“Wait. Aren’t you going to put some clothes on?” Jayla might be out there, and whether they regarded each other as siblings or not, Chloe didn’t want the other woman seeing Erik like this. She’d staked a claim, and she was a possessive lover.
“We’re alone. I would have heard if someone came in.”
But they’d also both been pretty distracted for a while there. Plus, the cameras… “Just humor me.” Climbing under the sheets, she tossed him the blanket.
With a shrug, Erik picked it up and wrapped it around his waist. “I’ll only be a second.”
True to his word, he came right back, his sketch pad in hand. Immediately shedding the blanket, he climbed back in bed with her and began flipping through pages. “I’ve been working on this.”
Chloe let out a sharp bark of laughter. That stupid rattlesnake tattoo. “I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
Erik smirked. “Probably not.”
And speaking of tattoos… Grinning, she asked, “What about that stuff on your legs? What’s that about? Seems an extreme way to keep track of your passwords.”
She regretted the joke when she saw Erik’s expression darken. All traces of humor had fled, and it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.
“A tribute to the fallen. My brothers and sisters who never got a chance to taste freedom or be known by a name. Their lives mattered. They deserve to be remembered. Even if it’s just by me.”
Chloe’s sinuses prickled as tears welled in her eyes. There were so many, and they’d been children. She couldn’t fathom it.
Wrapping her arms around Erik, she held on tight. Swallowing thickly, she managed to say, “Tell me about them. So I can remember them too.”
Erik’s voice was quiet, reverent, as he shared their stories, and Chloe gave him her full attention. She would keep her promise. She would help Erik keep their memories alive, even if only in her heart.
Chapter Twenty
After their heartbreaking conversation,they’d both finally fallen asleep and slept the remainder of the day away. Chloe awoke to find Erik still in bed with her, still holding her, but already awake. She’d expected him to still be sleeping. After all, she hadn’t stayed up all night like he had, so she should have woken first.
He kissed her nose. “Want to go out for that coffee tonight?”
The question perked her up with excitement until she remembered the motivation behind the date was to lure Jackson out. Talk about a mood killer. But she still agreed. She also went all out getting ready. Regardless of the reason behind it, she was excited to go out on a date with Erik.
She had a nice, long shower and took her time preparing. She did her hair, painted her nails, then spent extra time on her makeup to make sure it was perfect, before donning her prettiest dress. The deep burgundy color was one of her most flattering shades. The halter neckline left her shoulders bare, while the gauzy layered fabric of the knee-length skirt floated around her legs as she moved. It was too dressy for a coffee date, and the strappy high-heeled sandals she paired with it would leave her feet cold, but she didn’tcare. She wanted to look her best, and judging by Erik’s face when she stepped out of the bedroom, she’d succeeded.
He stared at her, his lips parted, until Jayla, grinning, whacked him in the stomach with the back of her hand. “Say something,” she hissed.
Chloe let out a low laugh, her cheeks heating with pleasure, as Erik tried to pull himself together. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you. So do you.”
He was dressed similarly to what he’d worn to Danny’s burial, except he’d swapped out the black sweater for an olive green one.
“I feel underdressed.” He waved his hand up and down. “You look… Wow.”
“Yes, yes,” Jayla cut in brusquely. “Everyone gets to look nice and go out and have fun, while poor Jayla is stuck in the car on surveillance with nothing but stale coffee and donuts.”
Erik cut her a look. “I just brewed that pot for you, and you said you wanted donuts.”
“Whatever. Not my point. Are we ready? Do we need to go over the plan?”
They’d chosen a place close to the opera house. Chloe had been there once before with Lattie, and while they served coffee and pastries, it was a place people went to be seen. Young professionals,artists, intellectuals, and grad students. It was just the sort of place the old her would have frequented. The kind of place Jackson would expect her to go. It was busier than she thought it would be, with it being a Sunday night, but they got lucky and managed to snag a table near the large front window when a group of young women left.
“I’ll go order for us?” Erik offered.
Chloe nodded happily and told him what she wanted.
Quietly, for Jayla’s ears, he asked, “You’ve got eyes?” She must have answered in the affirmative, because he dipped his chin and told Chloe, “I’ll be right back.”
