Chapter 31
Chapter thirty-one
Damien
Icatch sight of Cade as he leans against my office doorframe, arms crossed.
I heard the helicopter land in the clearing behind the house a few minutes ago.
I’ve been trying to concentrate on the reports in front of me for hours, but my attempt is futile because all I can think about is Luna’s visit earlier.
It killed me to let her go after that kiss.
I was this close to bending her over my desk and reminding her who we are together.
But her words gutted me when she said she might never be able to give me her trust again.
I refuse to accept that. I refuse to accept anything other than her having the grace to forgive me.
She wants space, but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay away. The last three days without her have been the longest and most torturous of my life.
“I thought you only needed thirty minutes. It’s been two hours.”
Pushing off the doorframe, Cade walks to the sofa and sits down.
“Yeah, well, the county law enforcement databases are surprisingly difficult to hack. When I have some time, I’m going to get back in there and dig around their firewalls to see what they’re doing differently.
Might be something we can reverse engineer into our systems.”
“Cade, I don’t give a shit about the county’s firewalls or the tire tracks. Tell me what you found out about that DNA.”
He slides into business mode. “It isn’t yours. I ran it against your profile to be sure. But whoever it is isn’t in any public governmental database in the United States. I have the system running against foreign databases now, but that will take six to twelve hours to get back.”
Relief floods through me, followed by frustration. “Then who the fuck—”
“Could be anyone.” He shrugs, anticipating my question.
“Random person who touched something at the scene after the fact. Contamination during processing. Hell, it could be the tech who collected it. But they would be in the system. Point is, Mills doesn’t have shit. Just coincidences and suspicions.”
My mind races through possibilities as I lean back in my chair. “What else does she have?”
“Nothing concrete. She’s fishing, hoping you’ll make a mistake.” Cade pauses. “Speaking of mistakes, I wish you’d told me Luna was in the room earlier. I really put my foot in it, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you fucking did. That’s your one free pass, Cade. She’ll be my wife one day. You better fucking respect her as such.”
The words leave my mouth before I’ve consciously thought them through, and the weight of them slams into my chest and steals my breath. But underneath the shock, certainty settles into my bones. The truth of it resonates through every cell in my body. I’m going to marry her.
Fuck!
I never thought I’d have a wife. I never wanted one. But I fucking want her more than the air I breathe.
Cade arches a skeptical brow, though somehow he is not surprised by my words. “Does she know this?”
“Not yet. But she will.”
“You never learn, Damien.”
“Actually, I have.” I let out a long breath. “She’s considering giving me another chance. Thinking about it, at least. And I’m doing what she asked. Giving her the space she asked for. It’s fucking killing me.”
“That’s good news on both fronts, though, right? Her considering and you actually respecting her boundaries for once. That’s a big step for you. Don’t fuck it up.”
“You’re an asshole, you know that?”
He shrugs, his mouth twitching into that ghost of a smirk he rarely lets out.
“I might've destroyed everything. But I'm not giving up. I'll do whatever it takes.”
“She came to warn you about the sheriff. That’s not the action of someone who wants you gone.”
“No.” I allow myself a thread of hope. “It’s not.”
“Look, I know I’ve been reluctant about your relationship. I’ve made that clear. But she’s good for you, Damien. She keeps you grounded. You need that.”
That’s his way of saying I need someone to keep me from going completely off the rails. No one has ever been able to do that. But if anyone can, it’s Luna.
“We’ll see.”
I glance out the window to my right. She’s only half a mile away from me, through those trees, but the distance feels immense.
“So, I have an update on Caleb Hunter.”
“Did you find the fucker?” I snarl at the mention of Luna’s fuck of an ex. “It’s been over almost a month since he threatened her.”
“Negative. He knows how to stay off the grid. But we got a hit this morning. The trace I set up running facial rec on all traffic cameras in Colorado caught him for about three seconds heading into the Eisenhower Tunnel.”
“East or west?”
“East.”
“So he’s heading this way?”
“It would seem so, but the camera at the east exit of the tunnel is out of order, so that’s where we lost him. But he’s not in that fancy car of his. It was a beat-up red pickup. That’s probably why we haven’t been able to track him. He’s not using his own vehicle.”
My pulse quickens, and cold fury washes over me, the familiar darkness rising like a tide.
“How this fucker has evaded us for this long is pissing me off, Cade. What good are our systems if we can’t track one fucking piece of shit? I want him found. Tonight.”
“Already on it. But Damien—” Cade hesitates. “We need to consider that he might try to approach her again.”
“Luna’s entire property is monitored.”
“That didn’t stop you from getting to her every night for months,” he points out with infuriating logic.
“That’s because I could shut off the cameras whenever I wanted to. They’re on all the time now that she kicked me out and told me not to come back. And I never intended to hurt her.” I slide into protection mode. “Reposition one of the satellites so it monitors her property twenty-four-seven.”
Caleb Hunter will get near her again over my dead fucking body.
“Consider it done. I’m going to have to clean up a hell of a mess, aren’t I?”
“Yes. He’s a threat to her, and you know it.”
He exhales, long and slow, the sound heavy with the knowledge of what’s coming. “Are you going to tell her about it?”
The word “no” is on my tongue, but if I’m going to earn back her trust, I have to learn to be honest with her, even when it might worry her.
Fuck!
“I will. I’m going to try to see her tonight.”
“And about the space she asked for?”
“I agreed to that before Caleb Hunter crawled out of his hole. Her space is going to be encroached on whether she likes it or not until he’s found and dealt with.”
Cade chuckles as he gets up to leave. “Good luck with that one.”
Once he’s gone, I try to work, but concentration eludes me.
Every few minutes, I find myself checking the sanctuary’s camera feeds, watching Luna move through her afternoon routine.
She looks tired, dark circles shadowing those beautiful hazel eyes.
I saw them when she was here earlier. She hasn’t been sleeping either.
I grab my phone and send her a text.
Me
I know you want space, but there's something else we need to talk about. Can I come by later?
It feels like a lifetime passes before my phone buzzes with a reply.
Luna
Does it have to do with what we spoke about earlier?
Me
No. But I also have an update on that I can share.
Luna
Really?? You’ll share the info you have willingly?
Me
I’m trying, Luna. Give me some fucking credit, will you?
I cringe as soon as I hit send. Snapping at her is going to get me permanent banishment from the sanctuary. It's another several minutes of my holding my breath before her reply comes through.
Luna
Okay, Mr. Cranky Pants. You can come by after dinner. 7 PM.
The relief that floods through me is embarrassing in its intensity, almost as strong as the surprise. She’s extending an olive branch. One I don’t deserve, but I’ll take it. I’ll take anything she gives me.
Me
See you then, little doe.
I wait to see how or if she’ll reply. She didn’t like the nickname at the beginning, but she doesn’t seem to mind it anymore. She hasn’t told me not to call her that in a while. When her reply comes, it goes straight to my cock.
Luna
Until tonight, wolf(e).
Fuck! This woman is going to be the fucking death of me. And I wouldn’t have her any other way.
I set my phone down, already planning how I’ll make her my dessert.
I spend the rest of the day distracted, watching her on the cameras, anticipating seeing her.
The way she moves through her sanctuary, checking on each animal with that gentle touch of hers, is hypnotic.
Every gesture, every soft word she speaks, feeds my obsession.
At six, I step away from the monitors and take Athena for a walk around the property.
“I might not be home tonight, girl, if I can get Luna to let me spread her out on her table. You think I’ve got a chance?”
Athena gives me a whuff that I swear says “fat chance, buddy” in dog speak. Smart animal. She knows I fucked up with Luna. But I’m willing to be optimistic. Or at least desperate enough to try. I’ve never been more desperate for anything in my life.
“You be a good girl.” I give her one last scratch around her ears. “And maybe I can take you to see her tomorrow.”
Yes, that’s perfect. Luna said Athena was always welcome. That’s my excuse to visit her while technically respecting the boundaries and distance she’s asked for. She won’t punish Athena for my mistakes. That’s not how she operates.
The space she’s asked for feels like a chasm between us. I need to bridge it, and I’m not above using Athena. But I need something else too.
Flowers.
That’s what you bring when you’re trying to apologize, right? If I’m going to grovel, something I’ve never done for anyone in my forty-six years, I should at least do it right.
The drive to Estes Park takes me through winding mountain roads, the familiar scenery making the drive pass in no time.