“Okay, we’re excusing ourselves from you lovebirds,” Maeve said with a smile. She and Salah left Jess’s apartment.
“We need to talk about what we’re going to do and where we’ll live,” Jess stated as she curled into Mitch’s side.
Mitch grinned. “Later,” he declared and pounced on her.
Diarmad
“All alone?” a woman murmured, and Diar glanced up. She was someone he’d seen in passing, but he didn’t know her name or her shifted form.
“I was, but you’re welcome to join me. I’m Diar McDonald,” he said warmly.
“Bronwen Thomas. I’m Phoenix,” she introduced herself as she sat on the bench, but kept a careful distance. “You come here a lot.”
“I like the outdoors. Being surrounded by wilderness grounds and humbles you. All the world is much bigger than your petty problems,” Diar replied.
“Nature is a miracle in itself.”
“Yes. Its power is unsurpassed and immense. A forest fire may kill everything in its path, but life will find a way to rejuvenate a burned area.”
“Can I ask you something?” Bronwen asked
“Of course.”
“And you’ll answer?”
Diar chuckled. “We’ll have to see. What is it?”
“The centre I escaped from, were you aware I was there?” Bronwen whispered.
Dair held her eyes. “No. If I had, I’d have come for you.”
“You don’t know me.”
“No, but you didn’t deserve torture or being experimented on. Nobody deserves that,” Diar said sadly.
“Thank you,” Bronwen murmured and looked out at the view. “The valley is a masterpiece of art.”
“It is,” Diar agreed, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence.
Chapter Sixteen.
Jess/Loch Ness Monster
“No.”
Mitch shook his head at her reply. “Jess—”
“No.”
“Jess…”
“Mitch, they’re going to be looking for you. I know what you did. You didn’t just go after Frederick. You’re preparing to take the entire family down. Maeve wouldn’t have lingered once you gave her permission. Neither of us knows what is happening out there, but I bet it’s freaking chaos.”
Mitch sighed, and Jess waited. She knew she was correct, and Mitch was being stubborn. “That’s why I have to attend. Jess, my name will be mentioned, and the public will believe I’m running because I’ve something to hide.”
“He’s right. The media are questioning where Mitch is. I know you two have been locked in the love shack for a week, but all hell’s breaking loose. The arrests of the entire Weideman family and their alleged attempted assassinations on Mitch are leading people to wonder if he’s dead,” Leon said.
“They can take a hike,” Jess shot back.
