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I have to leave. I would never do anything to affect our arrangement, so I’ll assure him of that, but I can’t stay.
I rest my head against the wall and allow fresh tears to stream down my cheeks as I stare at the shadowy trees in the night, swaying side to side in the wind.
I close my eyes, disconnecting the vision and all I see is darkness. It swallows my mind, then I hear the faint sound of music. Piano music.
It’s my Clair du Lune. The boy I love is playing it for me and I see myself dancing.
Warm hands cover mine and caress my skin, then the same warmth touches my cheeks.
“River.” Jericho’s voice seeps into my mind. He says my name again and the music fades along with the vision of myself dancing.
I open my eyes and I see Jericho crouching before me. He’s holding my hand with one hand and touching my face with the other.
It takes me a moment to realize he’s real and he’s home.
“You’re home,” I gasp, throwing my arms around him.
He rises and holds me tight, lifting me slightly off the ground.
“I just got back.” He cups my face and places me back on the bay so we’re facing each other. “Lauren says you haven’t eaten all day.”
“I couldn’t. I was too worried about you. I’ll try to have a big breakfast later.” I try to smile.
Jericho pulls up the stool and sits in front of me so he can hold both my hands.
“I don’t want you to worry like this about me.”
“Are you serious?” I smirk and blow out a ragged breath. “Jericho you went to a prison in Russia to confront my asshole ex who has an eight-year sentence. Bad, bad, bad people get those types of sentences. I’m sure if he wasn’t who he is it would have been longer, and now there’s the possibility of him getting out sooner. Of course I’m going to worry.”
He gives me a soft smile. “I promised I would never allow him to hurt you again, so this is me fulfilling that promise.”
“Thank you. Thank you for what you did. You keep saving me in all the ways I can’t save myself.” Another wave of emotion grips me when I think of everything he’s done for me and I blink back tears.
“You don’t have to thank me for any of those things.”
“I do have to thank you, Jericho. I do. So thank you. For everything.”
He nods and kisses my knuckles. “Anytime Mermaid.Anytime.”
It’s time to ask the question that’s been on my mind. “What happened when you saw him? How did it go?”
He drags in a steady breath and releases my hands. “It wasn’t the best of meetings but he got the message to leave you alone.”
My shoulders drop because I know that won’t be enough.
“Jericho, what you did is the most bravest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do. It’s certainly the best thing anyone has ever done for me, but Sasha doesn’t respond to threats. He thinks he’s a god. I um…” My voice chokes when I think of what I have to tell him. “You’ll be in danger if you keep pushing back and fighting him.”
“I don’t care about danger. I won’t stop fighting for you.”
“That’s why I have to leave.”
He straightens instantly, his eyes widening, his lips apart, his expression grim.
“No.”
“It wouldn’t affect our arrangement. I promise I wouldn’t allow that to happen.”
“Leaving is not an option and fuck the arrangement. You’re staying with me, River.”
