“Yeah.” Her eyes soften slightly. “But this feels different.”
The door shuts behind her, and I’m left wondering what the hell she meant by that.
I stepout onto the balcony to get some air and find River standing near the railing with his phone pressed to his ear and tension radiating through every muscle in his body.
He’s in his element. Managing crisis. Calculating angles. Controlling variables. He was born for this. The politics. The strategy. The restraint.
He’s just finishing the call as I approach.
“Casello?” I ask.
He nods, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I just got word from one of our allies that he’s been asking around for footage of that night. Apparently, cell towers put his men within a half-mile radius of Oracle. He doesn’t have proof yet, but his suspicion is growing.”
“Let it.” I say with a shrug. “He won’t find anything.”
“Briggs is double-checking surveillance, anyway. Bars, ATMs, anything that might’ve caught movement in the area.” River turns to face me fully. “You’re sure no one saw what happened?”
“I already told you, I’m sure.”
He studies me for a moment, and I wonder if he can see through me the way Athena can. If he can tell I’m lying.
“Sorry to keep asking you.” He says, his voice quiet. “I’m just worried about what’ll happen if it comes out.”
“If it does, I’ll handle it.”
River shakes his head. “No. You’ve always taken on the brunt of things. Even when you didn’t deserve to. Especially then.” He pauses, his eyes flicking to mine as a flicker of shame crosses his face. “If shit hits the fan, promise me you won’t try to handle it alone.”
I clench my jaw, hating how real the conversation turned. “Okay.” I mutter. “I promise.”
“Good.” He says, clapping a hand on my shoulder before heading back inside. “And get some sleep. You look like shit.”
I give him a nod and stare out at the grounds surrounding our family home. It's an imposing place. All stone and iron and calculated intimidation. My father purposely designed it that way. For it to be a physical representation of the power he held, not only over this city, but over everyone in his home. I spent most of my childhood wishing I could burn it to the ground. Then my father died, and everything that made this place unbearable went with him. The memories of his cruelty are still here, embedded into the walls and into the recesses of my mind. But so are the people worth staying for.
A few weeks ago, Bambi was a stranger. A loose end that turned into something else entirely. I can tell myself that I’m not doing anything wrong. That I’m able to handle my obligations to this family while also keeping her in my life.
But when I return to my office and take a seat back at my desk, one thought keeps circling my mind. River isn’t an idiot, and sooner or later, he’s going to find out about Bambi’s involvement. When he does, he’ll want me to take care of the problem. The logical choice is obvious. River is my brother. My family. The person I’ve bled for more times than I can count. Bambi is... something else.
The choice should be easy.
So why does the thought of putting a bullet through her skull make me want to gouge my own eyes out?
CHAPTER TEN
Dahlia
It’s beenover two weeks since Echo showed up at my bookstore, and in that time, he’s texted me every day.
Not just once, either. Multiple times. Morning check-ins, random observations, questions that feel designed to map the inside of my head.
What are you afraid of?
What do you regret?
What do you want that you won’t let yourself have?
I answer some. Deflect others. But I always respond. Because the alternative is him showing up in person again, and after what went down last time, I’m not sure I can handle that.
The memory of that day is singed in my brain. The feel of his fingers on my neck, of his thumb pressed against my pulse, and of the way he looked at me like he wanted to devour me whole. All of it haunts me.
