Page 128 of Coveted

“It can still be nice,” I say. “Giving you guidance is better than leaving you to fend for yourself. I mean, what would you want for your children?”

“For them to look like you.”

His words derail my train of thought, and I turn my burning face away from him.

“Don’t do that.” He touches my chin to direct me back. “Don’t hide from me. You can’t, for one thing. I won’t let you.”

“Okay. I’ll try not to.”

His eyes become serious. “I need to tell you something. It might be difficult to hear, but I think you should know.”

Oh god, what has he done now? Chipped me in my sleep?

Bracing myself, I fold my arms. “Go on.”

“It’s not about me. It’s something I found out.”

My imagination runs wild with possibilities, but I don’t come close to guessing correctly.

“I looked into the circumstances of Russell’s death in prison,” says Lucan. “And I got ahold of his criminal case file.”

My chest tightens. “Why would you do that?”

“You said he was brutalized, not just killed. It gave me a hunch.” He pauses. “After Russell was arrested for arson, his trailer was searched. Police recovered hard drives containing the type of pictures and videos that—” He clears his throat. “Gets people killed in prison.”

I’m unable to process what I’m hearing, and my breathing becomes uneven.

“What? Do you mean⁠—”

“Russell was a monster. I didn’t know if I should tell you, since he was at your place a lot, and you were a teenager. Did he ever try⁠—”

“To me?” Nausea rocks my body. “No. When Mom was out, I left too, because I hated Russell. I was almost never alone with him.”

“An inmate jumped him in prison because word leaked about his interest in kids. The assault wasn’t random, and it wasn’t your fault.”

Numbness comes over me. “I don’t know what to feel. It’s not like I framed him for that reason. I just wanted him away from my mom.”

Lucan puts his warm hands on my shoulders, the weight soothing. “Right. You clocked him as the soul-sucking piece of shit he was. You just didn’t know everything about him yet.”

“It doesn’t let me off the hook though, does it?”

“For what it’s worth, I think the only one keeping you on the hook is you. It’s your call whether you want to move on or not. But making yourself miserable won’t bring anything good into the world.” He draws me close. “Living your life might though.”

Exhaling, I bury my face in his broad chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his breath. I allow myself to melt into him on a deeper level than just physically.

It’s official. Lucan Hale has touched my heart. I’m not quite handing it over to him yet, but he’s definitely earned a certain level of trust from me.

The effect his support has had on me is substantial. By sharing what I once believed unshareable, I feel like maybe I’m not doomed after all.

I can decide to move on. Move forward. Have a real life, be a real person.

I know Lucan’s grim past too. He trusted me enough to confide in me. What if he’s right about us being perfect for one another?

I came to Darkbloom for an education, but I might’ve found so much more.

CHAPTER 33

Sadie