Page 129 of Ballrooms & Blackmail

“Good to see you, Stephanie.” I start forward. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“I don’t like her,” Thorn mutters as we take the stairs up to my apartment.

“Me neither,” I whisper back as I unlock the door and we move inside.

I shove the prickly feeling Stephanie gave me aside and focus on the space.

It’s strange.

Because my apartment looks exactly the same…and yet, it feels completely wrong. Too small. Too sad. Too…

Wrong.

It’s evidence of a small life. Not a life worth living.

I snag my door chair—the one I spent years shoving under the knob to keep my monsters at bay, and bring it to the table, sliding it into its rightful spot.

“You knew,” I murmur, smoothing my hand over the worn wood. “You knew what I used it for.”

“Yes,” he says gently.

And God, the irony of me spending years hiding from a monster while Thorn believed he was one is not lost on me.

But I’m done letting monsters rule my life.

We’ll take down the Lyons.

And we’re going to fucking live.

I kiss him and I do it long and wet and hot. “I love you.”

He touches my cheek. “You’re my heart, little hen.”

One more moment in his arms, one more moment to thank my lucky stars that I got here. Then I focus, snagging my passport and birth certificate, my divorce decree and my social security card. Thorn grabs my immersion blender from the shelf and I debate whether or not I need my juicer too.

He grabs it and I bite back a smile as we head out, lock up, and hit the path.

And that’s when Stephanie calls my name again.

“River! Wait!”

She rushes toward me and…

“No,” I hiss. “Fuck no.”

“What is it?” Thorn asks.

“No,” I snap. “You are not fucking here!”

“You always were so emotional, River.” Preston smirks. “I guess some things never change.”

“Little hen?” Thorn asks, pulling me into his side, tucking me close.

“It’s Preston. M-my ex-husband,” I manage to add, my heart pounding, my head spinning, my knees shaking.

Thorn shoves me behind him, and…

Suddenly, my head clears. That old fear loosens its stranglehold on my feeling.