Page 15 of Mercy in Betrayal

I hold out my hand for the cash box. “I’ll carry it for you.”

Rowan’s cheeks turn a beautiful shade of pink, and she hands me the box. We walk side by side through the halls of the university. I’m almost hoping she asks me a question about how I know each turn to take to get to the first floor, but she doesn’t. I know every room and corridor of this university, thanks to Google. Everything is online and too easy to access. But, my cover story is that I attended this university, so we shall have something in common to share.

“Are you okay?” I ask Rowan. She has wrapped her arms around her waist; she looks tiny beside me. I could crush her with my bare hands.

She gives me the first glimpse of a smile. “Thanks to you, I am.”

I allow a smile to grace my lips that causes her cheeks to deepen in color. “It was my pleasure.”

Her tongue flicks out as she licks her lips before dipping her head. I can’t see her face as a mass of red curls fall forward. We reach the office on the first floor and I push the cash box through the small window.

“What’s your cat’s name?” I ask as we make our way back out through the building.

Rowan tucks her curls behind her ear, but they are wild and untamed; they bounce free no matter how many times she tries to tame them. It’s amusing. “Clementine.” She smiles, and it fires freedom and love into her eyes.

“I once had a fish,” I say.

She wiggles her nose. “A fish?”

“Yes, a fish.”

She giggles softly and gives me a sidelong glance. “Did this fish have a name?” She sounds like she doesn’t believe me but wants to.

I’m lying through my teeth, and it’s actually enjoyable. “Rian.” I quickly say. This wasn’t part of my script, so I’m going off the cuff.

We reach the main door. Dusk has faded into full dark outside, and Rowan hesitates. “My car is outside,” I say.

She ducks her head again but marches outside with me. On the other side of the courtyard, opposite the one Rowan arrived from, my car waits outside of the gate. As we walk across the road, Rowan’s phone rings from deep inside her beige wide-legged trousers. She scoops it out and gives me an apologetic look. “Go ahead.” I offer like a perfect gentleman.

She stares at the phone. “It’s my ride home,” she informs me.

I have an immediate sense of disappointment. “Would you prefer to go with them?” I ask. We have reached my car, and my hand rests on the door to the back.

“No, I’ll go with you,” she answers, ignoring the ringing phone.

I pull the door open, and she slides in. I don’t go around the other side but slide in beside her. She still has her phone in her hands. She types out a quick message I can’t see, but afterward she hits a button to silence it and puts it in her lap. Interesting.

The car hasn’t moved, and Rowan puts on her seatbelt. Realizing we’re just sitting, she looks at me with confusion.

“I need your address?” I say. I already know it, but she can’t know that.

She rattles off her address and falls into silence as my driver enters the location into his GPS and pulls away from the curb.

Rowan diverts her attention from the world outside her window and me, probably making sure the car is going in the right direction. Inwardly, I scold her for taking a ride from a complete stranger. She’s lucky it’s me and that my intent isn’t ill-willed. Well, it is, a bit, but today at least, I’ll make sure she gets home safely.

“Thank you again. For helping me.”

“You are welcome.” I offer another smile.

Her cheeks heat, but she continues to speak. “I’m sorry you missed your meeting with your friend.”

I should feel some level of guilt for lying, but none comes.

“Nothing to worry about,” I reassure her.

She bites her lip before glancing back out the window. I allow the silence to grow. She is still clutching her phone that sits on her lap.

The car slows as we near her apartment block. When the car comes to a complete stop, she turns to me.

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