Page 81 of A Midnight Romance
“What the actual fuck, Lux!” She jumps to her feet. “Who are these guys?”
I knew she’d have a million questions and unfortunately I’m unable to answer all of them, because some I’m still figuring out myself.
“They have a technology company here in Seattle, so they come from a lot of money. But at night they run this vigilante type organization.”
“You know how completely insane this sounds, right? Not to mention dangerous.”
At the mention of River or Sebastian being a danger, I match her stance, ready to defend them. River would never hurt me.
“It’s not like that, Stevie, they’re the good guys.”
She runs a hand through her long curly hair. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“I know, like I said before, it’s like living in a veritable nightmare.”
“This is absolutely insane. River’s obviously this tech billionaire”—she waves a hand around the bedroom—“who’s some sort of vigilante who just agreed to help you?”
“Essentially.”
“And you’re okay with this? Like, you want to kill these men?” A slight inflection in her voice.
“Yes.”
“This is not normal, Lux.”
“Nothing about this is. Nothing about how I feel or the darkness eaten at my insides is. I’m not sleeping at night because I’m either scared or worried, and I’m still trying to figure it all out.”
“Fuck.”
“But what I do know is those men cannot be allowed to continue doing what they’re doing to women.”
“Then why not just let Dad and the police handle it?”
“Absolutely not. Andrew has money. He could hire the best lawyers and get away with everything. You and I both know the justice system has its limitations—but River and Sebastian don’t.”
“Andrew?”
“Yes, one of the men. He’s a hotel heir, and River has reason to believe he targeted me because of Dad.”
Saying the words aloud is difficult, because not only do they echo inside my skull, but they hit the air with weight. It’s overwhelming and leaves me with more questions which I hope will be answered in time.
“Oh my god.”
“I don’t have any more details about it, because he only briefly mentioned it to me tonight. He also said you should consider staying here for your safety.”
Her eyelids flutter as her hands fly into the air with palms up. “No way. I want nothing to do with this. I have a job and life. Thisis fucking insane.”
I know it’s a lot for her to process. Ever since we were kids, my sister can get overwhelmed easily. But she’s practical and a realist so after a good night’s sleep, she’ll be less in shock and more level headed.
“Fine. At least stay tonight?”
“Uh…okay.” Her focus is distant, as if she is putting the pieces together. “But I don’t have anything here.”
I smile in an attempt to lighten the mood a little and walk over to the closet. “River had his personal shopper drop racks of clothing for me. And since you’ve always stolen my clothes anyway, they’re all yours too.”
“Funny.” She chuckles, then her expression turns. “In a questionably moral way, I think he likes you.”
I blush. “Maybe.”
