Chapter 22
Jace
Zara ran ahead of me into the apartment, and I set her bag in her room before heading into the living area.
Shannon sat crossed legged on the couch with her computer on her lap, and I paused a moment to take her in.
The sunlight streaming through the window cast her features in a breathtaking glow, the shine of her dark, glossy hair captivating to my eyes.
I’d spent several hours today with my sponsor, Bren.
We’d spent most of those hours working on a bass guitar he was repairing for one of his clients, but when he’d asked me how everything was going with Shannon, it had been like a dam had burst. I’d gotten everything out, about Dixon and Margie, all the shit that had gone down yesterday.
Bren had listened quietly, and when I was done speaking he’d simply said, “I’m proud of you. ”
“Proud of me for what?” I’d responded. “Having my identity stolen or for not realising Cai’s mother had been masquerading as Shannon’s friend right under our noses?”
“I’m proud of you because you’re handling all this so well.
You just told me one hell of a crazy story, and yet you seem solid.
I’ve sponsored a lot of ex-addicts in my time, and many of them lost track of their sobriety for much less than what you just told me.
Yet you’re sitting here in front of me, a little tired maybe, but still solid as a rock.
What’s not to be proud of? It’s also nice to see that none of it’s driven you and Shannon apart.
Relationships that can withstand a bit of pressure are the ones that will last.”
“We didn’t last before,” I’d said.
A kind smile shaped the deep wrinkles in his face. “It’s different this time, don’t you think?”
A lightness had filled me, and I’d thought about where Shannon and I had been a few weeks ago and how far we’d come, the closeness we now shared.
I almost couldn’t believe it was real. Before coming off my tour, I’d never imagined a reality where Shannon would consider taking me back.
The fact that she was willing to try again made me feel like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world, despite all the other bullshit going on in my life.
It was only when my attention went to the taut line of her lips pressing together that I realised she was staring at her computer screen with a perturbed expression.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as I neared her, and her eyes flicked up, face pale.
“Margie emailed me,” she said and my eyebrows lifted.
“How?”
“I have no idea, but she managed to get access to a computer. She’s … she’s sent me the details of all of Samuel’s victims. We’ll be able to get in touch with them.”
The pressure that had been living inside me ever since Alison had showed up to Roan’s art show suddenly dissolved. I rounded the couch and lowered to sit next to her. She was still staring at the email, and as I read it over her shoulder, I realised why she looked so troubled.
“No way. I’m not letting you do that.”
“But we could catch him this way, get him sent to prison where he belongs.”
My hand went to the back of her neck, rubbing at the new tension that had visibly collected there. “Margie isn’t someone we should be taking advice from, especially not in this case.”
“Shouldn’t we at least run it by your dad? See what he says?”
“We can, but I’m sure he’ll be against what Margie’s suggested, too.”
“He asked Oliver King-Clark to do some pretty dodgy stuff to track the owner of that crypto wallet. I don’t think he’s as law abiding as you’d like to believe,” she argued.
I blew out a heavy breath. She was right. My father could be fairly loose where the law was concerned, but it was always for the common good. “Fine, we’ll run it by him at dinner, but I don’t like it.”
Shannon shut down her laptop and stood, stretching her arms over her head, and my gaze wandered over her lithe form.
With everything that had happened over the last day or so, I’d barely had time to appreciate her, nor be close to her like I craved.
Peering past her, I made sure Zara was still in her room before I brought my hand to her hip and tugged her forward.
Lifting my head, I gazed up at her, tracing her features because her face was my favourite thing to look at.
“How are you doing with all this?” I murmured, massaging her hip as I laced my fingers with hers.
“It’s been a lot,” she said, and I nodded, leaning forward to kiss the sliver of skin that peeked out beneath her top.
My gaze flicked up. “You need some stress relief?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “We can’t … Zara’s here. Besides, I thought you didn’t want to …”
Her words fell off when I nuzzled her stomach. “Didn’t want to what?”
“You slept out here last night. You didn’t even … t-touch me.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, guilt swept in.
How had I not considered how my quiet solemnity last night would come across?
I’d slept out here, but only because I’d been so lost in my own stressed, angry thoughts that I’d eventually passed out on the couch.
I hadn’t even considered that Shannon would think I was putting distance between us.
The truth was I’d been too distracted by my need to catch Dixon to think about sex, but she should’ve known by now that I wanted her all the time.
“I’m sorry. How can I make it up to you?” A shy look crossed her face, like she didn’t know how to respond. I kept my voice low when I asked, “Did you miss me?”
She nodded, her breaths coming faster. I slid my finger under the hem of her top right before Zara came out of her room, and we quickly broke apart.
“When are we going to Granny and Granddad’s?
” she asked, her expression light and cheerful, no clue of what she’d just walked in on.
I had no intention of allowing Margie and Dixon’s bullshit to slow down what was happening between Shannon and me.
I was still one hundred percent in with her.
As far as I was concerned, we could tell Zara right now because I wasn’t going anywhere.
Shannon, on the other hand, wasn’t quite where I was, but she’d get there.
“Soon,” I told her before glancing at Shannon. “You up for it?”
“Sure, I haven’t had time to buy groceries, so there’s nothing here for dinner anyway.”
“But I’m peckish now,” Zara complained.
“Do you want a snack?” Shannon asked, and our daughter bobbed her head.
There wasn’t much in the fridge, only a couple of things I’d picked up on our way over yesterday.
Shannon grabbed an apple and a packet of oat cookies for Zara, washing the apple before chopping it into slices as I lowered onto a stool to watch her.
Her cheeks were still flushed from our encounter by the couch.
“What?” she asked, aware of my staring. “Do you need a snack, too?”
I grinned. “I could eat.” The double meaning in my response didn’t evade her, and her flush deepened.
Shannon placed some apple slices on a plate next to the cookies before sliding them to Zara, who carried her plate into the living area and turned on the television.
Shannon then quietly started on another apple for me.
She placed the slices on a plate and put it in front of me.
The air felt thick around us. I held her gaze as I brought a slice to my mouth and bit down.
She turned away, wiping down the counter even though it was already clean.
“How are things with Elias? I forgot to ask if he checked himself in somewhere.”
“He did. I drove him to a clinic, and he seemed like he was serious about quitting, but time will tell. I’ll call him tomorrow to see how he’s doing.”
“That’s good that he’s getting help.”
“It is,” I agreed, bringing another slice of apple to my lips, eating it slowly.
“You’re staring,” she commented.
“That is correct.”
“Can I ask why?”
“Is it unusual to stare at a beautiful woman?”
She glanced over to where Zara was fully immersed in some kid’s show before looking back at me. “Quit flirting, Lister.”
“Stop being so beautiful, and I’ll try, Kryten.”
She shook her head, sighing in exasperation, but I could see her lips trying hard not to part in a smile.
Reaching out, she moved to steal a slice of apple, but I caught her fingers.
“If you want some you only have to ask,” I told her softly, releasing her fingers before picking up the slice she’d been reaching for.
Leaning across the counter, I brought it to her lips. “Open,” I whispered.
Her eyelids lowered, her pulse fluttering at her throat as she opened her mouth for me.
I slid the apple past her perfect lips and watched as she bit down.
Her gaze met mine as she chewed, then swallowed, and I wrestled with the urge to throw her over my shoulder and carry her like a caveman into her bedroom.
I picked up another slice, lifting it to her mouth, and again, she quietly ate for me.
A low rumble started at the base of my throat, a raw feeling of satisfaction that had me praising her. “Good girl.”
“Jace,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Needing to touch her, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, my thumb brushing against her soft earlobe. “Later, yeah?”
Her throat bobbed on a swallow, and I moved away from the counter, knowing it was dangerous territory doing this with Zara only a few feet away, even if she was distracted by her show.
“I’m going to take a quick shower before we go to your parents’,” she said, and I really didn’t need the image of Shannon in the shower with how I was feeling.
“Take your time,” I said, forcing myself not to follow as she left.
***
“It’s an interesting idea,” my dad said later while ponderously rubbing his chin.
We’d finished eating dinner, and Mam had taken Zara out back to her workshop to show her some of the new scarves she’d been designing. She loved checking out all the colourful fabrics.