Winter Wolf (42 page)
Authors: RJ Blain
I got out of the car and joined Amber on the hood. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t really a lie—I did feel better, except for the fact I didn’t have any idea what to do with the knowledge Amber had gifted me with. Richard was careful not to look at me for too long.
Lisa gaped at me. I tilted my head to the side, considered her, and smiled. She answered me with a brilliant smile of her own. Maybe I couldn’t feel my sister like some twins, but I could see in her eyes that everything was okay between us. That was enough for me.
I focused on Richard. How much had it cost him to pretend we had never known each other at all? I could guess at the why; when he did look at me, I could see the guilt in his eyes.
My brows furrowed as I considered everything that had happened. He had been watching over me from the very beginning, he had been doing what he could to keep me safe without getting too close to me. Sucking in a breath, I realized something, pointing at Murphy brothers. “
You’re the dogs!
”
In the headlights of Amber’s car, Richard paled. Alex threw his head back and laughed. “I told you she’d figure it out,” the younger Murphy brother said.
“You have a lot of explaining to do, Richard,” I said, sliding off of Amber’s car and stepping forward to stand in front of him. I reached up, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pulled him down so he was forced to look me in the eyes. I tugged him down a little farther so I could whisper in his ear, “In private.”
A flush spread over Richard’s cheeks. I let him go, spun on a heel, and held my hand out to Amber. “Keys.”
With an arched brow, she tossed them to me. Catching them, I strode to the driver’s side of the car and opened the door. “Are you coming, Mr. Murphy?”
“I’ll go with Alex and Lisa,” Amber said, sliding off of her car to walk to the SUV.
Richard got out of her way. “The keys are in the ignition.”
“I shall chaperon your brother and sister-in-law with utmost care,” Amber promised.
“Not necessary!” Lisa replied. My sister shook her head, sighed, and started to laugh.
Chuckling a little, I got into Amber’s car. Richard hesitated, but opened passenger’s side door. I waited for Amber to drive off in the SUV before starting the engine. I glanced at Richard out of the corner of my eye.
All I could see on his face was guilt.
Like Amber, I drove cautiously, although I was more interested in letting the SUV in front of us pull farther ahead. The silence stretched between us while I tried to find a way to tell him I knew the truth.
For the first stretch, I struggled to force my uncooperative memory to give back what I had lost. For the most part, it didn’t work. I did, however, remember one thing. We were halfway back to Los Angeles before I found the courage to say anything at all.
“What happened to our rings?” I whispered.
Richard jerked at my words. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched his face turn several shades lighter and take on a greenish hue. “You remember?”
“A bit here, a bit there. If you throw up in Amber’s car, she’s never going to forgive you. If you throw up on me, I’ll never forgive you.”
Richard swallowed and jerked his head in a nod. He cleared his throat several times. Instead of speaking, he squirmed in the seat until he managed to fish his wallet out of his pocket. He dug into a small, zippered compartment and pulled out a satin pouch. Three rings tumbled out; one was an engagement ring featuring a single small diamond and the other two were plain wedding bands.
Had he carried those with him in his wallet over the years? It hurt looking at them; the bands were clean and well cared for. Maybe it was my imagination, but the rings looked worn, as though he had spent far too long running his fingers over them.
How much had his silence and patience cost him? My heart ached trying to imagine what he had gone through over the years.
I pulled the car over and turned to face Richard. “I don’t remember much.” I doubted I ever would, but I smothered my regret. All I could do was keep looking forward. “Maybe I won’t. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to start by taking you out for dinner.”
It wasn’t much of a start, but it would do—for now.
Storm Without End (Requiem for the Rift King, Book 1)
Kalen’s throne is his saddle, his crown is the dirt on his brow, and his right to rule is sealed in the blood that stains his hand. Few know the truth about the one-armed Rift King, and he prefers it that way. When people get too close to him, they either betray him or die. The Rift he rules cares nothing for the weak. More often than not, even the strong fail to survive.
When he’s abducted, his disappearance threatens to destroy his home, his people, and start a hopeless and bloody war. There are many who desire his death, and few who hope for his survival. With peace in the Six Kingdoms quickly crumbling, it falls on him to try to stop the conflict swiftly taking the entire continent by storm.
But something even more terrifying than the machinations of men has returned to the lands: The skreed. They haven’t been seen for a thousand years, and even the true power of the Rift King might not be enough to save his people — and the world — from destruction.
The Eye of God (The Fall of Erelith, Book 1)
Blaise tries to act like a good human, but someone always manages to ruin things for him. When the Emperor’s most powerful weapon is stolen and its human vessel is kidnapped from the Arena, Blaise must choose between meddling in the affairs of mortals or remaining true to his duty.
To make matters worse, the Archbishop has betrayed the church and God by giving the Emperor the second piece of the Triad, the Heart of God. Should Blaise stand idle and leave the mortals to their own devices, the people of Erelith won’t just lose their lives: Their souls will be destroyed by a power that was never meant to fall into mortal hands.
If Blaise can find the Eye of God, he might be able to save the humans from themselves. Unfortunately, his only hope for success lies in the hands of a slave who wants nothing more than to die. If Blaise can’t save Terin and enlist his help, the Erelith Empire will fall.
Inquisitor (Witch & Wolf, Book 1)
When Allison is asked to play Cinderella-turned-Fianceé at a Halloween ball, the last thing she expected was to be accused of murder on the same night. She has to find the killer or she'll be put to death for the crimes she didn't commit. To make matters worse, the victims are all werewolves.
On the short list of potential victims, Allison has to act fast, or the killer will have one more body to add to his little black book of corpses.
There's only one problem: One of the deaths has struck too close to home, and Allison's desire for self-preservation may transform into a quest for vengeance...
About the Author
RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.