Page 36 of Ours to Keep

Elliot nods, his jaw tense. “We’ll find him, Jax, of that I have no doubt.”

I rest my elbows on my knees. “And this place in Torquay, you’re confident with location and security?”

“I am. The system is state-of-the-art, and the location is private enough. It will let us concentrate on getting to the bottom of this. Having her here only puts her at more risk, and we can’t afford any margin for error.”

I lift my chin towards his computer. “Found anything else?”

“Yeah, so I tracked the closest location from the burner phone, which pins them to be within a twenty-mile radius each way.”

“That’s good, really fucking good,” I admit, a twinge of adrenaline shooting through my body.

Elliot nods, his eyes sharp with determination. “It’s a start, Jax. We’ll get Mia away from him.”

I lean back, a semblance of hope flickering to life. “We better. For Lily’s sake.”

There isn’t an alternative here worth thinking about.

“We will, and when we do, we’ll make him pay for hurting what’s ours.”

Ours.

And she is. Whether she chooses us or not, we’ve already chosen her as ours. Maybe unconsciously at first, individually, but then again as a whole. Lily stitches together all of our broken pieces. She helps us find inner peace, which we have all been missing until now.She’slike the eye of a storm, the inner calm, the heart of us that rests right in the centre.

Chapter Eighteen

LILY

I wake to a heavy weight across my stomach,pressing down on my bladder. I blink and glance to my side as River’s face comes into view. Even asleep, he has deep-set frown lines, and I want to reach out and smooth them away, but my need to relieve myself supersedes all other thoughts. Carefully, I lift his arm and move to get out of bed. My body is still sore, a stark reminder of the past few days. Even if I wanted to forget, what happened is so vivid in some parts and a blur in others, a mental whiplash to my senses.

Sinking into the soft carpet beneath my feet, I make my way to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I find myself having to hold onto the bathroom counter for support. I’ve never been afraid of small spaces, but right now, being in here makes my breathing accelerate. Unlocking the door again, I open it just a crack.

I move over to the toilet; the partition keeping me hidden if anyone were to enter.

I let out a content sigh as I empty my bladder, causing my ribs to ache. Thankfully, they weren’t broken, but the kick hemust have given me was enough to leave bruising and sensitivity.

I glance down at my arm again and begin to pick at the bandage but stop myself.

“Yeah, no, so not going there right now,” I whisper.

My head thumps, almost like when you have a hangover or feel dehydrated, but I think it’s a mixture of both the stress and the repercussions of feeling Richard’s wrath. I feel sick when I think of him watching me in my room. Other than the library, it was always my sanctuary. The thought of returning fills me with dread, and if I’m being honest, I’m grateful to be getting away, even if it’s just for the interim.

But being away from Mia, not knowing if she’s safe, eats away at my insides. I never wanted her to see Richard’s dark side. How the hell am I supposed to protect her from him now? I never wanted her to see the worst parts of him, it’s why I tried to shield her from how he treated me. It’s not likeI couldhavesaid, ‘oh, by the way, Mia, neverget on your father’sbad side. He has a tendency of being aggressive’. And I would never tell her that he caused the scars on my lower back. My fear is by hiding it, I’ve made her even more vulnerable, put her at risk by not telling her what kind of man Richard really is.

Flushing the toilet, I lower the seat and sit on the lid.

What is it Richard wants from me? And why was he watching me?

My entire body erupts in goosebumps as though it’s being attacked by creepy crawlies, causing me to shiver.

“Knock, knock.”

I’m startled by River’s voice. I stand just as he pokes his head around the door.

“Can I come in?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I reply, walking towards the sink and running the tap to wash my hands.

I glance up as I feel him enter and stare at his reflection in the mirror. His hair is all tousled, and yet he looks good.

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