Page 30 of In Her Shadow

“Fix it, how? Ren, the police think I murdered my boss.”

“I’ll fix it.” I lift my head so I’m looking into her eyes again. “Don’t worry about it.” I kiss her before resting my head back into her shoulder, and when I feel her chest sag with relief, I finally close my own eyes and get some much-needed sleep.

ELOISE

“So they closed the case, just like that?” Katelyn looks unconvinced.

“Our new acting chief editor called us all into the board room for a meeting just before lunch and told us that the police were grateful for our help with their enquiries, but the case was now closed. Apparently, they ruled out murder and have evidence that it was a suicide.” I shrug.

“Wow, there must be something about you that makes these assholes want to repent.” Katelyn laughs as she takes a sip of her coffee. “Shit, I’m sorry that was insensitive of me.” She almost chokes on it when she suddenly regrets her words.

“It’s fine,” I laugh at her. Katelyn was the first person I called when I found my father swinging in the garage. She was there for me through every one of my emotions, the guilt, the anger, the grief, and the relief. If she can’t throw a joke or two at the situation, no one can.

“No, it’s not okay, it was distasteful. I’m sorry.” She closes her eyes in shame.

“Katelyn, come on, this is me. You don’t have to be sorry. You’ve actually got a point, and maybe it’s a little sick and twisted of me, but I’m okay with it.” I don’t know what thatsays about me as a person, and I’m not proud of it. Maybe I’m distracted by the relief of not being a suspect anymore, so I’m not letting everything sink in.

“And youshouldbe okay with it, you did nothing wrong,” she reminds me.

“Then why am I always the target?” I ask the question that's been going through my mind ever since the first night my father came into my room and lay beside me.

“Eloise, look at you. You're beautiful and, sometimes, men like Connor and—” She refuses to even say the word father because it’s sickening. “Men like them think they’re entitled to just take, they don’t care if they destroy the person behind that beautiful face. They’re selfish, evil people, and they deserve to be dead.” She takes my hand in hers and smiles encouragingly.

“Well, I’m just relieved they can’t hurt anyone anymore. Every person who's ever hurt me is dead, don’t you think that's a coincidence? Maybe I’m cursed.” I shake my head and take a sip of my coffee.

“Either that or you got yourself a vigilante.” Her eyes glance over to the window where Ren is standing outside with his shoulders and the back of his foot pressed against the glass. He must have gone home and changed after he walked me to work this morning, because he’s wearing different sweatpants from the bloodstained ones. I figure he senses we’re talking about him when he glances over his shoulder, looks me up and down, and smiles.

“Ren? I can’t say the thought didn’t cross my mind about Mr. Connor, but Luca and Dad…” I shake my head. “That was all too long ago.”

“Don’t you find it creepy that he’s justthere?” Katelyn screws up her face as if she’s freaked out by it.

“No, I actually find it comforting.” I think back to this morning and how I woke up with his cock still inside me. He’dstirred me awake with slow, lazy rolls of his hips. I could have stayed there with him all day.

“Oh my god, snap out of it,” Katelyn clicks her fingers in front of my face, and I quickly shake my head when I realize I have much bigger issues to be thinking about.

“Katelyn, I need to ask you something.”

“Shoot.” She sits back in the chair and checks out her new manicure.

“What do you do if you miss a pill?” I lower my voice in case anyone hears me.

“Girl, you’ve been taking it for three days, how have you missed one already?” She laughs at me.

“I’ve had a lot going on and I’m not used to it yet,” I defend myself, although I really have no excuses, I had one job to do and I failed.

“I forgot to take it yesterday, and Ren and I have, you know?—”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. You took it this morning, right?”

“Yesterday’s and today’s, just in case,” I inform her, looking back out at Ren and feeling so stupid.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, people miss pills all the time.” She shrugs as if it’s no big deal, and when I check my phone for the time, I realize it’s time to head back to the office.

“I have to go, are we still doing dinner around mine on Friday?”

“You sure I can tear you away from your boyfriend?” She beams back at me as I pick up my purse and start heading for the door. I don’t correct her because I like the way it sounds. I like even better the way myboyfriendlooks at me when I step outside. Those dark, blue eyes scream out at me to kiss him, and so I do, shamelessly in front of anyone who wants to watch.

“You look happy today, Kitten.” He slots his fingers between mine and starts walking in the direction of my office.

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