I go along, letting him lead me down the hall. I have a feeling he let me sit in on the call not only because he wants me to be more a part ofthe team, but he’s also trying to make up for me finding out about the cameras in my townhouse and room.
“How are you feeling about tonight?” River asks once we’re seated at the small white table next to the white roses bushes.
“We need to talk about the cameras, River.” I brush off his question.
He leans back, bending his leg over the other. “I thought we discussed it already.”
“No,” I say. “We fucked.”
River’s eyes lower. “What else would you like to talk about?”
“You put cameras in my house without my knowledge.” I pick my thumbnail, avoiding eye contact with him. “That’s an invasion of my privacy.”
“I needed to keep you safe. And I told you I was sorry for not telling you sooner.”
“It’s a bit controlling, don’t you think?”
“You think I wanted this?” He bends forward. “I never expected to fall for you, Lux. But I did. And if you think I was obsessive about your safety before, you have no idea how much more I am now.”
I draw in a sharp breath at his confession. My heart sinks. It falls from my chest with force. River just admitted to having feelings for me, and I’m speechless. “I don’t know what to say.”
His thumb runs across my lip. “Say you don’t mind my flaws.”
My pulse thrums for him. And even though every moral bone in my body tells me not to accept what he did, I can’t bring myselfnotto. “I don’t mind your flaws, River. I have feelings for you, too.”
“You do?”
Tears prick the back of my eyelids. “Yes. You are the reason my heart continues to beat and the reason I’m healing.”
River’s eyebrows knit like he can’t believe what I’m telling him. “I’mhealingyou?”
I nod through a smile, while a tear rolls down my cheek.
River’s lungs fall as a breath escapes as he leans in to bring his mouth to hover over mine. Chills span my body every time his breath dusts my skin. “Can I kiss you?”
“Yes.”
His warm lips are on mine, peppering my mouth with light kisses, I savor every moment of our contact.
Then he slowly pulls back “You should eat before your food gets cold.”
River watches me with a slight smile as I finish my dinner. Every time our eyes lock, the corner of his upper lip slightly curves like he’s appreciating this sweet moment we had.
I never thought the man in the mask who helped me escape that dreadful night would be on this journey with me, or that we’d develop deep feelings for one another, but I’m so grateful we have.
River is the light in the endless darkness I’ve lived in.
Chapter 29
River
Abrief and unexpected call from Andrew this morning left me with more information than I had yesterday, but he’s still being evasive about what he’s sharing. It was difficult to keep my frustration under wraps, but I had to push it aside in order to get access to Duncan.
I turn down a dark narrow street just a few miles away from the college campus. A well-populated city would not be my first choice for a kill, but here we are. Built some distance from the walkway, the driveway leads to a faded yellow 1970s-style bungalow. Then I make my way around to the back of the home, like Andrew mentioned when giving me directions. I park my car under a dark, covered structure.
“You guys there?” I ask, confirming my team is in place.
Sebastian is the first to respond. “We’re here.”
