Reid looked at me, his rigid jawline softening. “It’s the truth. If it weren’t, I’d have asked to speak to you alone to tell you. I wouldn’t hurt Zee in front of you.”

Zach nodded. “Then I have a solution.”

“What’s that?”

“You two need to get married.”

50

Reid

Get married? Had I heard Zach correctly?

I must have looked confused, because Zach started talking again.

“You’re aware of spousal privilege, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it.”

“It means they can’t compel Zee to testify against you in court. Or anywhere.”

I rubbed my jaw. Man, I was tired. So tired. “But I haven’t done anything.”

“I know that, but they’re trying to implicate you, and they’re willing to put Zee through the wringer to do it. You can protect both of you by getting married.”

I cocked my head. The idea was far from distasteful. I’d already fallen in love with Zee. But this wasn’t how I wanted it to go. I wanted to woo her. Court her. Ask her when we were both ready. Get down on one knee and all that.

My thoughts surprised me. Perhaps I was a romantic at heart. Perhaps I’d just never met the right woman.

Was it even possible to meet the right woman when I was in the middle of dealing with my father’s murder and its fallout?

Sure it was. Obviously. It had happened for all my siblings.

Still, a marriage of convenience wasn’t what I was after.

“No,” I said.

Zee’s lips dropped into a sad frown.

“It’s not that I don’t have feelings for you, Zee,” I said.

She dropped her gaze. “You don’t have to explain. We barely know each other.”

“It can be a temporary solution,” Zach said. “You can have the marriage dissolved once this has all come out with the wash.”

I took Zee’s hand. “Would you be up for it?”

“I don’t know.”

“If it means protecting you,” Reid said, “I’ll do it. I promised I’d protect you, Zee.”

“You don’t need to protect me,” she said. “I’m not a suspect. We’ve determined that.”

“He means protect you from this ceaseless questioning Morgan seems to want to put you through,” Zach explained.

She breathed in. “I can take it.”

I squeezed her hand. “But you shouldn’t have to. Not after what you’ve already been through. You shouldn’t be punished for coming forward to tell your story. You shouldn’t be punished for trying to help us.”

“Okay,” she said softly. “If you both think it’s best.”

“Good enough.” Zach closed the file folder in front of him. “Let’s head to the courthouse and get this done. The sooner the better.”

I stood and smiled at Zee, still holding her hand. “I guess we’re about to be married.”