Page 46 of The Royal Flame
Oh, it’s what I need to do, because I won’t be able to relax until I know she’s safe.
And not just in this moment.
Forever.
14
CHAPTER
MADDISON
Ishouldn’t be surprised River wants to come pick me up, but I am. I think even after being around River’s niceness for weeks, I still struggle with people helping me out—and wanting to help me out.
I am eager to talk to him about what I found out today. I want to show him the photo of the yacht and see if recognizes it. If he does and knows who the owner is, that’ll give us a path to figuring out what the hell is going on.
About a half an hour later, just like he said, River walks into the bus station. I’d expect him to text me that he arrived and then I’d go out to him. But nope. River being River, he has to come find me.
I push to my feet and wave at him as he scans the room. The tension in his expression alleviates as he spots me. Then he hurries toward me, winding around chairs and people until he reaches me.
“Hey…” I start, but trail off as he loops his arms around my waist, lifts me up, and hugs the ever loving crap out of me.
My eyes involuntarily lower as I hug him back, feeling a bit shaking. I breathe in the scent of his cologne, and warmth spills through my veins.
Safe.
I feel so safe.
I burrow my face into his neck, which I could stay here forever.
“Wow,”: River whispers, sounding in awe.
Maybe he feels that warmth too?
It’s crazy to feel this way when I’ve only been away from him for a handful of hours.
He hugs me for a while longer before finally pulling back. His free hand smoothes across the back of my head. “You’re okay, right?”
I nod. “I’m fine. But I do have some stuff to tell you.”
A crease forms between his brows.
Before he can ask, I whisper, “Not in here.”
He nods once, tensing, as he glances around. Then he lets me go, but threads out fingers together as he leads me out of the bus station and to the parking lot where he’s parked his car. I don’t even have to search for it. In the sea of old vehicles, River’s nice and shiny car stands out like a rose in a sea of daisies.
He pushes the key fob, the headlights blink, and then he opens the passenger door open for me. I slide in onto the leather seat and he shuts the door. Then he climbs in and starts up the engine. As it roars to life, he cranks up the heat due to the rain-chilled air still lingering outside. The leather is cold against my skin and I start to shiver as the heat that blast out of the vents is cold.
“Do you want my jacket?” River offers when he notices me shivering.
I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
But as I continue to shiver, he sighs and shucks off his jacket. I try not to take it but he’s persistent enough that I finally grab it from his hand. I drape it over my body like a blanket and again, my nostrils are greeted with the scent of his cologne.
Safe.
Safe.
Safe.
