38. Briar
Briar
A few streets away, it starts to sink in how cold I am. And how lost I am.
Damn it. I walk for a while before I admit defeat, digging around in my bag.
“Hey, warrior.” River picks up on the first ring, his voice teasing. “You okay?”
I bite down on my lip. “Um. Yes.”
I almost feel his attention sharpen. River is lazy humour and smouldering eyes, until something is wrong. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’m lost.” I cringe as I admit it. “I was at the museum, and I started walking. And now I’m not sure how to get back.”
“Left or right from the museum?” There’s a metallic jangle. “Briar?”
“Right from inside. But I took a few turns.”
“Okay. Don’t panic. I want you to walk to the corner of the street you’re on and look at the name for me. What is it?”
“Lefferts Street?”
His stern demeanor doesn’t change. “I know where you are. Stand somewhere with good lighting. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Stay on the phone.”
He sounds so… stern. I bite down on my lip. “Sorry.”
“No apology needed. I’m coming to get you. What were you doing at the museum?”
My lips part, but nothing comes out for a moment. “I was at an event.”
I leave Philip out. In part because it sounds pathetic to admit that my father is trying to set me up in an arranged marriage at the age of twenty-six. But mainly because I don’t want that Briar’s life to bleed into this. Whatever it is that we have.
He whistles. “Sounds fancy. Does this mean I get to see you all dressed up.”
My smile grows. “Maybe. Did I interrupt you?”
“No. I’ve been working out, but I’d just finished.”
Oh. “Does that mean I get to see you without a shirt on?”
“Not in this weather.” There’s laughter in his voice. “I’m wearing twelve layers.”
There’s something so easy about talking to him. “I wouldn’t mind some of those layers.”
“Do you have a coat?” River groans at my silence. “ Briar . You’re going to keep us busy, I can feel it.”
It was a stupid thing to do. Another one. The list is getting longer.
Maybe my father was right. About that much, at least.
Footsteps up ahead draw my eye before they slow, and I suddenly realise exactly how stupid I am.
Feigning ease, I press the phone against my ear, leaning to look both ways before darting across the road. I wait for a few seconds, before the bottom drops out of my stomach. “River?”
He senses my change in tone immediately. “I’m here.”
“There’s a man,” I whisper. “He’s watching me. I just crossed the road.”
The silhouette lingers up ahead, not moving closer. But not moving away, either. Just… watching me.
“Did he cross too?”
“Yeah.” My whisper is shaky. “He’s just standing there.”
He sucks in a breath. “I’m less than five minutes away. I’m breaking every speed limit in the city to get to you. Okay? It’s going to be fine, baby. Take a breath. Get ready to run if you need to. Is there anyone else around?”
“No.” My voice cracks.
“I want you to walk slowly away. Try not to show that you’re on to them. I know it’s hard. I’m coming. Are there any houses close by with lights on?”
I raise my eyes to stare down the street. “I think these are offices. I’ll keep looking.”
“Good girl. Nearly there.”
Unable to resist, I glance over my shoulder. The figure is moving too. “He’s moving, River.”
“Thirty seconds.” His voice raises. “Just thirty more seconds, okay?”
There’s a screech of brakes on the other line as I walk past a small space full of large trash containers, and my heart almost stops. “River!”
“I’m fine. Where is he now?”
I turn to look—
The phone smashes out of my hand as hands cover my mouth. The scent of cigarettes and unwashed skin fills my nose, my mouth. My scream sounds muted, and I claw at the hand holding me as it yanks me back, toward the darkness next to me.
I lose a shoe. He lifts me by the waist, dragging me as I kick desperately, trying to hit him with my other heel before I lose that one too. The man doesn’t say anything, his breathing heavy in my ear, and somehow it’s more terrifying. I throw an elbow back into his chest, but it doesn’t stop him moving.
He’s going to pull me out of sight. River won’t see me.
Stay calm. Think—
Leaning forward over the arms banded around me, I strain, hoping to pull him off balance before I throw myself back as hard as I can.
My head smashes into his with an audible crack.
And his arms loosen.
It’s all I need. I take off, running toward the sound of a car engine, my breathing a choked, begging noise in my throat as I race directly into the road and throw my hands up at the blinding lights. “Help me!”
Please. My sobs are louder now, adrenaline giving way to fear, and the slamming of a car door has me suddenly backing up—
“Briar!” River’s hands are on my face, my arms, and I throw myself into him as my sobs get louder. “Jesus, baby, where is he?”
My hand shakes as I point to the dark space.
River glances between me and the darkness, his brow creasing as he studies me. I suck in a shuddering breath as he lifts me, carrying me over to the car and placing me down into the warm seat. He shrugs his coat off, wrapping it around my shaking limbs as I fight to catch my breath. River drops down to crouch beside me, his hands stroking my hair back. “Are you hurt? I don’t want to leave you, so I need to make a call if we’re going to catch him. And the rules are a little different here, since it’s not our area.”
Before he does it to anyone else. “I’m not hurt.”
River’s already dialling, his hand still stroking my cheek and his eyes not leaving mine. “Aiden. You have an attacker around Lefferts Street. Tried to drag my girl into the trash area halfway down. Two minutes ago.”
He listens, and I catch his attention, my breathing settling. “Brown beanie hat. Fifties. White. Grey fingerless gloves and a puffer jacket with a patch on the right side.”
River’s eyebrows fly up. “You get that? Yeah. Right side.”
“And a possible broken nose. I hit him pretty hard.”
A small, proud smile tips up the side of River’s mouth that makes me smile back, even though I’m still shaking. “That’s right. My girl is a bigger badass than yours, asshole. Tell your scary twin not to kill me for saying it. Or Alyss, for that matter.”
He hangs up without another word, still touching me. I need the reassurance as much as he does.
“Who was that?”
“Aiden is part of the Hearts. He deals with things like this. His guys will get here much quicker, since it’s their territory. The Hearts will get him, Briar. They have no appetite to leave men like that on the streets.”
Good. I pull River’s coat up. “Thank you for coming.”
If he hadn’t—
I see the same awareness on his face. “Always call me. I don’t care if you think I’m busy. I don’t care if we’ve argued, or if Jenson’s being a dick. I don’t give a fuck what the circumstances are, Briar. Promise me that you’ll call any of us if you’re ever in trouble, baby.”
When I nod, he loosens a breath. “Okay. I want you away from here.”
He closes my door, and I shrink beneath his coat, shamelessly soaking in the warmth as he slides into the driver’s seat less than a minute later. He hands me my phone, tossing my heels into his backseat. “They were on the ground.”
His voice is dark, and I search for something to distract him. “What happened to your other ten layers?”
River’s lips tip up, but he still looks strained. I curl up in the seat, watching as he pulls out.
When my body starts to shake again, I huddle under the coat.
I’m fine. I got away . “Where are we going?”
“Ravenhall. Unless you want to go home?”
“Ravenhall is good.” His knuckles are white on the wheel. “I’m okay, River.”
Cautiously, I slide my hand out, placing it on his thigh. He lets out a shuddering breath. “I thought I was going to be too late. God, I nearly was.”
One hand covers mine, the other on the wheel. “I haven’t felt so scared for a long time.”
I grip his fingers. “I’m sorry—,”
“Briar,” he says heavily. “Don’t apologize. Not for assholes like that.”
He lifts my hand, pressing his lips to the pulse in my wrist. “Let’s get you back.”
Cautiously, I consider what might be waiting at Ravenhall. “Could we… not tell Jenson about this?”
He slides me an incredulous look. “You don’t think he already knows? I messaged him and Kai as I was leaving. They’re on their way back.”
At my crestfallen look, he finally looks amused. “You signed on for all three of us, baby. You’re getting all three.”
Wonderful.