“To get you started,” Dane decrees. “Anything else you need, simply let me know, and I’ll make it happen.”
When I don’t immediately jump on his offer, Dane pulls out a picture on his phone and slides it in front of me. “Sophia’s why I started this business. It wasn’t just about the money, it was to offer her a distraction from her suffering. To let her explore magical worlds and feelwhole.To forget for even just a few hours that she can’t just get up and go for a walk on the beach because it takes too much out of her. That no matter how much she loves the forest, hiking is out of the question. In virtual reality, she can do anything, be anyone.” He captures my gaze, eyes hard. “And I refuse to lose her because you don’t want to even try.Please.”
The fight stills in my lungs, looking at her willowy figure stretched out in bed, staring out the bay window without really seeing anything. She looks like she’s given up. Like she’s simply drifting through life without meaning.
As lost as I was before I found Mercy Ridge.
I share a tentative look with Myles. “I… suppose it couldn’t really hurt totry, right? Worst case scenario is we can’t help her, but she’s not anyworseoff.”
Myles mulls it over before quietly admitting, “All I ever wanted was for my inventions to help people.”
“Me too. Maybe just to escape their shitty lives for a little while, but if I can do something more and really help? I’d like to at least try.”
Dane exhales in relief. “So you’ll take the job?”
When I search the rest of my mates’ faces for confirmation, I find only support and encouragement. Sucking down a shaky breath, I extend my hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
Chapter 17
Bellamy
Adjusting the angle of the final camera, I return to my computer and sift through the new feeds around the property to make sure everything’s up and running.
It’s so much easier to stalk your girlfriend when you have free access to her home to hide new cameras.
A soft ping has me minimizing the feeds, opening up a new window with the records I’ve been waiting for. Can’t be too thorough when someone takes an interest in my mate.
“Seriously?” I huff, frustration growing the longer I scroll. The guy’s never had so much as a cavity. The only real blemish on his record is a C in shop class, and even then, it looks like a pity passing from the teacher. Dane Nocturne may excel at running a business, but from the few pictures from his middle school science fair and high school yearbook clubs, there’s a good reason he hired my mate; he can’t createshithimself.
But I’m not finding any skeletons in his closet or ties to anything shady. His mate is a little more interesting at least. At first glance, Sophia Nocturne’s practically a ghost. Her only digital footprint is doctor visits and medical bills. But after reading up on how medically frail she is from her records, twothings are clear. There’s nothing to indicate she was previously abused, and she’s receiving the best care Mr. Nocturne can buy.
Doing one more scan of the documents I’ve compiled on them, I finally admit to myself that I’m on edge when it comes to mysts in general and amlookingfor problems. But I’m not seeing any red flags.
Sighing, I close the tabs and bring up the cameras again, flicking through each individually to ensure they’re running without issue and searching for blind spots. Arson shoving a salt lick in our new pet’s cage, Myles working on his part of our surprise in the basement; nothing interesting. As I get to the next feed, though, I stop, grinning at the screen as Ever strips off the giant comforter from the bed and flips it the bird, replacing it with five blankets.
“Clever girl.” No more fighting over the blanket at night, or whoever’s on the end freezing when someone rolls over.
Makes it easier to swap out the wet spots, too.
“What the hell, you pervert?” Ledger’s voice directly behind me has me startling in my chair. “You’respyingon her?”
I realize this looks bad. Installing a camera in our bedroom withoutexaaaaaaactlytelling our mate may not have been the best move in hindsight. But I’m not taking any chances when it comes to her safety.
“I mean, look at her.” I gesture at the screen to plead my case. “Why would I waste time watching anything else?”
He leans over my shoulder, scowl softening into a yearning look mingled with desire as we watch our mate rearrange the pillows, appreciating the way she crawls over the massive bed, every curve on display.
“Fuck,” he breathes, knuckles whitening as he grips the back of my computer chair.
For a few minutes, we simply watch her until he finallygets it.Sure, a little voyeur kink is inevitable in my line of work, butat its core, watching Ever has never been overtly sexual for me. She’s my obsession. It doesn’t matter if she’s simply scrolling on her phone, reading, or playing games. Watching her soothes something inside of me that’s hard to describe. Ineedto know where she is. What she’s doing. Assure myself that she’s safe and happy. Or if there’s anything she needs, but would never ask for, because she’s never had anyone love her the way she deserves before.
Until me.
Untilus.
If this is what it feels like when she hasn’t even claimed me, I don’t understand how anyone can survive losing their bonded mate.
Speaking of…
