“Yeah, baby?”
“We do have to changeonething before we go back to our house.”
Ourhouse.
The words nearly send me to my knees with relief, but I manage to ask in a semi-reasonable tone, “What’s that?”
Her eyes come to mine and the sparkle of humor in them has my heart rolling over in my chest.
Because it’s a glimpse of the Briar of old.
“The sensor on that window in your office.”
THIRTY-SIX
BRIAR
I watchas River sets the platter on the counter.
That she pauses to do even that seems like a freaking miracle, considering her flurry of movements over the last twenty minutes.
But dinner is cooked.
The house is spotless…or as spotless as it can be with a litter of kittens who have an influx of toys, supplemented all the more by Thorn’s additions.
“Well,” she says, brushing her hands on her pants. “I’ll just head out.”
“Why don’t you stay and eat with us?” I ask.
“Thanks for the offer, sweetheart, but I’d better be getting home.”
My eyes flick to Thorn.
He’s still standing in the kitchen, still holding Violet, who’s curled up against his chest.
But he doesn’t say anything as River bustles toward the front door, grabbing her coat and purse and disappearing through the front door.
He does, however, kiss the top of Violet’s head before setting the kitty down on her feet and following River into the hall.
Without another word.
I turn to Brooks, lift my brows.
He just shrugs. “I guess it’s dinner only for the two of us?”
Grinning, I grab some plates and utensils and we make short work of dishing up the delicious food that River made, despite my best efforts to drop it on the floor.
It’s quiet, almost strange, and I realize I’ve gotten used to the revolving door of Brooks’s friends in the apartment—the rapid-fire conversations, the laughter and stories, Pascal materializing from the shadows with updates about his efforts to track down the Lyon family and whoever they’re working with.
Updates that have brought less than the desired result.
Namely because I’d love for some fictional god to appear and smite them off the face of the Earth, never to bother me or Brooks or any of us ever again.
And also because…I need to get the hell out of this apartment.
I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize what everyone’s working toward, not going to put myself in danger.
But I am going a little insane just living here, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
