Trust
Page 19
“Hello?”
“Detective,” Nico greeted.
My eyes shot to Harper, and she smiled and sat back down. Grabbing my hand, she went back to watching the news.
“I’m glad you’re not dead,” he said.
“Yeah. Me, too. Is that why you called?”
“Yes. That and to tell you that we’re square. This is where you and I part ways.”
Relief washed over me. Nico was honoring our agreement. Before I let him go, there was one last thing I needed to know.
“Tom Brown is dead,” I told him.
“I heard, but not before he drilled one in you.”
On cue, my chest started to burn, reminding me that Tom Brown did indeed almost kill me.
“His debt has been paid. I trust you’ll do the right thing.”
There was silence on the line and I thought he’d hung up on me.
“I’ll text you.”
I handed the phone back to Harper and she replaced the receiver back on the base. Before she could sit back down, I tugged her toward me.
“Lie with me.”
“No way. I’ll hurt you.”
“Not a chance. The only thing that hurts is not having you in my arms.”
“Okay. But if it starts to hurt, you promise to tell me?”
“Promise.”
Not a chance.
Harper climbed in bed next to me, tossing her arm over my stomach and settled in.
Perfect.
Thank God, I hadn’t lost her.
I had everything a man could ever need curled up in my arms and I was never letting go.
“I love you, Harper.”
“Love you, Aiden.”
“Had the craziest dream, or maybe it was a premonition,” I told her.
“While you were in a coma?”
“Yeah.”
“Will you tell me about it?”
“One day, after it comes true.”
Harper snuggled in close and I breathed her in and the beauty she brought to my life. My future. I couldn’t wait to hold those babies she was going to give me in my arms. As soon as I was out of here, I was marrying Harper. The children I’d dreamt of would be here soon if I had anything to say about it.
Also by Riley Edwards
Romantic Suspense
Red Team
Nightstalker
Protecting Olivia - Susan Stoker Universe
Redeeming Violet - Susan Stoker Universe
Recovering Ivy - Susan Stoker Universe
Rescuing Erin - Susan Stoker Universe
Romancing Rayne - Susan Stoker FanFic
The Gold Team
Brooks - Susan Stoker Universe
The 707 Freedom Series
Free
Freeing Jasper
Finally Free
Freedom
The Next Generation (707 spinoff)
Saving Meadow
Chasing Honor
Finding Mercy
Claiming Tuesday
The Collective
Unbroken
Trust
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I need to thank my fellow Collective authors—Chris Genovese, Ellie Masters, Erin Trejo, Elias Raven, and Carver Pike. I cannot begin to express how honored I am to collaborate with such a great group of authors. I’ve had so much fun plotting and planning this series with them. They all have taught me so much, and I could not be more grateful.
Chris Genovese, my brother, thank you for always being my sounding board. You are by and far the most creative person I know. Your imagination knows no bounds. It is a beautiful thing to watch your brain work.
Ellie Masters, as always, you pushed me to finish this book. Our word sprints and you reveling when you beat me always pushed me to do better. You have been instrumental in my progression as a writer. Knowing that you will be reading my words and critiquing them is both terrifying and yet comforting. You make me a better writer. Thank you for everything.
Erin Trejo, I was a huge fan of your work long before I ever wrote a single word on a page. You are a mentor, a great friend, and a talented author. It has been so much fun working with you.
Elias Raven, you friend, are a force of nature. You are the tornado that blows through, and all you can do is pray your grip is strong enough to hold on. I have said it a thousand times before, but it bears repeating, you are an outstanding writer. You cross genres, eras, and writing styles with ease. I am so thankful to have had a chance to work with you.
Carver Pike, I can only thank you for the many sleepless nights. ‘Who knew scary could be so sexy?’
The Collective is so blessed to have a huge support team behind us! Thank you to all the BETA readers and reviewers that gave us feedback. It undoubtedly made this series better. We cannot thank you enough for your time, hard work, and dedication to this project.
The Collective PA and Overlord Michelle Thomas, thank you doesn’t begin to cover what we all owe you. You have five authors to keep straight, five authors to wrangle, five authors to promote. It is a wonder how you pull it all off. Thank you.
Thank you to all of my readers! You are, as always, the reason I do this. The reason I stay up until the wee hours of the morning. The reason I agonize over each and every word I type. The reason I pull my hair out during editing. The reason I love what I do. The reason I get to be who I’ve always wanted to be. XOXO—Riley
About the Author
Riley Edwards is a bestselling multi-genre author, wife, and military mom. Riley was born and raised in Los Angeles but now resides on the east coast with her fantastic husband and children.
Riley writes heart-stopping romance with sexy alpha heroes and even stronger heroines. Riley's favorite genres to write are romantic suspense and military romance.
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