Page 47 of While She Sleeps (The Hunter and The Thief #1)

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

ORION

E mber is quiet as I lead her to the elevator of my building.

Thankfully, it’s only a twenty-minute walk, but with the way her body wavers, it feels much longer. She’s trying so hard to be strong, something she’s had to be far too much in her life, but that just means I have to be strong enough for the both of us.

Killian is bringing my car back with him, along with the few items we could salvage from Ember’s apartment, but it’s not going to do her much good.

The single pair of pajama shorts and an old dress that she’d forgotten she even owned, paired with a pair of running shoes, don’t even make a complete outfit.

But she already has a wardrobe of clothes in the penthouse, something I’m going to have to explain shortly.

There are a lot of things I’m going to have to come clean about, but most of it can wait until she recovers from this setback.

Ember slumps against me as soon as the doors slide shut behind us, and I revel in her surrender. She didn’t want to need me, but the fact that she’s allowing herself to has my chest aching. Who knew the organ that keeps me alive could beat for someone the way it beats for my little flame.

“Why would someone do that?” she whispers.

“I don’t know,” I admit. But I will. I had Killian pull out all the cameras I installed before the police arrived, and I’ll be checking the footage as soon as I can leave her alone for a few minutes, but I can’t see that happening anytime soon.

And it can wait.

The dead man walking will still be there once Ember is strong enough to stand by herself again.

Lucas is another problem I need to deal with. I don’t give a fuck how valuable he is. He’s been blowing up Ember’s phone ever since I took it from her, and the things he’s saying to her cannot be allowed to go unchecked.

But again, it’ll have to wait.

The elevator doors slide open straight into the living room of the penthouse, and I guide Ember forward, her eyes darting around like she’s not sure what to look at first.

“Holy fuck,” she breathes. “You actually live here?”

I chuckle. “Yes, I actually live here.”

“I thought places like this only existed in the movies.” She looks up at me, her brows furrowed. “So…you’re like rich rich?”

Another laugh escapes my throat as I tug her into my side. “I guess so.”

Now is not the time to go into just how much money is sitting in my bank account at this very second.

The elevator dings, and Killian steps out with the small bag of items he brought over, but his eyes are focused on Ember.

It seems the man who refuses to acknowledge his ability to care for others has, in fact, started caring for someone other than himself.

I knew there were benefits to putting him on her tail.

He drops it on the dining table as Ember pulls away from me, crossing the expansive space to the floor-to-ceiling window looking out at the Los Angeles sunset.

Killian stops beside me. “What do you need from me?” he asks softly.

“I need you to find out who the fuck followed her and who broke into her apartment.”

“You don’t think they’re the same person?”

“No. The cops may think so, but I don’t. The apartment was a crime of passion, while the van had to be pre-planned. You don’t just have a team of guys available to kidnap someone. It’s unlikely the same person would commit both in the same day.”

“I’m on it. You taking a few days?”

I nod. “Clear my schedule, and don’t call me unless the empire is literally on fire.”

He chuckles. “Roger that. I’ll keep you updated because I know your workaholic ass won’t be able to handle being out of the loop all together.”

I scowl at him, but he’s right. I’ve never taken a single day away from the darker side of my business, and it certainly doesn’t come naturally to me.

When you’ve spent your whole existence working, it’s fucking hard to take a day off.

“You need me to get anything for Ember? Clothes? Toiletries? Those kinds of things?”

“No, she already has a stock of stuff here.”

He raises his brow. “Can I stay while you show her? I can’t wait to hear you explain how you know her exact shoe size and what brand of mascara she prefers.”

“Get the fuck out,” I snap, which only seems to make him laugh harder. This motherfucker is skating on thin ice.

“Call if you need anything.”

He waves at Ember as he strolls back out the way he came and disappears as the elevator doors slide shut, leaving me alone with my little flame.

At last. I’ve waited what feels like a lifetime for this moment, for her to be in my home, behind every type of security money can buy.