Page 24 of Ours to Keep

Her eyes soften with a touch of sympathy. “Most likely, yes,” she replies.

I swallow the lump in my throat as I study the length of the laceration. It's ugly and raised and raw, even with the stitches, it's hard not to see the damage it's caused.

I feel a light caress down my other arm before fingers interlace with mine, and when I look over, Jackson is focused on my face, offering me his silent support as Ida redresses my wounds.

Chapter Thirteen

RIVER

“What did he say?” I ask as soon as Elliot ends the call. He removes his glasses and rubs his eyes before leaning back in his chair.

“He said that the place they have in Camber Sands is having the kitchen renovated for Jessica as a surprise, but they do have a new place in Torquay. And they’ve offered it to us for as long as we need. He can have the housekeeper go in and stock up on necessities, too.”

I let out a whistle. “Oh, how the other half live,” I reply, resting my arse against his desk and crossing my ankles.

Elliot smiles. “Seems to me they’re just putting down roots. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“No, I guess not.” I study him for a moment as he pulls his glasses back on. “Is that something you’d want to do?” I ask.

He looks at me quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“Lay down roots. Have somewhere you can call yours?” My eyes flick over his face. “Somewhere to call home.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, maybe it would be nice. What about you?”

I nod. As convenient as it is renting through Jax, it would benice to have somewhere to call home.“Yeah, I’d like that,” I admit. “One day.” But I omit that I would like that to be with him. Maybe it’s too soon after my declaration of my feelings for him, but I know I see a future with him. Lily also pops into my head at that revelation, but I shake it away. I know Jax said he would share, but isn’t that for Lily to decide? Besides, right now, we have other things to worry about, like getting her somewhere safe to start healing while we sort out the bigger issues at hand.

The alarm on our phones simultaneously ping, alerting us to the main gate being accessed.

Elliot is the first to bring up the CCTV footage where Tommy waves in greeting, followed closely by Avery’s vehicle.

“Fuck,” Elliot curses under his breath.

“You can say that again.”

Jax texted us while Lily was in the shower to let us know Avery was returning with Tommy. He wanted us to have her pack Lily some stuff for the safe house.

We both wait for Tommy to join us. Avery is hot on his heels, and her face is a storm of emotions.

“Avery,” Elliot says, moving to his feet.

“Elliot, River,” she replies curtly. “I need to grab some stuff for Lily from her room.” She points her thumb towards Tommy. “Chatty Cathy said she’d need enough for a few weeks at least... is someone going to tell me what the hell is going on?”

She puts her hands on her hips, looking ready to go into battle for our girl, and it makes something in my chest constrict.

“We will. Can I get you a cup of tea or coffee?” Elliot asks, walking towards the kitchen.

“I’d much prefer something stronger, but caffeine will have to do as I’m driving. Coffee, milk, one sugar, please.”

I can’t help but cock a brow, surprised, for some reason. I would have thought she’d want one of those fancy coffee pods from the machine.

“Oh, don’t give me that look, River. It’s rude to stereotype.”

Holding my hands up in surrender, I can’t resist smiling at her outburst. She unzips her coat and shrugs out of it, tossing it onto the end of the sofa.

“I never said a word, Princess.”

Her eyes narrow. “Don’t call me Princess, pretty boy.”

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