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Last night, when River and I had finally returned to the house, she’d been pacing the living room, and she’d come beelining for River and had thrown herself into his arms right as she’d started sobbing.
He’d promised her again and again that he was fine, telling her he’d never let anything happen to him since he needed to be there to take care of her, but that promise hadn’t seemed to soothe her.
Their bond had never been more obvious than right then. Their pasts forging an affinity that was stronger than I’d realized. It was also apparent that Raven’s scars went deeper than I’d ever imagined.
Otto had stayed with her, and he’d been sitting on the couch, his expression grim when he’d finally stood. He and River had disappeared down the hall, their voices hushed snarls as they discussed what had happened.
We learned that Theo and Kane hadn’t been able to catch up to the attackers, and they’d returned to the club to check on Cash, carrying only hate and hostility.
River had kissed me hard before he’d said he had to go and meet with his crew. He’d crawled into bed with me at just before dawn, had undressed me slowly and taken me quietly.
His dark, dark eyes had watched down on me.
After he’d picked Nolan up this morning, he’d brought him back here and had spent a couple hours with him before he’d said he needed to go back to the club. They were doing everything they could to weed out whoever might be responsible. To find who might have picked up on a trace or a clue.
So now, Raven and I were at the house, the alarm set, and one of the bouncers from the club was stationed outside, the same as another had been last night.
River wasn’t taking any chances.
Raven looked at me with all the worry she couldn’t evade where we sat at the kitchen island. We’d made an easy dinner, and the coffee we’d drank throughout the day had been exchanged for a bottle of wine we were sharing.
“I know they will find whoever is responsible,” she whispered. “They’re…careful.”
My swallow was thick as I was still toiling with the details River had given me last night. Still unsure what to make of them. Torn though it was clear where I’d landed.
“I’m so glad you stayed,” Raven said, as if she’d known exactly what I’d been thinking. “I knew you’d be able to hold his burdens, too.”
She reached out and squeezed my hand.
I blinked through the reality of what River was. “It’s really difficult to make sense of something that is both so honorable and depraved.”
Something he could…go to prison for.
For…forever.
Her nodwas slow. We both turned our attention to Nolan where he was playing with Legos on the floor in the living room. We kept our voices low enough that only we could hear.
“He only does what he has to…whenhe has to. For people like him.” She softly gestured with her chin toward the boy. “Could you imagine if it was Nolan? And there are so many women and children just like him. In trouble. Desperate to get free of their situations. Trapped with no way to get out. River makes sure they can. In the moment, I believe most of us would do the same.”
“I know. If someone were in danger right in front of me, and my only option was to…”
My heart hitched, unable to say the words, and my gaze returned to Nolan, sure of the lengths I would go to protect him.
He looked up at that moment with his sweet, sweet grin.
My heart nearly seized with the amount of love I felt for him.
It’s you and me from here to eternity.
My spirit hummed.
It was going to be us.
All of us.
This child a permanent part of my life which made sense since I could already feel him etched in my soul.
Nolan climbed to his feet as if he felt the pull of my heart. “Whelp, I better take a bath because my Daddy-O told me I needed to be extra good today since he was gonna be gone, and I don’t want to go breakin’ any rules. I need a really good report when he gets back because maybe then I’ll get to go get ice cream after I get picked up from Miss Liberty’s tomorrow.”
