From Darkness (Hearts & Arrows Book 3)(77)

Josie didn’t know she could be any more embarrassed and out of place until Tori walked around the corner.

She was pretty—so pretty, blond and gorgeous, even with a cherry-red nose and in her pajamas.

“Hey,” she said. “Man, it was so weird. I had a crazy allergy attack on the subway. Everything smelled like grass and pine, and I just couldn’t stop sneezing. It was miserable, so we turned around about halfway there and came—” Her eyes flew open, her mouth gaping when she caught sight of Josie. “Oh my God.”

Josie reminded herself to breathe, gripping the strap of her bag like it was a lifeline. “I’m just going to wait outside.”

“Don’t be silly. Hi, Josie, right?” Tori closed her mouth and stuck out her hand, her smile welcoming and curious, though her voice was worn from her stuffy nose.

“Hi,” Josie said as she took Tori’s hand, absolutely mortified. She glanced at Jon, who looked equally mortified.

“Come on into the kitchen. Would you like some tea?”

Josie knew it was a peace offering, one she couldn’t refuse, no matter how uncomfortable she was. “Sure, whatever you’re having. Could I use your bathroom?”

“Yeah, it’s just down the hallway there.” Tori pointed across the living room.

“Thanks.” Josie laid her bag in the entryway and gave Tori a small smile. But when she turned, she shot laser-kill eyes at Jon.

He looked apologetic. She couldn’t give a single, solitary fuck.

Jon’s daughter grinned from his arms and waved at her, and the frost on Josie’s heart melted. The little girl looked just like him with wavy dark hair and intelligent blue eyes.

“Hiyee. My Lola.” She touched her own chest proudly.

“Hi, Lola.”

When Josie smiled at her, she giggled and tucked her head in the crook of Jon’s neck. At the sight of Jon holding that little girl in his big arm, she found her willpower completely shattered.

She looked away and walked to the bathroom, unwilling to meet Jon’s eyes again, unable to process everything in her heart and mind. So she closed the door and looked in the bathroom mirror, faced with too many realities to recognize her reflection.

She had too many feelings, and none of them agreed with each other. She’d felt so separate, so alien as she watched him with his family. For so long, Josie had villainized Tori and Jon, never really considering their child past a sticking point for her pain. But they were real, not just some faceless offenders. They were real, and she found she couldn’t hate them anymore, couldn’t believe they’d wanted to hurt her. That hadn’t stopped her from using them to hurt herself.

And nothing was as it seemed. Those years had been spent feeding a lie that she built in her own heart, a lie that had been wiped away so quickly, she spun from the force. And there was no time or way to find her footing.



Jon’s anxiety had been stretched tight as a drum as he watched the entire exchange go down, waiting for Josie to freak the fuck out, go nuclear, raze all of them to the ground.

But she’d kept her composure, though it was clearly paper-thin.

The second the bathroom door closed, he entered into a hissing argument with Tori. “What the fuck, Tori?”

“Da fuck, To-wi?” Lola echoed.

“Jesus, Jon, watch your mouth.” She reached for Lola and stood her on the ground. “Go play for a little bit, okay, baby?”

“Okay, Mama.” Lola ran off to her room.

He glared at Tori. “Of all the shit timing.”

“It’s not like I planned it. What in the world is going on? How did you get her here, and what are you up to?” she whispered.

“Jimmy Li found a trace on Rhodes, and we think we know where he’s headed. We’re going after him.”

Tori frowned. “Chasing a serial killer? Tell me why I shouldn’t be freaking out right now.”

“We’re not going to hit any problems bringing him in,” he said, knowing full well the percentages were fifty-fifty at best. “Don’t worry.”

“Well, your confidence is reassuring, but damn, Jon,” she said, the words hushed and uneasy.

“I know, but we’ll be okay. I promise.” He hoped he could keep it.

“So…together? You’re going together?” she asked as her enthusiasm sparked.

“Of course together. Why else would we be here together?”

“God, I don’t know. I’m just surprised she’s even speaking to you, never mind going on a road trip.”

Jon sighed. “You and me both.”

“So did you figure this out on your own? Or did she ask you for help?” Her eyebrows inched up, and a grin split her face.

“Both. I found out and was on my way over to her when she called me.”

Tori was practically bouncing. “Oh my God. This is it, Jon. This is your shot.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I know. Don’t you think I know?” He glanced over his shoulder when he heard the toilet flush. “Tori, I swear to God, you’d better not say a word. I don’t need your help, so keep your sledgehammer—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she said with the wave of her hands. “Don’t worry, Romeo. I’m not going to do anything to fudge your chances.”