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Looking into his little brown eyes, my heart does melt. I keep him close and rock him back and forth until he falls asleep.
“Any updates?” I ask Romeo when he comes into the room.
“Yes, I spoke to our lawyer. The police are trying to keep him, but they have nothing to keep him on. Apparently all they have is an anonymous tip and that’s it. No body, no evidence, just a phone call. They are dreaming. He will be home by tonight, don’t worry,” he assures me, reaching down and taking Julian to put in his crib.
I sag back onto the leather couch, feeling hopeful. I don’t know why this would resurface when Robert has been gone for years.
“Robert was the one who did that to your mom’s eye, right?” I say to Corey, who nods slowly. I don’t necessarily want her to know that River all but told me what happened.
“Yeah, Mom was in the hospital. She had to be put into a coma for swelling on her brain. And when she got out, Dad was gone. She’s lost vision in one of her eyes because of how badly he beat her. We were all glad when he went missing, and our lives have been much better since then. He was awful. I don’t know why she married and had two kids with him.”
“She had two beautiful kids with him,” I say, thinking of her and her brother Matthew. It wasn’t their fault their dad was a piece of shit. And River too, because he still thought he was his father that whole time. “So I’m glad she did, or else you wouldn’t be here and I’d never have a little sister.”
Corey smiles and shrugs. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. She should have left the first time he laid his hands on her, though. I don’t know why she stayed. And I don’t know why anyone didn’t try to help her leave. I mean, maybe they did and we just didn’t know. I guess it must have been hard with him being the son of the MC president, no one would have wanted to side with her.”
“I think it’s hard to consider unless you are in that situation,” I say, waiting to see if she adds anything about River potentially being the one who either killed or somehow got rid of Robert, but she doesn’t.
“I know,” she replies, sighing. “And it doesn’t change anything wondering why she did what she did. I just want my brother to be back home, and safe.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t go to the police station and wait?” I ask, not for the first time.
“There’s no point,” I’m told, and, “He will call us when he’s out.”
As it gets late, I question if he’s going to come home today, but at ten I get the call from him.
“Hello?” I say quickly. “River?” I’m sitting in the bathtub, steam filling the room.
“Yes, I’m on the way home now.”
“Thank God,” I say, closing my eyes in relief. “And that’s it?”
“I don’t know,” he replies, sounding tired. “They don’t have any evidence right now, so unless they find something to bring me in again, I’d say that I’m good. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I’m still in the bath when he gets back, so he undresses and gets in with me. The hot water spills over the edge as he sits down, and then I move so my back is to his chest, with his arms around me.
“I was scared,” I admit.
“I’m sorry,” he says, kissing my cheek. “It was unexpected. But it’s okay, I’m home, and they don’t have anything on me other than suspicion.”
I pause, and then just decide to ask him. “Did you have something to do with him going missing?”
I know we spoke about this before, and he said he would tell me, but once it’s out there, he wouldn’t be able to unsay it.
I wasn’t ready before, but I think that I am now.
And deep inside, I already know the answer.
He stays quiet for a few moments, but then says, “Yes, I did. And I don’t regret it.”
Shit.
“I know why you did it,” I say softly, resting my head back against him. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
River, forever the protector.
“I will always be honest with you, Bella. There’s some things I’d have liked to protect you from hearing, but the closer we get, I guess everything done in the dark will come to light. I just hope that it doesn’t stop you from loving me,” he replies, kissing the back of my neck. “As long as you know I’d never do anything to hurt you, ever. No matter what. Even if we broke up, I’d still protect you from afar, and be there for you if you ever needed me.”
