Page 108 of Touch of Hate
“Where are you? Can you tell me?”
“I don’t know, exactly. But that’s not why—”
“You can’t tell me anything? Dammit, you should’ve called the house so we could track your location.”
This is spinning out of control. I turn away from the bathroom toward the window, my voice little more than a breath. “Listen to me, for fuck’s sake. That’s not why I’m calling. I don’t need to be rescued. I’m not the problem.”
Wrong choice of words. So very wrong. “Ren is? What’s wrong with him? What’s he doing to you?”
“Nothing, I swear! But he’s—”
Everything in me freezes for a heartbeat when the latch clicks. When Ren opens the door behind me.
In the time it takes the hinges to squeal, I end the call, clutching the phone to my chest in one trembling fist. Please, don’t let him see. Don’t let him know. All at once, a deep certainty of the betrayal he’ll interpret this as slams into me and makes my stomach churn.
“Hey,” he murmurs, sounding playful. “I was thinking, we should conserve the hot water. Wanna join me?”
He hasn’t noticed. I wonder if he realizes he left the phone sitting out. I have to answer him. “Give me a second so the water will run hot by the time I get in there. I’m not used to cold showers like you are.” I throw a careless grin over my shoulder, my teeth grinding together.
He only laughs softly, arching an eyebrow. “Better hurry. I’m not in a patient mood.” He ends on a growl before closing the door, leaving my body to sag a little as the tension breaks and my muscles go watery.
There’s no time to call Q again. All I can do is delete the record of the call, then place the phone exactly where I found it.
The sense of guilt at betraying Ren’s trust leaves a sour taste in my mouth, but I had the right intentions.
He needs help, and I don’t think I’m the person best suited to give it to him.
27
REN
“The biggest little city in the world.”
She hasn’t said much throughout our drive, and until now, I imagined she was too upset to speak. Not that I’d be much fun to converse with. I’m a bit too distracted for that.
I’ve been too distracted all week.
With that in mind, I reach over to squeeze her thigh once we’ve passed beneath the sign spanning the width of Virginia Street. “It’s a shame you’re a little kid, or we could do some gambling.”
“Shut up,” she warns, swatting at my hand. “I look older than my age.”
“They’d probably card you, child. Not that it matters, we won’t have time for that,” I continue, scanning both sides of the street as we roll along. I haven’t seen any familiar faces, but I can’t shake the idea of William being out here somewhere. Preying on stupid kids who don’t know any better.
Would he recognize me?
Are they on alert after what happened to Christian?
Get it together. River’s voice reverberates in my head like a gong, centering me for a moment. I can’t afford to let paranoia tear me to pieces. Not with the stakes this high. It’s all riding on me. All of our planning, countless hours of recon work.
The sacrifices. I’ve lost track of how many our mission has required.
I said goodbye to my entire life.
No, on second thought, not my entire life.
She’s still here, beside me through everything. She’s all I need. All the reason in the world to build a new life, a better life. For her sake.
And I will—we will.