Page 140 of Heir

The men I had posted at their house said there was no movement, and I didn’t know where the fuck they’d gone. They were weeks from being evicted from that house, but their shit was still in there.

It was like they had disappeared. Like ghosts.

Or someone was hiding them.

Grigoriy Savkin, perhaps?

I didn’t know.

It was late. Midnight already, with the full moon reflected in the river and the light shooting through the window.

Gemma was asleep beside me.

I should probably go to sleep, too, but I was finding it harder the closer we got to the anniversary of Jude’s death. We were one week from the date.

I usually shut myself off from the world during this time, but that was before Gemma. I couldn’t just shut her out, and what was more, I didn’t want to.

I wanted to tell her everything.

Tell her my part in his death and how I still carried it with me, even after ten long years.

Tell her how helpless I had felt, lying on the cold concrete ground of the alleyway, unable to move, unable to speak. Just watching as the man grabbed him.

I didn’t know why the fucker didn’t take me.

I closed my tired eyes.

Lying back on the bed, I pulled the covers over us and wrapped my arms tightly around her.

Things were a little more bearable with her around.

Fuck, but I thought I might be in love with her.

I paused, and she shifted a little, releasing a small sigh.

When her breathing evened out again, I relaxed and closed my eyes.

I dreamed of falling off an endless cliff.

I woke up before I hit bottom.

* * *

“Where are we going?”Gemma asked as I put the helmet on her head.

She was excited about getting on the back of my bike, but we weren’t going anywhere until I made sure she was protected.

Her face disappeared in the helmet, and I saw my reflection on the face shield instead.

I was smiling.

Fuck, but her excitement was infectious.

I wondered if she would still be smiling when we finally got to the salon.

My smile widened at the thought. “You’ll just have to wait and see. And if you’re a good girl for me, I’ll reward you when we get home.”

She pushed the face shield up until I could see her.

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