Page 62 of A Cursed Heart
Seeing both of them unharmed, feeling my magic intact, I nodded.
Ryan frowned. “Hold on a sec, Con. I need to speak to Mal.” There was a pause. “Mal’s my boyfriend. He lives with me.” He laughed, his brown eyes sparkling. “No, we aren’t just roommates. He’s my boyfriend.” More chatter from the other side. “Yeah, I’m bi.” Another pause. He looked at me, affection in every line of his face, especially that fond smile. “Thanks. He’s great. I’ve never been happier.”
He muted his phone and came closer to talk to me properly. “Can you do that thing where we connect again? I want you to listen in on what they ask me while they take my statement, but I don’t want them to hear you advising me.”
“That makes sense. Yes, I’ll connect us.”
The trust Ryan was showing me was heartening. To allow me access into his mind outside of a necessary situation like it had been in Salvatore’s office, was… it had a profound effect on me. I also did not want to dismiss his coming out. From what I’d read, this was termed a “big deal,” and should be treated properly.
“Thank you for telling your friend about us. You didn’t have to if you aren’t ready yet.”
“Scythe thought we were boyfriends long before we actually were, and it didn’t bother me then. In fact, I liked it then, and now that it’s real, it’s even better. I want to tell everyone. I’m glad when people know we belong to each other. Anyways, Con is the least judgmental guy I know. His boyfriend is transgender. Both are really cool guys, actually.”
His words were too sweet. I rewarded them with a tender kiss, then formed the link.
I’ll be with you while you do your statement and will keep Freya busy for you.
They said it might take a while.
Alright. We have plenty to keep us occupied.
Ryan took his phone to his bedroom to do the statement. Usually they would record him in person, but they wanted to avoid tipping off Salvatore’s people and knew we were being watched. Instead, they used a video call and recorded that as evidence. He would sign the transcript of their conversation later.
The first hour passed with Ryan stating who he was, why he had been called to see Mr. Salvatore. Then, he was asked to give his version of events. Ryan explained being blackmailed with Jasmine’s debt and how he saw the opportunity to take down the man running the underbelly of the city. The same man who had caused the death of his ex-wife and her boyfriend.
In the second hour of testimony, Ryan detailed the hacks he had done, Salvatore’s paranoia about a mole in his organisation. This time, an agent spoke about the deal they had struck for Ryan to gain immunity for this illegal action, particularly because Ryan was under duress to perform it.
Honestly, it got rather boring to listen to. I made Freya lunch and even gave Ryan a drink once. I was asked to email my version of events, but I was not deemed important enough for a full statement like Ryan. If only they knew.
By the time Ryan left his bedroom, I was wondering what to prepare for dinner. It was getting dark outside, and Freya was restless. Keeping her out of the bedroom had been a challenge the longer Ryan was in there. Explaining things to a five-year-old wasn’t easy. She didn’t understand that interrupting them meant it would take longer.
“Sorry about that,” Ryan said, kissing my temple and taking over the chopping of the carrots I was preparing. I brushed his hair away from his face, ending the link at the same time.
“Daddy, you were gone forever!” Freya whined.
“I know, sweetheart, but it’s done now. Let’s have dinner and play a game, okay?”
Our usual dinner, bath, story and bed routine was easy. Instead of asking for me, Freya wanted Ryan, which I liked. After being the responsible adult all day, I was ready for a break.
In the pocket of the sweatpants I wore, my phone buzzed with a message.
Lydia
How’s everything going?
It was a surprise that she thought to contact me first. I had worried she might not like me for taking her place in Freya’s life.
Mal
Everything is fine. Ryan spent the day talking to Conrad. I watched Freya paint a new masterpiece.
I was very aware of not giving too much away over text. It was entirely possible this was not Lydia, though that could have been paranoia speaking.
Lydia
Ooh, pics please! Alright, just checking in.
Mal
