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Chapter Seven
Rhys
“Where are we going?” Raven asks for the tenth time in as many minutes.
“You’ll see.”
She grumbles under her breath, making me smile. Apparently, she doesn’t like surprises. I have a feeling she’ll like this one, though. Her performance is the day after tomorrow. She’s been working her ass off to get ready, but she won’t divulge any details. All I know is that she needs a piano.
“Do you like living on the island?” she asks as we wind our way through downtown. Traffic is heavy, reducing us to a slow crawl. Typical for late evening. I intended to cut out of work early but got stuck working another fucking robbery.
The only thing that annoys me more than drunk tourists are assholes who prey on tourists. They come to the island specifically to pick off unsuspecting tourists. They’ve been doing it for years. With so many out-of-towners concentrated in one area, they can hold up a tourist and then slip into the crowd and disappear.
This idiot didn’t check for cameras. We’ve got his ugly mug front and center on a couple of security cameras. We printed off the photos and sent them to the docks. Once he tries to leave the island, he’ll be in cuffs.
“Usually,” I say. “Traffic is a pain in the ass.”
Raven makes a face at me. She’s been quiet since we talked about Marnie last night, lost in her own thoughts. Truth is, I have been too. I’ve been lying to myself, believing I could hold her close and keep the truth from her at the same time. I can’t. She deserves to know everything. I’m an asshole for touching her without confessing to what I’ve done.
I’ll burn in hell for that.
But the pieces are finally coming together. I think I’m finally beginning to understand what I’ve been missing all along. I know what Marnie is after. I think I even know why she killed Brant. Before I tell Raven the truth, I need to ensure that I’m right. If I am, it changes everything. If I’m not, I lose her for good. I’m balanced on the blade of a fucking sword.
Nothing justifies the choices I made, and I know that. But I made them for her. Because God help me, there’s not a fucking thing in this world I wouldn’t do for her. I don’t merely love her. That word isn’t strong enough for what beats in my chest for her. My soul is hers. I gave it into her keeping long ago.
I pull into the church parking lot and kill the engine.
“You’re taking me to church?” She eyes me sideways. “I’m not dressed for church, Rhys!”
“Songbird, it’s an island,” I say with a chuckle. “We don’t get fancy for church. Besides, you look beautiful.” She does. Her dark tresses are pulled back from her face by a purple headband that matches her purple and white sundress. She’s fresh-faced, her nose pink from the sun. “But there is no service here tonight. The place is only open for services on Sundays. The rest of the week, islanders use it for gatherings or meetings.”
“Oh.” She breathes a sigh of relief. “What kind of gathering?”
“A private one.” I smile and pocket the keys before climbing out of the truck. A stiff breeze blows in from the Sound, rustling through the treetops. Seagulls scream overhead, their cries mingling with the sounds of traffic and the voices carrying from restaurant patios. Friday Harbor is never quiet at this time of day.
I circle around the truck and open Raven’s door, helping her down. I shouldn’t do it, but I slide her down my body, gritting my teeth when my cock immediately stiffens in my pants. Keeping my hands off her is an exercise in futility, but I’m trying like hell to behave. She needs a break. I was rough with her last night.
I couldn’t stay out of her this morning either. She slept in my bed where she belongs, her naked ass nestled against my cock. I ate her for breakfast and then fucked her as the sun rose. Thought about calling in to stay in bed and do it again, but knew if I didn’t leave the house, she’d be too sore to move today.
She stumbles into me, her breathing choppy when her feet finally touch the ground. She has stars in her eyes. I love that look on her face, as if she thinks I’m something special, something mighty. Does she know she could fell me with a single word?
“Come on,” I growl, determined to get her inside before I lose the willpower to do it at all.
We walk hand in hand to the church.
“You have a key to a church?” she asks, wide-eyed when I pull it from my pocket to unlock the side door.
“I’m a cop.”
“Oh, yeah.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Got tired of waking the pastor up in the middle of the night every time we had to come and deal with another break-in, so he had keys made for me and Rodrigo.”
“People break into churches?” The horror in her voice is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Afraid so, princess,” I say. Churches get broken into frequently. People think they keep cash lying around. When they can’t find that, they grab laptops, gift cards…whatever they can carry. Criminals are criminals even in houses of worship.
“Wow,” she mumbles, shaking her head like she’s completely disappointed in the human race.
