All Chapters of Too Late To Apologize, Mr. CEO: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

“All rise.” Everyone in the courtroom got to their feet as the judge entered. Derek stood beside me like a protective pillar I wasn’t sure I wanted. He had insisted on coming with me and I had been too tired and drained to refuse. To give him credit, he was doing his best to be supportive. And not doing too bad a job. He was pleasant, unobtrusive, and protective, acting more like a bodyguard than an ex-husband.He’d never once touched me or tried to hold my hand. And when the media had mobbed me outside the courthouse door, he’d fixed them with his best CEO glare and kept them off long enough for me to dash inside. Across the room, Blake sat behind the defense table. He looked smaller than I remembered, pale and thin. Adrian’s gentle warmth was gone, as well as Blake’s obsessive hatred and sense of purpose. What was left was a hollow shell of a man, who seemed oblivious to the court proceedings that would decide the rest of his life.To be honest, I was in the same state. I had giv

“Sorry to bother you, Mr. Miller, sir,” my cellmate said. “If I could just get by you here…”“No problem, Mike,” I said. Prison was a terrible place to be, but for a made man of my rank the situation wasn’t quite so bad. Mike edged past my legs, head down. He was a cleaner for the R-27 mob, in prison for multiple murders. Five that they knew about. Nice guy. Professional. I hoped he’d be able to relax around me soon. We could play chess. We’d need some way to pass the time, although he’d probably get out before I did. The plastic cover on my thin mattress stuck to my thighs as I shifted my weight. Even with my “special privileges,” this stark prison cell was a far cry from my comfortable home. It wasn’t so different from where I’d started out, though. Growing up, none of the boys in my neighborhood dreamed of becoming doctors or astronauts. We knew that was out of reach for the likes of us. Our parents lived from paycheck loan to paycheck loan, and good sons helped out by runnin

I went to the bedroom I’d shared with Jessica, the center of our married life. The place where we’d talked about our hopes and dreams, planned our vacations to places where the sun always shone. Where Ethan used to sleep, safely between us. Would my son ever feel safe again? Yes. He would. When the man who’d ordered his mother’s death was gone. When the organization that had carried it out was dismantled and destroyed.I pulled open the closet door and flinched as the smell of Jessica’s perfume wafted out. I braced myself and reached into the back, behind the sensible suits I’d worn to seminars. Behind the soft cashmere sweaters Jessica had bought me, and pressed a catch built into the back wall. A panel slid back. I considered the contents and made my selection.The heavy steel settled into my hand with the weight of memory. I was back.***I made some calls and went to a basement on 4th Street that didn’t officially exist. Some of my old lieutenants had stayed loyal. Some were u

The sun was shining brightly but I shivered as I stepped out of the prison into the parking lot. I drove home in a daze, making turns on automatic pilot. It was a good thing Laura was taking care of Ethan today. I wasn’t in a fit state to take care of myself right now, let alone a traumatized child. When I got home, the first thing I did was pour myself a large whiskey. I slammed it all down and grimaced. It was terrible, but not as terrible as I remembered. Was this a better brand than Glenfiddich? Or was I just getting used to it?Heat bloomed in my stomach and numbness started to spread throughout my body. I threw myself on the couch and turned on the TV. It annoyed me so much I turned it off again. My phone buzzed.“What?” I mumbled. “Claire? Claire, are you okay?” It was Derek. “I’m fine. Just hanging out at home.” I enunciated with elaborate precision. I was really quite proud of myself. So proud that I poured out another glass of whiskey. I was beginning to see why Derek l

The drive back from Arthur’s house was full of the loudest silence I’d ever heard. I kept glancing over at Claire, who was unnaturally quiet. “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked. She turned her body away from me, curling against the door and folding her arms against her body. I reached out gingerly, trying to touch her back, lend her some of my warmth. She flinched and I stopped, embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” I said. “Maybe we could find out where she's buried? You could bring flowers…”She finally looked at me, but it was only to give me a death-glare, her eyes full of tears. “Yeah, bad idea,” I muttered. I could feel my ears turning red, and decided to shut up and concentrate on my driving.By the time we got to Claire’s apartment I was seriously worried. She was shivering, even though I’d turned off the AC in the car. “We’re here,” I said. The false cheerfulness in my voice grated on my own ears. She moved slowly, like her bones ached, opening her door and stumbling out of t