Page 90 of Darkness of Mine

My hands loop around her waist as she takes in the banners and balloons decorating the living area. I lean down to whisper in her ear. “You’re with four FBI agents, Angel. Did you really think we wouldn’t figure out it’s your birthday?”

38

FREYA

The whole living room looks like a child’s birthday party, and I adore it. My palm flutters to my heart and I spin in Jude’s arms, looping my hands around his neck. “This is for me?”

“Happy birthday, babygirl,” Jude whispers against my lips.

I kiss him then duck out of his arms to explore the room. A happy birthday banner hangs above the backdoors and multi-colored balloons float in every corner. The coffee table is piled high with wrapped presents and my mouth rounds as I look over to the island.

“Is that a piñata?”

Eli picks up a rainbow baton from behind the couch and walks over to the papier mâché donkey hanging from the ceiling.

He holds the baton out to me. “Care to do the honors?”

I laugh. “This is ridiculous.”

“Do you like it?” Jude asks, coming up behind me.

“I love it.”

Oz hooks his phone up to the sound system and music fills the room as River blindfolds me. I take the baton from Eli and the guys spin me around before letting me loose and I decide piñatas should be an official form of stress relief.

I forget all about my brother and the case as I swing the bat like a madwoman, squealing when the donkey cracks and candy rains down on me.

I pull the blindfold off and feel very much like a kid in a candy shop as I stand among hundreds of sweets.

We spend the next hour playing stupid party games and I’ve never had so much fun in my life. When the lights dim and Oz appears carrying a home baked chocolate cake, tears push at my eyes. They sing ‘Happy Birthday’ for me and I squeeze Jude’s hand tight as I blow out the candles.

“Hey, are you alright?” he asks, wiping a stray tear from my cheek.

I don’t want anything to ruin this moment, so I just kiss him and say, “I’m perfect.”

Oz goes to the fridge and comes back again with a jug of white chocolate caramel frappes that I just know he’s made from scratch. I even manage to convince River to try one.

He keeps his face perfectly straight as he takes a sip and places the glass back down on the coffee table.

“And?” I ask.

“And it is as disgusting as I predicted. Possibly even worse. Your tastebuds are broken.”

I cackle and sit back on the couch, resting my legs across Jude’s lap.

We open presents next and each new gift swells inside my heart. They bought me a new leather jacket, a keyring tag with the name Joey engraved on it, and a sheath for the new knife River got me, the tough material covered in black ink. I run my fingers over the angel wing illustrations and look up at Jude. “Did you do this?”

He nods and I straddle his lap so I can kiss him again.

It’s not until later, when we’re lounging on the couches watching a movie, that I find the right words to tell them what almost had me in tears earlier.

“I’ve never had a birthday party before.”

Jude’s hand stills where he’s been stroking my hair as I rest my head on his lap.

Eli looks up at me from the floor. “Never?”

I shake my head. “Never even had presents or a cake. Well, Carmen tried the year I was with her but her attempt at baking was more of a health hazard as opposed to an edible cake.”