Page 28 of Devil’s Torture

She’s always been this way.

So has he.

It makes my heart skip a beat and my throat close up slightly. “Yeah,” I barely get the word past my lips, “of course.”

Rune’s shoulders relax slightly; it’s not much but enough for me to notice. Dawn does a happy little dance and then wiggles her eyebrows toward her father.

“What are you dressing up as?”

“Oh,” Dawn exclaims and then zooms back to her room.

I’ll just say, next day delivery is a blessing to the modern world. As much as I wish corporations weren’t the pinnacle of greed, when your daughter throws at you that she wants a fox tail, I’m not going to turn my nose up at getting it delivered to my door. And in record time.

I’ll be noble about something else, thanks.

When she comes back into the living room, she’s still wearing her pajamas, but now she also has a fox tail clipped around her waist while the ears barely hold down her wild hair. “Ta da,” she does a little shimmy and a full circle spin.

“You’re a fox?”

“Exactly.” Dawn nods like she’s proud of him for naming the obvious. “I’m not sure what outfit I’m going to wear, but it’ll probably be a little punk. Like a punk fox.”

“If I need to order anything else, I need to know very soon.”

The look on Dawn’s face makes me wish I had kept my mouth shut. “How about some fingerless gloves? It’ll really pull the whole look together.”

I groan and flop back against the couch slightly. When I turn my head, I take in Rune who looks more at peace than he did yesterday.

Being on the road took something from him. I can tell. The truth of it is hiding in the shadows in his eyes. I have no doubt he’s going to bury what happened over the last ten years.

But he gave me the truth of what happened ten years ago.

“I think you’ll make the perfect punk fox,” Rune’s voice is thick with emotion.

He probably saw her first Halloween picture when she was still small enough to not get to choose her own costume. I went with the classic pumpkin and she was adorable.

Dawn chirps, “Mom will send you the information about the party. I’ll see you later, Dad.”

Then she’s off. Back to her room. To color. Or play on her tablet. Maybe stream something.

Rune’s mouth opens, but she’s gone before he can say anything and he just chuckles. The room turns awkward and I’m not entirely sure where to put my hands.

“I hope I can see you before the party,” there’s hope in Rune’s voice and I find myself nodding before I even really think about it. When he clears his throat and shifts on the couch, I almost giggle. “Now that you know,” his eyes lock with mine and I can see the fire in them, “does it change anything between us?”

“I’d be lying if I said it changes nothing,” I admit. “But what that means? I’m not sure.”

“That’s fair.” He doesn’t say it with disappointment, just a quiet neutral acceptance.

I don’t think it means he’s given up. Quite the opposite. The possession in his eyes is easy to see. It hasn’t lessened in the last ten years.

He looks at me like I’m his prey. And that he’s already caught me.

The thought has me jumping up from the couch. When I move away from him, he’s right there with his arm sliding around my waist to pull me flush against his chest.

“My Bex,” he rumbles.

Close.

Too close.