “I’m sorry about your son, but I’m going to cut straight to the point, Mr. James. None of you have any reason at all to suspect Leigh hasn’t turned over a new leaf. She’s clean. She’s passed every piss test the state has thrown at her. She’s working—”
    “At a job you created for her,” the man cut in.
    “A job is a job,” I replied mildly. “This recent request is a slap to the face. Don’t you think it’s been long enough? A child deserves to have a mother. Leigh loves Sophia. She’d do anything for her — has done everything for her. She’s been clean almost four months.”
    “And when she relapses, then what? Sophia’s gonna be the one to suffer.”
    “She won’t.”
    “You don’t know that,” he insisted while rocking in his chair.
    “You can’t punish her for something she hasn’t done yet, either.”
    “She is my grandbaby. I’m not going to let her mom ruin her life, not when we can give her better.”
    The way they gave Dennis better? I bit back the retort and kept the irritation from my expression and my voice. “Sophia will have a great home. With her mom.”
    “In that ramshackle drug den of hers? No, Mr. MacArthur, I don’t think so.”
    “No. In my home. I plan to marry Leigh. We’re on our way to the city hall now for the marriage license,” I spit out. My temper got the best of me and took charge, sweeping me down a road I couldn’t reverse. “I’m going to marry her and adopt Sophia. So you can listen to me now and back off, or wait to see the both of us in court. I promise you, it’s going to be costly, and you won’t like the outcome if we take the legal route.”
    I knew he had Judge Ritts in his pocket, and their fishing buddy friendship was the reason Leigh couldn’t get a fair shot. What Mr. James and Judge Ritts didn’t know was one fucking phone call from me would have him removed by morning. I was willing to take a chance and call in a favor.
    ***
    “W hat do you mean we’re getting married?”
    “I kind of lost my temper and said I plan to marry you. Then I said we’ll see them in court.”
    For my safety, I decided to lay the news on Leigh after we were on the road and driving toward the next town.
    “Where are we going?” Leigh demanded.
    “To buy a marriage license.”
    “Fuck no. I’m not marrying you.”
    “Well, you might want to listen to the rest of what I have to say before you make up your mind.”
    Leigh settled back in her seat and fixed me with a scowl so dark it could curdle milk. I winced and turned my attention back to the road. “I’m waiting.”
    “If I’m married to you, I have the legal right to stand beside you in court. And just between you and me, I have a military history, no criminal record, and enough money to buy half this town. Alternatively, I can also pull a lot of strings to get Judge Ritts disbarred. What he did today was a severe miscarriage of our justice system, and I’ll be damned if I allow him to get away with it. You met their requirements.”
    “I don’t know, Ian. He’s been a judge for forty years. He’s not a bad man. It’ll ruin him and drag his name through the mud.”
    “But he’s discriminating against you,” I pointed out.
    “I know but—”
    “Do you want Sophia back?”
    Leigh silenced. With her eyes on the window, a thoughtful expression came over her pretty face. She’d made mistakes, but the James’ decisions would follow her for a lifetime. “I want my baby, Ian.”
    “Marry me, Leigh. I have a big house you and Sophia are welcomed to share with me.”
    “What about...” She cleared her throat and gestured between us. “I mean, we haven’t even had a first date. Not really. Marriage is...”
    “It’s convenient for both of us. In a year or so, after you finish school, we can have it annulled or divorce to go our separate ways. I’ll make sure you’re comfortable.” Like hell we would. My deepest hope was she’d come to feel for me what