I don’t know how to process everything I’m feeling right now. I’ve never had people care for me the way they do. On top of the blood loss and the torture, the emotion overload is too much to take. So, I lie back and bury my face in River’s chest.
He presses a kiss to my head and runs his knuckles up and down my back.
I close my eyes and just let him hold me.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Freya
ANOTHER WOMAN IS missing.
Isabella May.
She’s an identical twin and Jude just got word she hasn’t been seen in over twenty-four hours. I should be looking for her but instead I’m sitting on the edge of my hospital bed. I’d already be half-way out of this place if it wasn’t for the imposing man towering in front of me.
I poke River in the chest. I blink, it’s like touching rock.So not the time for this, Freya.Shaking my thoughts clear, I raise my eyebrows at him. “As attractive as you look being all glower-y and stuff, we don’t have time for you to be an over-protective control freak, right now.”
River grabs my finger. His hand is warm, solid. “It’s not even been twenty-four hours,” he tells me, like I’ve forgotten I spent yesterday reliving my childhood.
“And how long do you think it will take for my father to figure out Angelica is not coming back? To kill Isabella?” I counter. “He’s not going to hang around River, he will leave, and we will lose our best chance at catching him.”
River’s face remains hard, unbreakable. “You’re injured. You need to rest. We’ll interrogate Angelica again and find–”
“All four of you have already spoken to her and got nothing.” I flatten my palm over his shirt. “Let me talk to her.”
River’s mask cracks a little, fear radiating from his eyes. “She hurt you. I–” He swallows. “I don’t even want you in the samestateas her, let alone the same room.”
My shoulders drop. I like that he wants to keep me safe, I really do. But this is never going to work if he wraps me in cotton wool. I push gently against his chest until he steps back then I stand up. “I’m a detective, River. My job is dangerous, but I am good at it. I know how to protect myself.”
“I know you can protect yourself. My worry is that you’ll choose not to again.” He looks down at me, disapproval carved into the rigid lines of his face. “You put yourself in danger yesterday to save Oz.”
I run my hand up his chest and cup his cheek. “Wouldn’t you?”
His eyes flutter shut, his brows knitted in pain.
“It’s what we do,” I press. “Every day we put ourselves in danger to protect others.”
He opens his eyes. His jaw clenches under my hand and I brush my thumb over his cheekbone. “I don’t like it,” he says through gritted teeth.
I give him a sad smile. “You don’t have to like it. But you need to let me do it. She’ll talk to me.”
He growls. “You’re my asset. You’re supposed to do as you’re told.”
I laugh. “Did you ever really think that was going to happen?”
His hands drop to my hips, and he tugs me towards him.
I fall into his chest as he grumbles against my hair. “Never.”
I smile against his shirt.
***
Angelica’s being held at my old station. Technically, to keep my cover, I’m still employed here and just on loan to the FBI. Ifigure quite a few heads would have turned when River walked in with my twin in cuffs.
Ruiz’s dark eyebrows skyrocket when she sees me and all four of the guys, walking towards the interrogation rooms. She kicks Luke’s chair, and he looks over at me, a question in his eyes.
I nod to let him know I’m okay. I need to get a drink with him soon. Now River and the guys know everything, I can finally tell Luke the truth. With any luck, we can toast to putting my father behind bars too.
