Page 88 of Whispers in the Dark
“I think he knew something about Elias, about what he left behind. Maybe people, maybe information. And he wanted to know if you’d stand with me when it surfaced. If you’d protect me when it stopped being theory and started becoming dangerous.”
Alex laughed under his breath, but there was no humor in it. “So, what? I was being vetted by a convicted psychopath?”
“No,” Charlotte said quietly. “I was being warned. And I didn’t understand the message until now.”
Alex’s eyes stayed on her, his voice quieter now but no less intent. “What are you really saying, Charlotte? That Elias isn’t here for revenge, but for… guidance?”
Charlotte held his gaze. “Now that his father’s gone, I think he’s looking for someone to take Gideon’s place.” She looked down. “I think he wants control, answers. Maybe a place in the world he was never given.”
Alex approached her slowly. “You kept this from me, and I can’t lie. It broke something. But if what you’re telling me is true, then we’re sitting on something bigger than a family secret. Bigger than Ward’s legacy.”
Charlotte met his eyes. “I know.”
“I need to know you’re not going to shut me out again,” he said. “Because wherever this goes, Elias, Rook—whatever you want to call him—he’s moving. And if he sees you as part of his past, I think that makes you his anchor.”
Her eyes turned glassy. “I can’t hide things anymore,” she said. “You want the truth? You’ve got it. All of it.”
He looked at her a long moment, then nodded once. “I’ll hold you to that.”
They stood there in silence, the room still, the air between them finally honest.
Outside,wind pushed through the trees. Somewhere not far from the glass-sided room, a man who didn’t want to be found was already watching and waiting. Rook.
The heater hummed softlyin the car, pushing warm air against the March chill that still clung to the evening. Outside, the trees in Charlotte’s yard stood bare, the grass faded and brittle from winter’s hold. Inside, the quiet between them was gentler now.
Charlotte shifted into park, the car settling with a soft creak. Her hands lingered on the steering wheel. She was dropping Alex off at his car, which was parked at her house.
Alex looked at her. Her face was drawn with tired honesty, but there was no wall in her expression. After everything they’d said, everything she’d finally told him, the silence felt earned. Not empty.
“I want to believe that’s everything,” he said, voice hushed. “That there’s not more waiting to surface.”
Charlotte turned toward him slowly. “It is. At least, everything I know how to give right now.”
He studied her eyes—always the giveaway. There was no flicker of retreat, just exhaustion and truth. He could live with that.
He nodded once. “I love you.”
This time, she didn’t dodge or deflect. She reached for his hand, fingers wrapping around his like an anchor. “I love you too. And I’m not running anymore.”
Their hands stayed linked for a moment longer, both of them just breathing in the warmth and closeness. Alex leaned in and kissed her, slow, certain. Not trying to erase the past, just grounding them in something real. Her hand settled against his cheek, and for a breath, everything felt still.
When they pulled apart, she didn’t let go right away. “You’re following me to Sophie’s?”
He shook his head. “No. I’ve got to meet a contact first in Pierre. A militia guy. He owes me information. If there is a secret site out there, he will know. It won’t take long.”
She nodded. “Be careful.”
“He’s harmless to me. I’ll meet you at Sophie’s after,” he said. “Promise.”
Charlotte gave his hand one last squeeze before letting go. “Okay. I’m heading there now.”
Alex opened the door, stepping out into the cold. The heater’s warmth disappeared instantly, replaced by the bite of March air. He watched as she pulled away, her taillights glowing in the early dusk.
He stood there a moment, keys in hand, watching the car disappear down the road.
Whatever came next, they were finally facing it together.
Twenty-Nine
