Page 8 of Claimed By River

Nadia is fiery and can hold her own. Seeing her like this makes me want to put someone in the ground. I shove it down and focus on her.

“Hey.” I keep my voice low and steady. “Look at me.”

She tries. “He said...” Her voice breaks. “He said he finally found me.”

I wrap my arms around her before she can crumble completely. She stiffens for the briefest moment, then melts against my chest, gripping my shirt tighter as a shudder works through her body.

“You’re okay,” I murmur.

“You don’t understand.”

“Then help me understand.”

For several seconds, she says nothing. I simply hold her while the shop sits eerily quiet around us. The front door hasn’t opened since we unlocked this morning, the tattoo machines remain silent, and somewhere in the back, a coffee maker clicks as it finishes brewing.

“I can’t stay here,” she finally whispers. “I have to leave.”

“No.”

She pulls back just enough to stare at me. “You don’t know who he is.”

“I know enough.”

“No, you don’t.” Panic sharpens every word. “I stayed too long. I got comfortable. I made mistakes.”

“You got a job. You made friends. That’s not a mistake.”

“It is for someone like me.”

I shake my head. “No.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me.”

She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Fear wins before the words ever have a chance. I make the decision for both of us. I flip the sign on the front door from OPEN to CLOSED, lock it, and pull the blinds shut. The appointments can wait. Whatever this is takes priority.

She watches me with wide, frightened eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Taking care of you.”

“River—”

I cut her off, barely keeping my fury in check. “You’re not handling this alone.”

I guide her toward the staircase leading to the apartment above the shop. She follows without arguing, though her hand never lets go of my sleeve as if she’s afraid I’ll disappear if she does.

Raiden answers the apartment door a few seconds after I knock. His expression shifts from mild curiosity to concern the instant he sees Nadia. “What happened?”

“I need a favor.”

He steps aside immediately. “Come in.”

Elodie appears from the kitchen carrying two mugs before she notices Nadia’s tear-streaked face. She sets them down so quickly that coffee sloshes over the rim.

“Nadia?”

Within seconds, she’s beside her, gently taking Nadia’s hand. “Oh, sweetheart.”