Page 111 of The Tomorrows After You
Itriedsitting up to catch my breath but the pain in my neck and spinewasexcruciating, so Iattemptedto roll to my side. Riot’s warm handranacross my back,drawingheartfelt circles. Igrappledfor his other hand. Hegaveit over willingly and Iputit to my cheek,inhalingthe smell of his skin. Silent tearsrolleddown my cheek into his palm. Herubbedmy back and Iclutchedonto his hand for dear life.
When the doctors told me they had put me in a medically induced coma for the past few days, I freaked out.
Ignoring the searing pain, I sat up and started screaming something about Geoffrey Brown and the Chimera lab. It took two orderlies to restrain me while another doctor administered a sedative. I thought they were going to stick a needle in Riot’s neck too, the way he tried to fight them off me.
Once that sedative wore off I was remarkably clearer.
When I peeled my eyes open, Riot was dutifully posted in the chair next to my bed. He perked up when our eyes connected.
“He blinked, Riot.” My voice was dry and hoarse. I tried to swallow.
“Who did?”Riot’s voicewasstrained, his gaze fixed fiercely on me.
“Pastor Blackwell. When I told him I knew he shorted the stock for the builders. He just… blinked. I thought he had a really good poker face.” I blew a breath out. “He had no fuckin’ idea what I was talking about.” I scoffed and attempted to shake my head but a jolt of fire shot down my neck and I grimaced.
Riot leaped to his feet, concern mapped all over his face. He knelt at my bedside and slipped a hand over mine, weaving our fingers together.
I tried not to let hope bloom in my heart.
He didn’t want me dead. But that didn’t mean heforgaveme for lying to him.
“The Centerwaskeptfundedso it could be a constant source of Chimera addicts for the drug trial to yield false-positive results. When itgotpassed, Typhon Industriesstoodto make millions. I don’t think Eliasknewanything about it. Itwasall Geoffrey Brown.”The thoughtsfloodedback to me.“Riot… Brennan didn’t kill your mom. At least, she didn’t die from the wounds heinflictedon her. Geoff Brownwasthere that night.”
Riot didn’t look surprised.
“Your doctor friend there?”
“Dr. Moore?”
Riot nodded. “He stopped by the house yesterday looking for you. He told Brennan that he got all these weird emails from you. When you weren’t answering your phone, the house was the only other place he could think to find you. I’ve been going through everything here the last few days but was only able to make sense of a few things.” He gestured to a stack of papers and a laptop sitting on a chair across the room. “I also found the picture from her autopsy in your car. I saw the circle you drew over the ligature marks on her neck.” He looked up and laughed humorlessly. “You know, I don’t even think that I knew her official cause of death was asphyxiation? How good of a son am I?”
“You couldn’t have known. Even the police assumed asphyxiation meant from smoke inhalation at a quick glance. They had a body, a confession, and the alleged murder weapon. No one bothered to dig deeper.
“Until you,” he whispered. His blue eyes glistened with intensity, studying my face. He leaned toward me an inch. “Are my pupils dilating?”
The affection punchedthrough my attempt to hold back hope. Icrumbled,chokingback a laugh-sob while his handcaressedmy forehead.
“Riot,I’mso sorry I didn’t tell you about the assignment…”
“Shh,” he interrupted me, leaning over and placing a warm kiss on my temple. “It’s okay, Nicolette. I’m sorry too. I should have listened to you.I should have trusted you. I’m ashamed of the way I spoke to you. Can you ever forgive me?”
My chest hitched, my heart swelled, and I was so tired of crying but the happy tears were cathartic and I laughed and nodded. I held my arms out and Riot sank into them. God, he smelled better than I remembered. The muscles in his back were tense.
“Riot, where’s Brennan?” I asked quietly.
Riot pulled back and shifted uncomfortably. “He was taken into custody by Godot PD,” Riot nodded and my jaw dropped.
“Oh, no, Riot,I’mso sorry…Wasit the audio file? Because we can prove he didn’t do it now.”
Riotsmiledsadly.“First, we can’t prove anything, Nic. Nothing nails Geoffrey Brown to my mother’s death. Besides, it’s aclosedcase. Either way, it won’t help Brennan.”
“What was he taken in for?”
“He went on a little joy ride, running from the cops.” Riot’s eyes went wide. “He was held for a day or two,” Riot’s head bobbed. “Until those federal agents swept in and took custody of him, cleaning out every record of his presence in Godot.”
The air I sucked in burned my sore throat.
“What? No…”
