Page 96 of The Eleventh Hour

“I know that, Dad.”

“Sometimes, I’m not sure that you do. You keep those boys of yours close.”

“I will.”

“Good. Richard and I are going to handle the media. You worry about keeping your head down and staying out of this madman’s clutches.” Dad embraces me in a hard hug, and then heads for the door, Richard at his side. “Phil, a moment of your time. Now.”

I’ve never heard Dad use that voice on someone who is family before, but Phil jumps and scrambles after the two powerful men.

I close my eyes as Rafael wraps his arms around me and lean into him.

“I have to speak to River.”

“I know. We’ll wait for you here.”

“Thanks.”

I pull away and move quickly through the house before I can talk myself out of it. River is sitting on the same balustrade we sat on during the day of the engagement party. He looks up and looks away.

“You lied to me.”

“I lied to everyone.”

“Yes, but it’s me. River and Jax against the world. You and me, who never keep secrets. You and me, who have each other’s backs. What the fuck, Jax?”

I grab River’s face and hold him so he has to stare at me.

“He finds people I love, stalks them and takes them one night, no warning, they just vanish. Louis, my Louis, cuts them apart for three days, and they’re alive when he does it. He electrocutes them, stabs them, shoots them, burns them, brands them, and when you have nothing left and you are a ghost of who you were, he kills you.”

River licks his lips. His pupils are wide and dilated.

“That’s why I lied, and I would do it over and over and over again. I never, ever want you to be connected to that monster. I would have said and done anything to keep you safe, Riv.”

“But you were…and you were alone. That’s the part that kills me. We were having this wonderful life, and you were locked up, living in poverty, hungry, cold, scared, and we were right here.”

Tears fill his eyes and then mine. I have to blink hard to push them away.

“It was worth it.”

“What was?”

“The price; to know you were all safe and warm and living your lives was worth it.”

River sobs and wraps his arms around me and squeezes until my bones creak, but I hug him back just as hard. He cries onto my shoulder, and my silent tears stain his top.

“I’m sorry my choices hurt you.”

River chuckles wetly, pulling back. “I’m sorry your choices hurt you.”

“Are we good, Riv?”

He closes his eyes. “Yeah, we’re good, but no more, okay? We’re a family. Can we, like, start acting like it?”

I pretend to think. “Iunno.”

“Idiot.”

“Hey, did you see? I think the demon queen is mellowing to me.”