Page 75 of The Echo of Forever
The door to her apartment was wide open, and I shook my head as I entered to find the place a fucking disaster.
Drawers were pulled open and left that way, their contents spilled onto the floor. Books yanked from shelves, cushionsthrown from the couch. It looked like someone had torn through looking for something specific.
But if I had to guess, she was searching for anything that might help her remember.
Fuck me.
This is what I wanted to avoid; my baby was really breaking my heart.
I stepped over a pile of magazines, moving deeper into the apartment. The kitchen was untouched, but the dining room had chairs pulled out at odd angles. She’d always been a thorough snooper; not much could be hidden from this woman if she went looking for it.
The rustling coming from the bedroom was where I focused my attention next, finding the door slightly ajar, and through it, I saw more chaos.
The bed was stripped, with the nightstand drawers hanging open beside it. I could hear her muttering to herself in the closet as I slipped inside, the beeping sound of fingers working at the safe lock.
I leaned against the door frame, watching as Forever knelt in front of the safe built into the back wall of the closet. She was wearing nothing but my T-shirt from last night, pretty ass dark skin on display for me to admire.
Her hair was wild from sleep, like always. Even though I’d given her something to tie it down with last night, nothing ever stayed on my wild sleeper but a bonnet.
She punched in another combination and sighed when it didn’t work.
“Try 01051991,” I said.
She didn’t even flinch at my voice. Just punched in the numbers without looking back at me.
“That’s your birthday,” she mumbled as the safe door swung open with a soft click. “Should’ve thought of that.”
Inside was a mini armory identical to the one she kept at her other place. Except this had shit I’d given to her personally: a custom Glock, three ceramic knives, smoke grenades, extra ammo, and two passports—one with her maiden name and the other her married name.
“I never felt like my apartment belonged to me,” she said, still not turning around.
I leaned against the closet doorway, letting my eyes wander over her bare legs. The shirt hung just below the curve of her ass, and I couldn’t help the way my dick reacted at the sight. My wife, half-naked in our home, surrounded by weapons?
Yeah, that did it for me.
“That’s because this one is a safe space,” I said, keeping my tone soft. “Your parents have too much access to the other one.”
She turned then, those beautiful eyes squinting slightly as she looked at me. I recognized that expression immediately.
“Your head hurt?” I asked.
She shook her head, but I could see the lie in the tightness around her mouth and shoulders.
“Don’t lie to me, baby. Come here.”
Without hesitation, she rose and crossed the space between us. I pulled her into my arms, one hand sliding up to find its way into her hair. My fingers pressed gently against her scalp, massaging in slow circles the way I knew would soothe her just a little. She melted against me, her nose pressed into my chest as she inhaled.
“Have you thought about letting Dr. Holland run some tests on you?”
I knew it was a long shot, but she was slowly starting to trust me again. Might as well push my luck.
“After the ritual tomorrow,” she said softly, her words vibrating against me.
I wanted to push, but knew better than to rush her. Her body might remember me, but her mind was still finding its way back.
The moment we were having ended when her phone started ringing from somewhere in the bedroom. She pulled away from me, slipping past to retrieve it. I turned and watched as she stared at the screen without answering.
The ringing stopped, then started again almost immediately. She just stood there, phone in hand, doing nothing.
