I stare at her in a restless sleep from the cameras in my office, the afternoon light spilling onto her delicate face. In a moment of daydreaming, I envision a life where I wasn’t born a flawed human or that I won’t always carry the tragedy of watching the murder of my parents.
Lux may believe we slept together in a moment of passion—but she’s mine and I plan on keeping her as long as she’ll let me. Because no woman I have ever met has come close to the vast obsession I have with her.
I tear my eyes away and walk over to my desk. Picking up the secure landline, I call Christian to update him about what happened with Nolen.
He answers on the first ring. “How’d it go?”
“Everything is done and taken care of,” I tell him. “That’s good to hear.” He breathes a sigh of relief. “Unfortunately, I have no new information on Duncan Jones. But I’m hoping to have something for you by the end of day tomorrow. The ring only works on the weekends, right?”
“According to the calendar we found at Richard’s house, we shouldn’t have to worry about them until next weekend. But if we find something sooner, we don’t have to wait until his weekend to get him.”
“I spoke with Lieutenant Levinson a few days ago and he didn’t mention the missing accountant.”
“It’s been over a week since I killed him. It won’t be long, especially since he has a wife.”
“Yeah, I’d expect her to report him any day now,” he points out.
“Nolen mentioned that he got cold feet, which means Sebastian’s text to them from Rich’s phone worked.”
“Yeah, that’s probably why they’re moving forward with everything,” he adds.
“How is the lieutenant’s daughter?”
“Since staying with us, she’s doing better. I feel more secure with her here.”
A light chuckle from the other end of the phone perks my ears.
“Something funny, Christian?”
“Nothing at all, my friend,” he utters, a friendly quip at my expense.
“What?”
“Is it for her benefit or yours?”
“I needed to make sure she stays safe. Once Andrew catches on to us, I’m sure he will be after blood.”
“Fair enough.” His voice is tight, like he’s biting back a smile. “You have a thing for that woman and that’s okay, River. You are human, after all.”
I think about the night I had with her and how good she felt in my arms, and with a sense of protection, I decide not to discuss it further. “Okay, this conversation is over,” I cut him off, refusing to address my affection toward Lux any further. “We’ll keep you updated.”
“Talk soon.” He ends the call.
I lay the receiver back on the analog phone and lean back with my elbow bent on the armrest. My eyes gaze through the windows and out into the lush forest while dark clouds roll in, preparing for a downpour. With a quick flash of movement from the corner of my eye, I swing around to where a tall tree stands inches from the glass. The raven lands on a branch.
“Hey, buddy.” I roll my chair closer. I recognize him immediately, because he’s the one who always hangs out around the property. Ravens are thought to bring bad luck, but that’s never been the case for me.
I quickly turn with a buzz of my daytime cell phone on the desk. The raven flies away, leaving the branch bouncing in its wake.
Before I get the chance to say anything, Andrew’s voice is on the other end.
“You’re up, fucker.”
“Me?” I ask, surprised to hear from him.
“Don’t get too excited, you only get to shadow this time.”
“Shadow?” I recall the information Lux shared about the other guy in the room who could only watch. And then Rich mentioned his turn was the following weekend—am I getting trained first?
