I take his hand, twist my fingers through his and whisper softly, “I love you, Cale.”
He presses his forehead against mine, smiling the most beautiful, perfectly at peace smile. The blood and chaos of the night retreats until there’s just the two of us, lost in each other’s eyes.
“I love you, too,” he says. “I can’t tell you how good it feels to finally say it.”
“Just come back to me, okay?”
He slants a kiss over my mouth that takes my breath away. “Wild fucking horses, sparkle.”
Chapter Thirty
Cale
The night is a long one, and I finally return to the campfire just past two in the morning. Most people are still awake and are gazing into the flickering flames. Ryah is slumped against Elke’s shoulder, her face pale and exhausted and her eyes closed.
I crouch down in front of Ryah and cup her cheek. “Hey.”
Her eyes flutter open, and she blinks several times. Then she sits up with a gasp.
“It’s all over,” I reassure her. “No one’s being charged.”
Convincing the police that I didn’t directly or indirectly cause Vern’s death wasn’t as straightforward as I made out when I left her earlier in the night. I just didn’t want to frighten her.
I admitted to them that I was chasing him down when Jareth threw him to his death. I explained that Jareth was my horse and Vern had repeatedly threatened and harmed one of my circus members, who was also his daughter. He’d taken her into the woods, and I had to hurt him to get her back. They were suspicious about the knives I was carrying, and Vern’s cuts. Thankfully, no one saw me about to throw a knife into Vern’s back.
It turned out that Vern has been previously charged with stealing horses and disturbing the peace. One of the officers interviewing me even knew Vern personally, and could well believe that he’d hit and terrorize his daughter and try to steal my horse. He didn’t seem to think it was much of a loss that Vern was dead.
A couple who live in the town reported that they’d seen Vern dragging a woman into the woods, and they’d called the police. Two officers were out looking for Ryah when Vern broke his neck. Several other people gave the circus a good character and identified Jareth as my horse. They’d seen me riding him into town.
When the police came and inspected Jareth and found an enormous black Friesian staring down at them, one of them said, “Blimey. What a mad idea, riding this bastard when he’s not yours.”
I had to smile at that. And then they let me go.
“They’re going to want a statement from you in the morning,” I tell Ryah. “I said I’d bring you down to the police station then. Is that all right?”
“Anything,” she says at once. “Of course I’ll talk to them. Just as long as you’re okay and they’re not going to arrest you.”
They very nearly did, but as long as we’re cooperative and truthful, I think it’s going to be all right.
I help her to her feet and wrap my arms around her. She’s been through a terrible ordeal tonight, and all I could think about while the police were questioning me was getting back to her. “Are you sure you’re all right? You don’t feel unwell, do you? Should I take you to hospital?”
She shakes her head. “I’m fine, Cale.”
I can’t bear the thought of letting her out of my sight again tonight. Or any night from now on. “I’ll take her,” I tell Elke and Anouk, leading my sleepy girl over to my wagon. “Thank you for looking after her while I was gone.”
They say goodnight and I wait until they’re safely inside their wagons, along with everyone else, Ryah held tightly against my chest. The doors close. Everyone’s safe.
I take Ryah into my wagon and help her out of her clothes, and then give her one of my softest T-shirts to wear to bed. She’s swimming in it and it comes down nearly to her knees. We get into bed and she burrows against my chest.
Ryah’s in my arms. I can breathe again.
She falls asleep almost immediately but I lie awake for a long time. Tonight has been a chaotic, terrifying mess, but I don’t think I could have asked for a better outcome. I’m lucky that this happened on Vern’s home turf where the police knew him, otherwise I think I’d be spending tonight in a cell.
My hand splays on Ryah’s warm belly in the darkness. There could be new life unfurling within her. New, hopeful life.
I wake in the early morning light to see Ryah’s golden head on my pillow, her face sweet with sleep. I draw her to me and kiss her softly until she awakens. Her arms wrap sleepily around my neck and she arches her body into mine. Instantly my desire for her crests. Her eyes are still closed and I roll her facing away from me. My hand slips beneath her T-shirt to pluck her nipples, and she moans. I slide down her warm belly to dip between her thighs to find her slick and hot.
I groan into her ear. “Ryah, baby, I need you.”
“Please,” she whimpers, rubbing her ass against my rock-hard length.
I put an arm under her thigh, opening her up for me, and sink into her heat. I take pleasure in every slow thrust, moving steadily against her, listening to her gasps as I fill her right to the hilt. The slow pace is sweet torture, but I make myself stay steady until she clamps down on my cock and her climax races through her.
Then I push her onto her belly, my knees opening her thighs, and give in to my need to pump into her harder, deeper. She pushes back against me, her hands braced against the wall and her cheek turned to the side so I can see the bliss on her face. I burst inside her, flooding her pussy with my come. I stay where I am for a moment, buried deep inside her.
Today we may find out that our lives are changing forever, for the better. For the most wonderful reason in the world.
Ryah is pale but determined as we walk hand-in-hand to the local police station. We have no choice but to pass the scene of the accident. The section of road is taped off, and there’s a dark stain on the asphalt. Ryah slows, staring at it, and then comes to a stop.
I squeeze her hand. “You okay?”
She nods absently, still staring at the stain. “I wish it hadn’t ended like this, but I can think of worse things that might have happened. Dad could have hurt one of us. Even killed one of us.”
I say nothing, because I feel it would be insensitive to say that I’m glad the fucker is dead. Ryah deserves some peace in her life, finally, instead of looking over her shoulder every summer.
I sit in the waiting room while Ryah gives her statement to the police. She’s gone for a long time, and I start to become anxious for her, until I see the two policemen I spoke to last night bringing her back to me, their expressions sympathetic. Both of them wish her well and nod to me as we head outside.
“How was it?”
Ryah takes a deep breath. “Strange, to get all that off my chest after all these years. They wanted to know all about how Dad treated Mum and me. They asked where Mum is, and I had to tell them I don’t know. They didn’t seem to like Dad very much. They seemed to know him. Or know of him.”
“Is there anything else you have to do? What’s happening about the body?”
“Mum and Dad are still married, so they’re trying to contact her.” She chews her lip for a moment. “Is it terrible of me to just want to walk away? Buying flowers for him, pretending I’m sad he’s gone, it would feel too fake.”