Page 69 of Darkness of Mine

He suppresses a smile. “What about River?”

I sigh. “I thought we were good. I thought everything would go back to being normal but it’s like now he knows he can hurt me he thinks he needs to be gentle all the time.”

“And you don’t want that?” There’s no judgement in the question.

“No. I want him to take the lead again.” I want him to be the controlling, dominating bastard he is. It’s what he needs. It’s whatIneed.

Alistair’s pen taps his chin. “Well maybe, if talking isn’t working, you need to find a way to show him.”

I think about that for a moment.

I think about it again after my session with Alistair when River flat out denies my request to take Allie to see our mother.

According to him it’s not safe because it’s the first place Zach would expect me to go. Never mind the fact that Hannah might have more information that could help us find him. Or that Allie has been asking nonstop about our mother. No matter how messed up she is, she deserves to see that our mother is alive with her own two eyes.

River doesn’t even give me a chance to argue with him though, heading out of the house and leaving me standing at the island with Oz, Jude, and Eli.

Eli nudges my shoulder with his. “Come on, let’s go to The Lair. River organized for a couple of junior agents to watch the house so Allie can stay here.”

Still feeling pissed off, I agree.

It’s not till we’re in the foyer of the SCU offices and I see a familiar head of dark brown hair slip into the elevator that my mood peaks.Jack.

I’d only met him once briefly when he came to take my mother to a safehouse after Eli shot Maxwell. River described him as ‘FBI adjacent’ so I wasn’t expecting to find him here, but it’s definitely him.

He swipes a card and presses a button at the bottom of the panel but he’s too far away for me to see which level he’s going to.

I have to wait another hour before I’m able to slip away from the Lair leaving Oz, Jude, and Eli with the excuse of a coffee run.

I’m not sure this is what Alistair had in mind when he said to show River what I need, but River is stubborn to the nthdegree. I have a feeling the only way I’m going to get him to stop walking on eggshells around me is if I push him hard enough that he stomps all over them.

I go to the ground floor and find the same elevator Jack used. Jude is going to pout when he realizes I swiped his ID but when I press the button for the subbasement the control panel flashes ready to scan my biometrics.Shit.

I’m still staring at the panel when someone slips between the closing doors and peers over my shoulder.

I jolt at his proximity and look back to find a Latino man peeling a pear with a razor-sharp knife as he stares past me to the elevator panel. He flicks his hand, and an ID card appears between his fingers. “Try this one.”

I have absolutely no reason to trust this man and the slightly insane looking smile on his face suggests I really shouldn’t, but I find myself taking the ID card and swiping it.

The guy leans over to scan his face and the elevator hums as it begins to move. I hand the card back to the man and turn toface him, my gaze narrowing on the knife he’s using. “Shouldn’t that be an apple?” I ask, nodding to the pear.

“Why would it be an apple?”

I shrug. “I don’t know, that’s just what you always see when some psycho is using a knife to peel fruit.”

His long black hair brushes his cheekbone as he tilts his head. “I’ve been told it’s customary to share names before medical diagnoses but if you want to start there, sociopath is probably more accurate.”

My mouth parts.Well, okay then.“Who are you?”

He bites a bit of peel off the knife and grins. “Reaper. And you, are Freya.”

I stiffen.

His eyes twinkle. “Your reputation precedes you.”

“You know Jack,” I state.

Reaper gives a dramatic sigh. “Tragically, yes.”