“Not only his,” Lux says. “Mine too.”
“Pussy whipped.” He chuckles under his breath.
I swing my arm around, clocking him right in his jaw. A sharp crack fills the room as crimson dots the white sheets. When his head snaps back, I grip his cheeks, bringing my face close to his. “Either you tell us the next location, or you’re getting a bullet through your brain.”
“So, she’s going to kill me?” he mocks, his eyes move in Lux’s direction.
“No, I am,” I say.
Sebastian steps forward with a smirk. “And I’m going to make sure there are no traces of you left behind.”
“I knew from the moment Andrew introduced you to us you were a fucking piece of shit.” Rich’s nostrils flair. “With all the money and power you have, you could have been running this entire operation.”
I turn to Lux, tired of hearing him talk. “Are you ready to witness one of the men who hurt you take his last disgusting breath?”
With her hands now tucked into the front pockets of her hoodie, her eyes bounce between mine and Rich’s. “Yes,” she says without hesitation.
“You’re going to regret this, Thompson,” he warns.
I ignore him and say, “Cover your ears, Lux,” right before pulling the trigger.
A short yelp escapes from her as soon as the shot fires. I slide the gun back into my waistband, then pull Lux into me. I don’t give her time to react, and to my surprise, she melts into my embrace. Relief washes over me.
“One down. Three to go.” Sebastian leans against the wall with his arms folded across his chest.
“The rest of the guys will be expecting the cabin to be ready for the girls. Text them from Rich’s phone to call it off,” I tell Sebastian as I bury my nose into the top of her head. She smells like lavender…and mine.
Sebastian grabs his phone from Rich’s front pocket and then holds the phone up to his face to unlock the screen. “You got it.”
With a tight hold, I keep Lux tucked into my chest until the night crew comes to clean everything up. Then I put Lux into my car and we leave, on our way to Thompson Manor.
After tonight, I’m more sure than ever the best way to keep Lux safe, is to keep her there.
Chapter 17
Lux
Ijust witnessed a man’s murder.
The realization has my head spinning, and I find myself mildly shaking from the adrenaline of it all. River’s tight embrace after Rich died was the comfort I needed in that moment, but what I didn’t realize, is that as soon as we parted I’d wish to be in his arms again.
It didn’t take long for, what River refers to as, the night crew to come in and begin cleaning up the scene at the cabin. Which meant we didn’t have to stand in awkward silence for long before he was helping me into his car to leave.
I rest my head against the passenger window while we now sit in silence on the way to his house. When he first mentioned me staying with him, I immediately declined. Sure, I understood his reasoning, but it was like I needed to prove that those men hadn’t taken away even more of my life. But after watching Rich die tonight, I know it’s the right choice because of what he’s done.
After a short drive, we drive down a desolate road and we reach a security gate where he waves at the guard standing watch in a low tower. Then we proceed up a long and windy hill lined with tall trees not too far from the expensive wooded area that makes up Thunder Ridge. His property seems to be extremely large, with one side of the outer perimeter backing up to the forest line.
“You know this is for the best, right?” He turns onto a driveway that leads underground. At first glance, the ample, lit-up space holds more cars than I can count, including models I’ve never seen before.
“Yes.” My eyeballs subtly move from one side to the other. I try squeezing them shut, hoping to alleviate the nausea in my stomach from the rush of adrenaline that’s kept me going all night.
River parks in a spot closest to an elevator, and within seconds Sebastian pulls his black four-door SUV next to us. “Until all this is over, you’ll need to stay here.”
I watched River kill a man tonight, and despite Richard deserving it, River didn’t even flinch. I’m not oblivious to the fact that he’s done this before—and I’m sure it’s been multiple times, based on what he’s alluded to.
“I know.” I prepare myself to exit the car, but my limbs are so fatigued I don’t know if I can even make it past the door.
“Let me help you,” River says as he opens the passenger door, and in one swift motion he scoops me from my seat of the car, and I wrap my arms around the back of his neck.
