Page 33 of A Midnight Romance

Lux

B y the time my phone buzzes with a text message, River and I have been cuddled together in his office for some time. It’s not until it goes off again that I catch the time to realize it’s been almost an hour. I lean to the side and pull my phone out of my pocket to check the notifications.

Stevie: Just getting off work.

Stevie: Coming back to River and Sebastian’s manor.

“ My sister is on her way back,” I tell River. “I’m glad you have one of your guys tailing her.”

“I’m glad you feel better about it,” he says.

“And as long as I’m here, I feel like she’ll want to be here anyway.”

“You two are close, aren’t you?” He slides a hand along my face, threading his fingers through my hair.

“We are. She lived with me for a while after she graduated until she made enough to buy her own place,” I tell him. “I was sad to see her go, because growing up it was just the two of us. We always had each other’s back no matter what.”

He smiles. “Like me and Sebastian. We may be cousins, but we grew up like brothers. We’ve always been there for each other. ”

“That’s probably why they’re both supportive of—” I pause. “What we do.”

“ We ?”

“Yes. We.” I lean in, bringing my lips to his for a soft kiss.

His hand cups the back of my head, holding me steady, and his tone takes a serious note. “Stevie should officially move into your bedroom in the East Wing. I want you to stay with me.”

“You have quite the possessive side, don’t you?” I smirk playfully.

“And that surprises you?”

“Not anymore.”

“Just got off the phone with—” Sebastian halts his words when he spots River and me. “Sorry, I didn’t know. Wait, Lux is in here,” he says, quickly glancing over his shoulders where the wall of monitors is.

“I know about the cameras, Sebastian,” I say, melting into River’s embrace. “It’s all good.”

His brows furrow, as if he’s perplexed by how I’m okay with it. “Okay?”

“How’d it go with Christian?” River asks, changing subjects.

“We’re all set to head to Spain,” Sebastian explains.

My posture straightens with surprise. “Wait, what?”

“Andrew fled the country once he got wind the police were looking for him.”

“So he went to Spain?”

“We believe someone tipped him off before the police intervened.”

“Andrew’s family has some estate in the country.” Sebastian leans his arms against the desk.

“And we’re going after him?” I stand, feeling a little lost, which is how I feel mostly when River and his team handle the details behind the scenes.

But I try my best to pay attention, and to my surprise I am beginning to understand more and with a sense of pride, I glance over at River with a warmth in me.

“Looks like it.” River looks at Sebastian.

“We need to discuss the details,” Sebastian says.

“Okay.” River leans back in the chair, bending one leg over the other. “Go on.”

Sebastian shoots me a brief glance before opening his laptop, maybe feeling a little unsure about showing me more detailed notes about their operation.

But the feeling must pass, because he flips it around to River and me.

The screen displays a beautiful Spanish colonial-style house with a vibrant white exterior and red roof.

Him and River continue discussing their plans on how to get to Andrew, while my mind cycles through the fear of us not being able to get to him.

“Are you still going to see your dad?” River asks me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah, we should go before we leave for Spain.”

“We? Looks like someone’s on a tight leash,” Sebastian says playfully.

“She’s not going anywhere without me.” River walks by and slugs him in the arm.

Remembering my sister is on her way back, I turn to Sebastian. “My sister is coming back. Would you mind letting her in?”

“Sure.”

River and I walk out of his office with Sebastian right behind us. Then River and I turn into his bedroom.

I need to tell Stevie about what’s going on. So I pull out my phone to send her a text.

Me: River is going with me to see dad.