Page 59 of Cruel Salvation

“Some company would be nice.”

She had never been the type to need company or crave another person’s closeness, but she found she missed Damon more and more when he wasn’t around. He pulled up a chair beside her at the kitchen table and draped an arm over the back of her chair, his warmth seeping into her skin.

Using the skills Watchdog had given her, she infiltrated the dark web and began poking around for any clues on where Andrea might be. What Lotus discovered, though, made her sick to her stomach. Post after post taunting her with messages about how she was responsible for all the killing he’d done and how he’d never be stopped before he killed her too. Despite her best efforts to stay composed, Lotus found herself becoming increasingly distressed as she read each message, her hands shaking while she heard Tim’s twisted thoughts. When Damon caught wind of what was going on, his face filled with fury and protectiveness as he turned to Lotus, ready to do whatever it took to keep them out of harm’s way.

“Stop reading them, Naz.”

“I have to find out if there are any clues here.”

His hand rested on her neck as he looked at her. “Then let me or Watchdog do it.”

“It should be me.”

“Why, baby? Why torture yourself?”

Lotus sighed, leaning into his touch. “I feel like I need to do something, Damon. I can’t just sit around and wait for him to come for me.”

“You’re not just sitting around, you’re actively trying to find him. But you don’t need to subject yourself to his sick messages. Let the others handle it.”

She nodded, feeling the weight of his words. “Okay.”

Damon stood up, pulling her with him. “Come on, let’s take a walk and clear our heads.”

They stepped outside, the crisp air filling their lungs. Lotus breathed in the fresh scent of the countryside she loved and let it soothe her frayed nerves. Damon laced their fingers together, leading her along the winding path that surrounded the safe house.

“It’s going to be okay, Lotus. We’ll find him and stop him and Andrea.”

“I know,” she said softly, leaning into him. “It’s just... I can’t shake the feeling that I’m responsible for all of this.”

Damon halted their walk, turning to face her. His eyes were filled with love and understanding. “You’re not responsible for Tim Cooper’s actions. He made that choice on his own.”

“But if I had just—”

“Stop. There’s nothing you could have done to prevent this. You’re doing everything you can to stop him now. That’s all that matters.”

Lotus nodded, feeling the weight of his words lift a little of the burden she’d been carrying. Damon leaned in to kiss her, his lips soft and gentle against hers. As they pulled back, Lotus felt a sense of longing deep within her. Damon seemed to sense it too, his eyes darkening with desire. Yet they couldn’t do anything about the mounting heat and desire building between them.

“You thought about when you might want to move in with me?”

Her gaze shot to him, gratefully acknowledging the way he was changing the subject. She tossed the ball back in his court. “When do you want me to move in with you?”

“As soon as we have the keys. I want us to start our life together now.”

“Isn’t that a little soon?”

His warm chuckle danced along her spine as he took her hand in his much larger one. “I think that ship has sailed. We’re having a baby and, honestly, I don’t believe in time limits. When you know, you know.”

“Oh yeah, and when did you know?”

He stopped them just feet from the entrance to the house and gazed at her with everything he felt for her exposed on his features. “The second I met you.”

Lotus raised a brow. “The second I met you, I threw a cloth bag over your head and kidnapped you.”

His smirk made the pulse between her legs pound. “Maybe the second moment.”

“You’re a crazy man.”

“Crazy for you.”