Page 15 of Burned

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“Whatever Stevenson told you is a lie. Axe had nothing to do with the explosion. He has been worried to death about you,” Davian began. “He is the reason we are in Chicago. To bring you home.”

It was strange, but I didn’t want to leave. Not only because of my new job at the law firm but also because of River. “I’m not leaving. You’ve wasted your time coming here. As for Axe, he is the one who lied. How long has he been blowing up buildings and working with Van Wilkerson and Niles Harris?”

“You have it all wrong, Kenzi.”

Before I could reply, River took the phone off the speaker and held it to his ear. “Kenzi has told you how she feels. I suggest you go back to Atlanta and make sure Mr. Riley gets the message never to contact Kenzi again.”

River ended the call and placed his cell back on the table. Looking at me with compassion, he placed his hand on my cheek. “I have a feeling Axe won’t be bothering you anymore once he finds out the truth about how you feel.”

When those words came from River, it seemed so final and reassuring. I knew what Axe and I had was over, but it still hurt. It hurt that he lied to me. It also made me wonder what else he lied about. Were the feelings he had for me a lie, too?

~

River and I showered together, his way of keeping me close. He knew I was hurt. The way he comforted me made it impossible to focus on anything else but him. Other than Reyna and my mom, I had no one in Atlanta. Suddenly, a thought came to mind. Since the bookstore was gone, there wasn’t anything keeping my mom in Atlanta either. With the money she would get from the insurance company, she could start over here, in Chicago. It would be a win-win for both of us. She could do what she loved, and I would have her nearby.

Without thinking about this further, I blurted, “My mom needs to move to Chicago. With her bookstore gone, she can rebuild here.”

River looked at me confused. “I thought your mom loved Atlanta.”

“She does, but the only reason she built a life there was because of me. Now that I’m in Chicago, there isn’t any reason for her to stay there. She can use the insurance money to start over here.”

My suggestion must have left River speechless. He didn’t agree or disagree with my epiphany. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

Placing his lips on mine, he reached behind me and turned off the water. “I think we really need to think about this. As much as I would love to see you happy, ultimately, it is your mom’s decision.”

He was right, but somehow it felt like he wasn’t gung ho about my suggestion. I would let this topic go for now, but not for long. This was something that I really wanted, and I was sure my mom would want it, too. It would take some doing, but I would do everything I could to make it happen; with or without River’s blessing.

As we got dressed, the thought of my mom living in Chicago ran over and over in my mind. In order to make this happen, I had to make some calls. I would love for her to stay here with us, but that would go over like a peanut butter and sauerkraut sandwich. The first thing I needed to do was find a place for her to live. Just then, I remembered the law firm offered their junior partners housing. She could live with me, at least until she found something more permanent.

While River went to his study to do a little work, I hid in the bedroom to make a quick call to my mom. I didn't care what River thought about my idea. I thought it was a great one. While I waited for my mom to pick me up, I made myself comfortable on the bed.

“Kenzi,” she answered, concerned. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine. I wanted to share an idea I had.”

“An idea?”

“Yes. I was thinking that since you no longer have the bookstore and would have to rebuild, why not do it in Chicago? I could help you find a building and get everything ready.”

The line was silent, and I waited for her to respond. After what seemed like a lifetime, I finally asked, “Mom, are you still there?”

“I am, sweetheart. I’m just trying to figure out what to say without hurting your feelings.” Mom took in a deep breath, contemplating what to say. “I think it is better if I stay here. Chicago isn’t that far away that I can’t come and see you. Atlanta is my home, and there is no other place I would rather be.”

In a way, I understood how she felt. I loved Atlanta too. If it hadn’t been for the job offer from Saxton, Marsh, and Peters, I would have stayed. “You don’t need to decide right now. Just think about it.”

I spent a few more minutes talking to her, mostly about the bookstore and how helpful Davian and Reyna had been. Thankfully, our conversation didn’t include Axe. My mom didn’t know how I felt about Axe or that I never wanted to see him again. She really liked Axe and, just like me, saw us together forever. I wanted to tell her about River and how I was falling for him, but I didn’t want a word to get back to Axe. He deserved to hear it from me. As of yet, I wasn’t ready to face him.

Tucking my cell in the back pocket of my jeans, I pushed from the bed and headed out of the room to check on River. I didn’t want to interrupt him if he was working, but maybe he would be done and we could do something fun.

The door to his study was barely open, which made it easy to hear the conversation he was having on his cell. I wasn’t sure who he was talking to, but ‘F’ bombs were flying throughout the conversation. Instead of barging in on him, I knocked lightly on the door before entering. I should have waited until he ended the call, but was glad I didn’t. Van Wilkerson’s name rolled off his lips and so did Niles Harris’s. Something had him pissed, and I needed to find out what.

~12~

River

I could have killed my brothers. I shouldn’t have underestimated them. How we could have come from the same bloodline was beyond me. Gretta was now in danger and if I didn’t hand over Kenzi to them, she would be dead. The two people I cared the most about, I just put in harm's way. How could I do what they wanted?

My thoughts were somewhere else when I heard the knock on the door. Seeing the look on Kenzi’s face revealed everything I needed to know. She heard most of the conversation between me and Van. But before I spilled everything, I had to find out how much she heard.