Page 136 of Velvet Chains

“Thought we’d go for a drive,” I said. “Your mum invited me.”

Ruby’s hand was already on the door handle, yanking. She jiggled it once, twice, then slapped the window with her palm. I cracked it just enough to hear her hiss.

“Kieran,unlock the door.”

I leaned across the center console. “Me and Rosie are taking a drive,” I said. “You can come too. Or not.”

Ruby’s eyes widened. “Kieran,” she said, low and sharp. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Language,” I said gently, glancing back at Rosie. “You want her first memory of this adventure to be her mom swearing?”

Her chest rose and fell like she’d just finished a sprint. Her hand hovered near the driver’s side handle.

I looked at Rosie in the rearview. “Would you mind putting your headphones on, love? I’m going to have a word with your mother. Don’t you worry about a thing.”

Rosie—bless her—did as I asked, happily kicking her feet as she looked down at her tablet. I would need to teach her some streetsmarts…but there would be plenty of time for that where we were going. With Rosie’s ears covered, I rolled the window down a little more, meeting Ruby’s eyes again.

“Let me make this clear. I’m going to drive this SUV away. You can get in,” I said. “And that would be my preference. Or you can stay here and Rosie and I will hang out somewhere I can keep her safe.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Kieran.”

I tutted, shaking my head. “Do you normally swear that much in front of our child?”

“Shut up,” Ruby snapped. “Jesus. Keep your voice down. Okay. Okay. I’ll get in. Just…don’t tell her. Please.”

I smiled, slow and soft, like I hadn’t been dreaming about this for years. “My lips are sealed.”

Her hand hovered at the door handle like she might bolt. Like she might scream. But she didn’t. Of course she didn’t. Because she knew. Somewhere in that frantic, furious head of hers, she knew this was always how it would end. With me. With us.

She opened the door and slid in beside me. Shut it. Clicked the seatbelt with a shaking hand. She didn’t look at me, but I could feel her body—tight, wired, burning—just inches away. She smelled like wind and vanilla and a little bit like panic.

She turned to pat Rosie on the shoulder, her voice remarkably steady. “Hey, peanut. You remember my friend Key?”

Rosie yanked her headphones down and beamed. “Yep! Hi, Mr. Key!”

“Hi, Ro,” I said, grinning at her in the mirror. “Did you like the book?”

“Yes! It’s funny!”

“We’re going on an adventure,” Ruby told her. “But we’ll be back soon, okay?”

Rosie shrugged. “Yeah. Okay. Can I keep playing my game?”

“Yes, mi amor.”

She slid the headphones back on, face soft with trust. Oblivious to the current vibrating between her mother and me.

Then Ruby turned back to me, voice low and lethal. “Kieran. If you get her hurt, I will fucking kill you.”

“I know,” I said. “But don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay.”

I reached for the gear shift. My hand brushed her thigh—barely a touch—and she jerked like it burned. Good. Let her feel it. Let her remember every time she’d wondered what it would be like if I just took her.

Because that’s what this was.

Not just taking my daughter.

Taking them both.