Page 142 of Nyx

I would never want the darkness living inside of me to dull that beautiful light of hers.

I know I could get angry and feel a sense of loss at this realization. I could blame my dead father for creating the monster that lives inside of me, but all of it would be a waste of time, a distraction from my purpose here today.

"I don't know if you're keeping an eye on her or if she's keeping an eye on you," Kincaid says as he walks up.

There's humor in his tone, but I don't exactly know what he's implying, or if there even is an implication.

I feel the need to argue, but then she's looking back in my direction, that soft, pretty smile on her face, a sparkle of joy in her eyes, and she doesn't break it as quickly this time.

She's slower to look away, and doesn't pull her eyes from me until a little boy runs up to her and places his palm on the leg of her jeans.

"She's great with kids," Kincaid says, taking a spot beside me that doesn't interfere with my ability to see her. "Victoria told me the kids at Juniper House just gravitate to her."

It makes her loss even more tragic.

"It does," he agrees, making me realize I said the thought out loud.

I watch as she crouches to talk to the little boy who holds up a little plastic duck.

There's a "duck pond" in the center of the park, and the little ducks have a color-coded sticker on the bottom that correlates with each booth. The kids take the duck to the booth to get a prize. It's meant to encourage people to walk around and visit many booths.

The Anchor House was given bright green.

Juliet looks just as excited about the duck as the little boy does as she grabs the treasure chest filled with prizes.

I watch as she holds up her hand to keep the boy from reaching inside, then offers him a wet wipe for his hands. She takes one herself, and he watches and then repeats what she does with the wipe. She holds out her hands, flipping them from front to back. The boy does the same.

Without touching him, she points to something on his hands, and he uses his wipe to clean it vigorously, grinning wildly when she says something to him, and I have no doubt it's words of encouragement and praise for a job well done.

The small child spends the next ten minutes shuffling everything around in that box as if the little toy he picks is going to be the biggest decision of his life.

Victoria spends her time talking with the mother, who has a look about her that makes me believe she's someone in need of their services.

The boy chooses a dinosaur, opens his mouth to roar, and holds it out to Juliet.

I find a bubble of laughter building inside of me when the little boy pretends to have the dinosaur bite her finger, and she yelps, playing along.

I can see her with a gaggle of kids running around her, playing and looking to her for comfort if they have an issue. She would be a fantastic mother, but when the idea of me standing in the background, watching like I'm doing now, only it’s our kids she's spending time with, I have to pump the brakes.

It's too heavy a thought. I don't even know if I want kids, and it's too far, especially since we've only shared a single kiss that she doesn’t regret.

I pull my eyes from her for only a few seconds to scope out the surroundings. All Cerberus members are here, except the ones keeping the Cerberus clubhouse secure and protecting the other two houses.

They're keeping an eye out for Graham and any other threats that might be detrimental to this event.

All the families and every single kid connected to the club are in this park, and there isn't a single member who wouldn't jump in front of a threat without a second thought.

Kincaid seems jovial and happy, but I know inside, he has to be tied in knots. His wife, both daughters, and his grandkids are here. That is a lot of people to worry about, and I know he won't take an easy breath until everyone is back home and safe.

My earpiece has been mostly silent, aside from someone reporting a weird guy lurking around the bathroom on the south side of the park. That man turned out to be a dementia patient from the assisted living facility a few blocks away who slipped past the nursing staff and came to check out what all the activity was.

When it crackles in my ear again, I'm on high alert.

"Kincaid, your two o'clock," Apollo growls.

I look in that direction, my eyes locking immediately on fucking Graham Whitmore. His eyes are angled slightly to my right, and I know exactly who is holding all of his attention.

I feel the warmth of the back of Kincaid's hand press against my sternum, a wordless command to hold steady.