“I feel it every day,” she whispers.“Every day.He was the love of my life.”
I’m no longer sure I believe that either.Did she love Brant?Yes.I still believe that much.But I don’t know if she loved him when she killed him.I’m beginning to think she stopped loving him a long time ago.Her jealousy of Raven poisoned her.It destroyed Brant.I’ll be damned before I let it destroy Raven too.
“I’ve kept my mouth shut and played your little game because you’re carrying his kid,” I say quietly.“But you’re paying her tuition and you’re sending her new cards.You’re going to treat her with the respect she deserves and you’re going to stop playing fucking games with her trust.If you don’t, the only time you’ll hold that kid is when you’re giving birth in a prison ward.”
“You wouldn’t,” she says.
“Try me.”
“You’ll go down too.”
“I know.”I hold her gaze, not blinking.“The difference between you and me, Marnie?You pretend to feel guilt.I actually feel it.I deserve to rot in a fucking prison for helping you.If taking you down means I go down with you, so be it.”
For the first time, doubt enters her expression, followed by the first inklings of fear.She knows I mean it.Good.“You don’t mean that,” she whispers anyway.“It was an accident, Rhys.”
“Pay her tuition, Marnie,” I growl, stepping around her to the door.“Don’t test me.”
“Rhys, wait!I’ll pay the tuition.Of course, I will.But you aren’t doing her any favors with the credit cards,” she says.“You may think I’m some monster, but I’m not.I’m trying to help her.She’s never had the chance to figure out what she’s made of because Brant was always there to rescue her.Now, she’s on her own.She needs to prove to herself that she can take care of herself.”
“No,” I say softly, pulling the door open.“You’re on your own, Marnie.Raven isn’t.She’ll never be on her own.She’ll never be you.”
“And when she graduates, she’ll be in charge of Brant’s company,” she snaps.“How do you expect her to run a company when she doesn’t even know what she’s capable of doing?You think you’re doing her some big favor by swooping in to save the day, but you aren’t.All you’re doing is ensuring that she fails before she ever has a chance to succeed.”
“I know exactly what she’s capable of,” I say.“You’re the one underestimating her and we both know you’re doing it because you’re desperate to hold onto his company.You can lie to yourself and pretend this is about you helping her if that makes you sleep better at night, but you can’t lie to me.You aren’t getting the company, Marnie.I’ll burn the entire fucking thing to the ground before I let that happen.”
ChapterSix
RAVEN
“Can I ask you a question?”I blurt, not even waiting for the front door to close behind Rhys
He rakes his sunglasses down his nose, pinning me with a look that makes my stomach quiver and jump.His half-smirk sends my heart into overdrive.How he’s still single, I don’t know.The man is ridiculously hot, especially when he’s dressed for work.I never knew a man carrying a badge and a gun could be sexy, but this one is.
“You been working up the nerve to ask me this question long?”he asks.
“Only most of the day,” I admit with a rueful laugh, tucking my legs under me on the sofa.As usual, he reads me like a book.He’s scary good at it.It’s been two days since he went to see Marnie.I don’t know how he did it, but she paid my tuition.I got the email yesterday.She texted to tell me that she was sending new credit cards to me too.I told her not to worry about it.She never responded to that message.I know she read it though.
I’ve been dying to know what happened, but he hasn’t shared.He hasn’t said anything at all about it, in fact.When I told him I got the email, he just grunted and said good.I’m not sure what that means, but it’s driving me crazy.
Rhys and I have settled into a…I don’t know what to call it, honestly.Anytime I’m within five feet of him, my body aches.It feels like the air around me catches fire.I want to throw myself into his arms and let the flames consume us.I know he feels it too.But somehow, we’ve both managed to keep our hands to ourselves.Whenever I feel myself slipping, I blurt my dad’s name.
He knows what I’m doing when I do it.He doesn’t call me on it.Instead, he shares some memory of my dad, or I do.It’s helped in more ways than one.Being able to talk about him with someone who loved him just as much as I do is healing.For once, I don’t feel completely alone with my grief.I don’t cry myself to sleep at night.
We remember and we laugh.
“What’s your question, songbird?”He tosses his glasses on the table by the door.His badge goes next.He’ll keep the gun on his hip until he gets to his room.That goes in the safe.I’m not sure if he’s always so careful with it or if he’s just extra cautious because I’m here.
“What happened with Marnie?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” he mutters.“Women like her poison themselves until they’re bitter, miserable, and die alone.My mother is the same way.”
“Really?”I frown, pulling a throw pillow into my lap.“I didn’t know that.”
“Don’t talk about her much.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugs.“She didn’t raise me.My stepmom did.”A smile overtakes his face, lighting him up.“She’s a real mom.She’d do anything for me.I have a little sister, Cassia.She isn’t my dad’s kid, but my stepmom would do anything for her too.As far as she’s concerned, Cassia is family too.”
