Page 139 of Watch Me Burn
“I’ll tell you everything.” I step closer to her. “Whatever you want to know.”
“Not tonight.” Her voice is firm. Final. “I need to process what happened. And the animals have to be my priority right now.”
Of course they do. The wounded creatures always come first with her. It’s equally admirable and infuriating.
Cade is doing a last sweep of the property before he heads to Boulder to plant the evidence in Hunter’s apartment. He doesn’t need me for that. He’s handled worse jobs on his own. And I can’t bear to leave her.
“Let me stay.” The naked vulnerability in my voice makes me cringe. I’ve never begged anyone for anything in my life, but with Luna, all my control just evaporates. “I don’t want to leave you like this.”
A softness flickers in her eyes, but resolve replaces it.
“No. I need space, Damien. Maren’s here. We’ll be fine.” She wraps her arms around herself. “I’ll call you tomorrow. I’ll come to your house, and we can talk then.”
The dismissal stings more than I want to admit.
“I don’t like the idea of you and Maren outside this late at night.”
Her laugh is sharp and humorless. “We’ll be fine, Damien. I survived thirty-two years without you.”
Ouch.
“Just promise me you’ll be careful.”
“We always are.” She pauses. “But I think the biggest danger in my life just asked to spend the night.”
I am dangerous. To her safety and to her peace of mind. I’ve already dragged her into the darkness she never asked for.
“I’ll just stay until the two of you finish your rounds outside. For my peace of mind, if not yours.”
Luna sighs, and the fight leaves her. She’s too exhausted to argue, too worn down to push back against my stubborn insistence.
“Fine. But stay out of my way, Damien. I can’t do this with you tonight.”
“I’ll just sit in my car. If you need me to help with anything—”
She disappears through the back door before I can finish.
I make my way to the front of the house. Cade is leaning against the passenger side of the Range Rover, checking something on his phone.
“Everything all clear?”
He looks up. “Yes. I need to get out of here if I’m going to beat them to Hunter’s place.”
“You think you’ll make it?”
He arches a brow.
Right. Stupid question. Cade has been handling impossible timelines for me for over two decades. If he says he’ll make it, he’ll make it.
“Are you staying here tonight?”
“She doesn’t want me here. Maren’s staying, but I’m not leaving her.”
His eyes darken at the mention of Maren’s name, but I can’t deal with that tonight, any more than Luna can deal with me. For as obsessive as I am about Luna, Cade is ten times worse when something catches his attention.
“I can turn the cameras back on, and you can watch her in your car. Though it might be too suspicious if they start working right after the sheriff leaves.”
“I don’t need to see inside the house. I just need to be close.”
