Page 47 of Theirs to Ruin

“Take it easy, Camille,” Bianca said.

“Okay, okay.” I looked at Dante and offered him a shy smile. “Hi.”

I probably looked like death warmed over, but Dante looked stunning. He wore dark jeans, a simple tee that stretched taut over his muscular frame and worn-in black leather motorcycle boots. My eyes traced the contours of his face, from the arch of his brow to the slight crook in his nose that spoke of a dangerous past to the dark purple bruises that spoke to his dangerouspresent. I found myself lingering on the curve of his lips and he smiled.

“Hey, Peaches,” he murmured.

My sister’s brows rose in surprise. “You should go,” Bianca told Dante, her tone cool. “She needs her rest.”

“Do you want me to go, Camille?” Dante asked, his gaze piercing mine.

I shook my head. “I want you to stay.”

Bianca looked back and forth between us. Then she threw up her hands and sighed. “Fine, whatever. But Dad will be back soon so make whatever this is, quick.” She glared at Dante. “Unless youwantto try to convince him that you’re here in your official capacity as CU faculty.”

“I’ll be quick,” Dante said, not looking the least concerned by the thought of my father returning. “Can we have a minute alone?”

“Sure, why the hell not,” Bianca muttered. Then her expression softened when she looked at me. “I’ll be right outside, okay?”

As soon as she was gone, Dante put the silver bag on a small table by the bed. He knelt beside me and took my hand in his. "Fuck, you had me worried. How are you feeling?"

I cleared my throat. "Fine,” I managed, but it was clear he wasn’t buying it.

"Really?" His sultry eyes bored into mine. I felt exposed, like he could see every thought, every flutter of uncertainty that was racing through my mind.

"Alright, I feel like shit," I admitted. "Happy now?"

His dark eyes blazed. “You’re in a hospital bed after almost drowning. No. I’m not happy. What I am is fucking relieved you woke up and are talking to me right now.”

“Well, that makes two of us,” I joked.

He frowned. “Bianca’s right, though. You should get as much rest as possible. But be prepared. Now that you’re awake, the police are going to talk to you about what happened.”

It almost sounded like a warning.

He hesitated, and I knew it was on the tip of his tongue to ask me what had happened.

“I went to the river to look for Ava,” I began, giving him what he wanted to know. “I heard she’d headed away from the lake and was going up the river trail to the rockpool. She was already in the water when I saw her. I tried to pull her out, but the current was too strong.” I began to panic as tears stung my eyes. “I didn’t hurt her, I swear. I tried to save her. I?—”

“Shh.” He placed a warm finger on my lips. “I never for one second believed you tried to hurt her, sweetheart.

I believed him, but I worried about everyone else.

Ty—real or a hallucination--had been worried that me touching Ava could incriminate me somehow. Did I have something to worry about? Could Ava’s death be pinned on me? I hated that Ava was dead and my first thoughts were about myself but Dante mentioning the police had me on edge.

My thoughts switched to Kage. Didhethink I was capable of murder?

“Thank you for believing in me,” I told Dante.

“Just tell the police the truth, Camille, and you’ll be fine. Did you see anyone else at the river?"

I wasn’t about to tell him I thought I’d seen my former boyfriend, so I told Dante the truth but left out the part about Ty.

“At one point, I thought I saw a figure, but I can’t be sure. My memories are mostly of water and darkness.”

The barest shadow of something—concern? doubt? —flickered in Dante's eyes. "You're sure?”

The weight of his scrutiny made my stomach clench. Did he think I was hiding something? Or washethe one hiding something?

---