Page 23 of Watch Me Burn
“You think I don’t fucking know that?”
“Are you sure you can trust her with the truth?”
“Yes. I trust her as much as I trust you.”
For once, Cade is unable to hide the surprise on his face.
“She knows what I’ve done and hasn’t betrayed me yet.”
He crosses his arms over his broad chest, the movement pulling his black sweater tight across his shoulders. “She’s been lying to the sheriff, covering for you, but for how long? What happens when the veterinarian who took an oath to ‘do no harm’ decides she can’t be complicit in murder?”
I stand, the motion sharp enough to make him pause, my chair tipping back onto the floor.
“She won’t say anything. Luna understands why I do it, even if she doesn’t condone it. She has darkness in her too.”
“Does she? Or are you projecting what you want to see?” Cade doesn’t back down, doesn’t even blink. All our years together have earned him that right, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
I step closer, warning flashing in my eyes. “Watch your fucking mouth, Cade.”
Something in my expression must convince him to dial it back because he just sighs, the sound heavy with resignation.
“You need to get on board with this. I’ll tell her the truth. I’m not sure when yet, but I will.”
“Are you positive you can trust her?”
“Yes. I told you she won’t betray me.”
I know this with the same absolute certainty I know my own heartbeat—because that heartbeat belongs to her now. She’s gotten into my blood, under my skin, and into places that have never been touched by another person.
Forty-six years of being convinced that I was broken at my core, that whatever’s wrong with me made loving someone an impossibility, and then she walks into my life and proves me wrong with every breath she takes.
“Promises made under duress tend to have expiration dates.” Cade’s voice carries that quiet concern that reminds me why I trust him above all others. “I haven’t seen you lose control like this since you were only starting out.”
The comparison stings because it’s accurate. I walk back to the monitors, needing the anchor of watching Luna. She’s moved to the jewelry counter now, leaning over a display case with interest. I’ve never seen her wear jewelry except forthe small diamond studs in her ears. A detail I’ve meant to ask about but always get distracted by other parts of her body.
“She’s different. I’m getting tired of telling you that.”
“Different enough to stand by you when she learns the truth of who you really are?”
His words press down on me, but I can’t tear my gaze away from Luna on the monitor. She and Maren leave the boutique, crossing the street to the restaurant. With quick keystrokes, I access the internal cameras, amazed as always by how lax most companies’ cybersecurity is.
Luna settles at a high table across from Maren, the snow-dusted windows creating a perfect backdrop behind her. Even through the grainy security feed, she’s breathtaking.
“Damien.” The urgency in Cade’s voice compels me to look at him. “I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. Inserting yourself into Dr. Foster’s life as Damien Wolfe while visiting her as her masked stalker was reckless for a hundred different reasons. Now you’re bringing her into your public life? When she learns the truth, the betrayal is going to be devastating. It’s going to be a fucking disaster.”
The word “betrayal” is the only part of his speech that registers. He’s right, and the prospect of seeing it in her eyes is agonizing. I’ve let this go too far, but I don’t know how to backtrack without destroying us both.
My phone sits on the table beside the monitoring equipment, and I reach for it, pulling up Luna’s contact. I feel like I’m spiraling out of control, and she’s the only thing that calms the chaos in me now. She has an inexplicable soothing effect on me, quieting the savage beast that lives under my skin even when I’m buried deep inside her body and my control snaps.
I move to the sofa, angling one of the monitors so I can watch her while I type. My thumbs move across the screen almost without conscious thought.
Me
Thinking about you.
On the monitor, she checks her phone, a smile curving her lips, before she types back.
Luna
