Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“And I love your enthusiasm.” I hold out my hand. “What do you say?”
“I absolutely accept.” She shakes my hand firmly. “Just send me an offer letter and let’s make it official.”
I burst out laughing. I’d completely forgotten about all that. “I should probably hire an HR person next.”
“Don’t worry. Once I’m on board, I’ll handle that.”
“Which is exactly what I hoped you’d say.”
We step outside together. It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon. There’s an Uber Black waiting down at the curb, purchased and paid for out of the company account, waiting to take Jessica home. I beat her to the door and hesitate, glancing around as if I might find some Russians running at us with machine guns and bombs.
But nothing happens. There’s no explosion, no screaming. No Elena bursting into a cloud of shredded flesh and blood. Jessica thanks me one last time, says she’s excited, and gets into the back.
I’m shaking slightly as the Uber drives away.
“You okay?”
I jump and turn around, hands flying to my chest as my heart rate doubles. Cormac comes to me, immediately wrapping his arms around me.
“I’m fine,” I say, struggling to catch my breath.
“It’s okay if you’re not.”
“No, really, it’s nothing.” I lean into him with a low sigh. “It just freaks me out every time, you know? After what happened.”
“That’ll fade, but it won’t ever go away.”
“That’s good though, right? I’d be worried if I stopped thinking about it one day.”
“Scars matter. There’s no shame in them.”
I lightly reach up and brush my fingers across his stubble-covered cheek. He bends down to kiss me, and we hold like that for a second.
“I think she’s the one,” I admit as we hold hands and head back to my office. “I offered her the job.”
“Did you really? Congratulations. That’s fantastic.”
“She’s got all the right experience, all the right qualifications, and we clicked, you know? I don’t dread working with her.”
“That’s a big deal.”
“I know, it really is.” I take a deep breath and blow it out. “But it also scares the shit out of me.”
“Why?”
“It’s real now.” I pause before going back into the building. “The shelter is happening. No more planning and pacing around and wondering. I’m doing it.”
“You should be happy.”
“I am, but I’m also scared. I know how important these places are to the people they serve. I don’t want to fuck it up.”
“You won’t.” He kisses me and hugs me tight. “You care, and that’s the most important thing. You’ll do what’s best, and you’ll hire good employees who can handle everything you can’t. I’ll make sure you have all the resources you need.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, real joy mingling with nervous energy. “By the way, I meant to ask. How’s the whole food delivery thing going?”
His eyebrows raise. “Aren’t you technically the CEO?”
“On paper, sure.”
“It’s going good. The Russians are playing nicely for now. Who knows how long that’ll last? But I didn’t think we’d even make it this far, so I could be wrong.”
“Here’s hoping.” I squeeze his hand tightly. Life’s been good ever since the truce. I’ve had real peace of mind, and I’ve been able to concentrate on moving the shelter forward.
It’s only been two months, but they’ve been the best two months of my entire life.
“Let’s head back up. I’ll get you some lunch.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“We both know I’m going to.” He stoops down and breathes me in. “My feather.”
“My ghost.” I grin back at him. “Well, if you’re buying, I’m eating. And hey, go ahead and get yourself something too.”
“How generous.”
“I’m the best, I know.”
Chapter 39
Cormac
Two Months Later
I move through my collection of her, idly touching things. Memories come back to me, each one slightly hazy. Bodies, screams, blood. Begging and sobbing and the cold, black quiet afterward.
There’s a strange layer of dust over everything.
Before I married my saint, I spent a lot of time in this room. It calmed me down in a strange way. I found peace in here. I could be close to her, or at least as close as a monster like me should ever get. I never dreamed I’d have more.
Now this room’s barely used.
All the little pieces of who she used to be. Each one linked to a piece of me too. Strange how they seem so small and worthless now.
It’s just a bunch of trash and junk.
“What are you doing up here?” Bianca sounds genuinely curious. Her hair’s up in a messy bun, and she’s wearing sweats.
“Just looking around.”
“Find anything good?” She stands in the doorway, looking inside.
This room scared the hell out of her when she first found it. Now it’s just another part of our life. Only a room.
“Yes and no.” I raise a little hex screw. “I took this from your couch.”
She makes a face. “Is that why it started creaking?”