He nodded. “I’ll call them tomorrow.”
Christopher checked in at the courthouse office to collect his personal belongings on the way out. As they’d arrested him in his pajamas, there wasn’t much.
“I’ll give you two a ride,” said Andrew. “Glad you’re both okay.”
Christopher laced his fingers through mine. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 26
The first thing Christopher and I did upon entry at home was to set the alarm. We searched the house together, from top to bottom, to ensure that we were alone. The pool of blood in the entryway had been scrubbed away. If they’d taken samples, they would have Eric’s DNA to match when he was caught. They might not have tested it because Christopher had confessed.
Holding hands, we checked room to room. Upstairs, where I’d slept the last night, the teddy bear lay upside down on the floor beside the bed. Christopher picked up his old bear.
He tightened his grip on my hand and we continued our search, checking Brandon’s old room next door. The second room was also empty. Christopher lowered the stairs to the attic and completed a thorough inspection. I suspected Eric had hidden there, but he wasn’t there now. When we finished searching the house, we double-checked the locks on the doors and windows. Our home was one place where we would be safe.
Christopher lifted me to the kitchen counter, spread my knees, and stepped in for a long hug. I closed my eyes and breathed in his mocha scent that made me feel safe and loved. With Eric at large, I could only relax when Christopher and I were together. I leaned in and enjoyed this moment. We’d almost lost each other, and it was a relief to touch and feel each other breathe.
Christopher cried while I held on. I’d cry later—this was his turn. He was a private person and wouldn’t want to share these feelings with anyone else. I was honored that he trusted me. When he finished, we sat perpendicular to each other on the couch, with my legs across his lap. I leaned on him and the arm of the couch, my cast in front. My arm was painful, but it was overshadowed by the love surrounding me.
We had so much to talk about, but I didn’t know where to start. I wanted to hear about his time away, but the time was lost. I didn’t want to share too much at once, but in bits and pieces, I explained what had happened. I couldn’t stop looking at him, noticing subtle differences. His cheekbones looked more defined, his cheeks hollower. He needed to eat.
“The house didn’t feel the same without you. It didn’t feel like my home.”
“I want to add you to the title of the house—even before we get married. If anything happens to me, I need to know that you have a place that’s safe, a home. I worried about that when I was in the lab.”
“You didn’t eat enough,” I said as I stroked his cheek.
“I lost my appetite.”
My finger traced the lines of his face. His lawyer had made him shave before court. I held his smooth jaw in my hand. He caught my hand and kissed my palm, electricity in his touch.
“You didn’t eat enough either. When I hug you, I swear I feel every rib. I’m worried you’ll break.”
“I’m not that fragile. We can take turns cooking our favorite dinners. I’ve missed eating with you.”
“You were brave today,” Christopher said. “I know talking in court wasn’t easy. I’d given up until you and Dr. Maeve arrived. That was the first time I’d allowed myself to hope.”
“You didn’t look at me.”
“I was scared, but the second you walked in, I sensed your crystal-clear thoughts. You were on a mission.” He paused. “Thank you for being on time.”
He traced circles by my collar bones. I swallowed. I’d missed him in so many ways, and my pulse quickened. I hadn’t known if we’d want sex tonight, but now, I hoped.
“My brother visited when I was in jail. He sounded shaken. They’d brought in him for questioning and he has a court hearing for his part in the human trials next month.”
“Maybe he can prove he was a victim and not a villain.”
“He injected himself, so we need proof they coerced him, at least in the beginning,” he said, raking a hand through his hair.
“Maybe Eric threatened him,” I said with a shrug, thinking back to the original call I’d overheard.
“Maybe we can help him,” Christopher said. “But he says he likes the clarity of his mind. Emotions are distractions.”
“I don’t want to talk about Eric or Brandon tonight.”
“What should we talk about?” Christopher’s voice lowered.
His heart sped up beneath my hand and he touched my face again. His laser beam gaze turned to me. “What would you like to do?”
