“Us too,” Silas nods, “Just go careful.”
Leaving them to it, I head upstairs and start preparing a bag to take to the falls, but Roman joins me soon after, leaning on the door to the room he originally gave me when I moved in here.
“You should move everything over,” He muses as he watches me.
“You got space in your closet, cowboy?” I grin over my shoulder at him.
“Fuck, I love those dimples.” He groans, “And yes. I have space. We should clear out your studio too.”
I nod, “Okay.”
“I’ll go grab some things.” He heads into his bedroom, and I listen as he rummages around, opening and closing drawers before he comes back with a towel and a pair of swim shorts.
By the time we return from the falls, none of us has heard anything about Jenson’s arrest. It’s only been a couple of hours, so we need to have a little patience, but Roman is getting nervous. The energy in the house has slowly grown heavier with every minute the clock ticks down, and it only got worse when his brothers returned. Silas is distracted at least with his kids, trying to put on a show so they don’t pick up on the tension pressing against the walls, but they sense it regardless.I can see it in the muted way they play, their touches lighter, voices quieter.
It breaks my heart for all of them.
Just a couple more hours, I’m sure, and someone will get the call to put everyone at ease. Roman’s fingers whisper on my knee, going in circles, around and around as he watches his niece and nephew play, looking but not really seeing while Remy aimlessly scrolls on his phone. Patience has never been a strength for me, it makes my skin crawl, no matter how much I tell myself that waiting is normal.
“Anyone else about to rip their hair out?” Remy tosses his cell down onto the cushion beside him, and he throws his head back onto the couch. “Fuck, it’s making me itch.”
“That’s a swear!” Rosie gasps. “Pay up, Uncle Remy.”
“You run a tight ship, bestie; nothing gets past you.” Remy reaches for his wallet and pulls out at least five or six ten-dollar bills, slipping them into the jar. “That should cover me for the night.”
Roman chuckles and shakes his head, but it’s tense. “Too used to life moving fast.”
“Maybe we should unfold some garden chairs and sit on the road. Get a front-row seat to the cops moving in,” Remy wiggles his brows. “That would be fun to watch.”
“Is there a bad guy?” Caleb’s ears perk up at the mention of cops, and he swings his gold eyes to his dad.
“No bud,” Silas lies, “Everything is fine.”
I’m just about to open my mouth to suggest we go out for dinner or something for a distraction when mycell buzzes and a number I don’t recognize lights up the screen.
I hit answer and put it on speaker. “Hello?”
“Niamh?” Oscar’s voice sounds through the cell. “It’s Deputy Wright.”
“Is there news?” I press.
“We have the warrant,” He tells me. “Deputies were sent to bring Jenson in, but his wife confirmed he hasn’t been home since last night.”
“So he’s made a run for it?” Silas grunts in frustration.
“His image has been sent out, he won’t be able to go anywhere without someone recognizing him,” Oscar says, his voice crackling over the line. “It may be wise, however, to be cautious until he is caught. He’s unpredictable and desperate.”
“I’ll keep my family safe,” Roman grumbles, scrubbing a hand over his mouth.
“You do that,” Oscar replies with a bite in his tone. “Stay safe, Niamh.”
The line cuts off.
“Stay safe, Niamh.”Remy mimics Oscar with a curl to his mouth. “That dude is insufferable. Could he make it anymore obvious?”
“Not a bad thing to have a cop on her side,” Silas says it like it leaves an unpleasant taste in his mouth but, shockingly, Roman agrees.
“The more people to keep you safe, the better.”
