It was fuckingbeautiful.
Brynleigh wasn’t sure whether angels were real—probably not, considering the shit she’d been through—but if they were, they would’ve been singing at that moment.
Unbidden, tears rushed to her eyes. She tried to keep them inside, but there were too many. They slipped past her eyelids, trailing hot tracks down her cheeks.
Ryker pulled away and frowned.
He noticed. Of course, he noticed.
Cupping her cheek, he collected her tears on his thumb. “What’s wrong?”
Despite the tears running down her face, Brynleigh smiled. “I’m just… happy.”
The warmth in her chest was a foreign, beautiful feeling.
She raised her chin, wanting to kiss him again.
Unfortunately, instead of obliging her, he tilted his head and creased his brows. “You’re happy… so you’re crying?”
She placed her hand on his heart, silently reveling in the fact that he didn’t pull away.
“Yes. I can’t explain it, but I promise, I’m happy.”
It was more than that. Happiness was fleeting, but this feeling inside her was different. Permanent. Joy was latching onto Brynleigh’s bones, making a home inside her just as her shadows lived in her veins.
Ryker was back, and he’d forgiven her. Who knew second chances could feel so incredible?
His gaze swept over her. “I’m happy, too, but can you stop crying? I’m… not sure what to do about it. It makes me want to hurt someone for hurting you.”
Just when she thought Ryker couldn’t get any sweeter, he said things like that.
Laughing through her tears, Brynleigh rested her head against his chest and drew in several deep breaths. “Yes, I can.”
It took her a few minutes, but eventually, the tears dried up.
He tilted up her face and kissed her softly. “You’re beautiful even when you cry.”
It was difficult to remember they’d ever been broken when he said things like that. He made her feel whole despite the torture she’d endured.
They spent several minutes in each other’s arms before Brynleigh remembered Jelisette’s book.
Tugging Ryker over to where she’d been reading, she picked up the small tome and thumbed through the pages until she found the section from earlier. She showed it to him.
“What do you think about this?”
Ryker wrapped an arm around her and held her close as he read over her shoulder. “That’s interesting.”
“I think it’s a code,” she said. “But there’s no key.”
At least, not that she could find.
It would stand to reason that Jelisette would have a cipher for her coded book, but where was it? Brynleigh couldn’t exactly ask her Maker, and searching the safe house from top to bottom was out of the question. There was no way to do that without drawing the older vampire’s attention.
There had to be another way.
Ryker released her and raked a hand through his hair. Lines creased his forehead, and he rubbed his temples.
“If she has a key…” He cursed. “I have an idea, but I’m not sure it’s good.”