in the living room. She slipped her fingers between the wood slats and peeked out.
Fear tightened in her chest making it difficult to breathe. The street was quiet. The thought of going out alone terrified her. He would kill her this time. Guilt gnawed at her. What was the chance Rocco would look for her in tiny Trinity Falls? Was she putting Mox and his family in danger?
She closed her eyes, softly thudding her forehead against the window casing. The little voice in her head screamed to run. Shaking her head, she forced her body into motion. Putting the mixing bowl in the fridge, she picked up her purse. A small part of her prayed Mox had changed his mind and taken his change back. He hadn’t.
She smoothed the crumpled bills in her hand. It was only ten dollars, but there had been times Rocco had emptied her purse to the last penny. He’d been paranoid that she’d leave him. She smirked. Obviously not all paranoia is unfounded. Tucking the money back unto her small purse, she pulled on boots and the classic navy pea coat Ginny had convinced her to buy.
Her hand was on the door handle when she heard footsteps on the stairs. Her heart pounded. The tread wasn’t heavy enough to be Mox, or even Rhys. Backing away, she looked for a place to hide. The bang of the steel door at the bottom spurred her into motion. She ran.
Slipping inside the utility room closet, she burrowed behind Mox’s heavy Carhartt overalls. She strained for the slightest sound. Her heart sounded unnaturally loud in the small space. She held her breath.
“Eva?”
She nearly cried at the husky female voice. Ginny. Scrambling out of her hiding space, she met the other woman in the kitchen.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Hi,” Eva said in a rush, unable to meet Ginny’s questioning stare.
“I scared you.”
It wasn’t a question, but Eva nodded.
“I’m sorry. I heard footsteps and I just…”
“I understand. I’m sorry. We’ll have to get you a phone so I can call ahead or just use the buzzer like normal people. Come here.”
Eva sank into the comforting hug, clinging to Ginny for a long moment. Drawing back, she offered her a shaky smile.
“You don’t have to call first. You’re their mother, and you own the place.”
“True or not, I know what it feels like to be afraid in your own home.”
“You don’t look like you’re afraid of anything,” Eva said shyly.
“That’s years of perfecting a mask, honey. My earliest memory is hiding under my bed, listening to my father beat the hell out of my mom. Even after twenty years with Zeke, there’re still things that make me want to hide.”
The pain she’d glimpsed in Ginny’s eyes the first night was back. Under the tough exterior of this woman was a vulnerability that made Eva feel like she truly did understand.
“I told Mox I want to be you when I grow up,” she said with a giggle, hoping to break the tension. It worked. Ginny laughed.
“Honey, as beautiful and classy as you are, I think you can aspire to something a little more.”
“I would kill for cheekbones like yours. You’re stunning, and maybe more importantly, Mox thinks you’re the perfect woman.”
“You’re a hell of an ego stroke, baby girl. If you suck up to my boy that well, we’re going to get along great,” Ginny said, giving her a wink and a saucy pat on the cheek.
“I’m trying. The man treats me like a princess.”
“They get that from their father. There is no doubt Zeke is king in our household, but as gruff as he is, he treats me like a queen. I should’ve let him toughen up our oldest one a bit. He’s taken it a step too far and has one that walks all over him.”
“Rhys has a girlfriend?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “He has a nasty skank that’s been attached to his dick since high school.”
It took Eva a moment to realize her mouth was hanging open. Snapping it shut, she blushed and shook her head. She had no idea what the girl had done to make Ginny hate
Fear tightened in her chest making it difficult to breathe. The street was quiet. The thought of going out alone terrified her. He would kill her this time. Guilt gnawed at her. What was the chance Rocco would look for her in tiny Trinity Falls? Was she putting Mox and his family in danger?
She closed her eyes, softly thudding her forehead against the window casing. The little voice in her head screamed to run. Shaking her head, she forced her body into motion. Putting the mixing bowl in the fridge, she picked up her purse. A small part of her prayed Mox had changed his mind and taken his change back. He hadn’t.
She smoothed the crumpled bills in her hand. It was only ten dollars, but there had been times Rocco had emptied her purse to the last penny. He’d been paranoid that she’d leave him. She smirked. Obviously not all paranoia is unfounded. Tucking the money back unto her small purse, she pulled on boots and the classic navy pea coat Ginny had convinced her to buy.
Her hand was on the door handle when she heard footsteps on the stairs. Her heart pounded. The tread wasn’t heavy enough to be Mox, or even Rhys. Backing away, she looked for a place to hide. The bang of the steel door at the bottom spurred her into motion. She ran.
Slipping inside the utility room closet, she burrowed behind Mox’s heavy Carhartt overalls. She strained for the slightest sound. Her heart sounded unnaturally loud in the small space. She held her breath.
“Eva?”
She nearly cried at the husky female voice. Ginny. Scrambling out of her hiding space, she met the other woman in the kitchen.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Hi,” Eva said in a rush, unable to meet Ginny’s questioning stare.
“I scared you.”
It wasn’t a question, but Eva nodded.
“I’m sorry. I heard footsteps and I just…”
“I understand. I’m sorry. We’ll have to get you a phone so I can call ahead or just use the buzzer like normal people. Come here.”
Eva sank into the comforting hug, clinging to Ginny for a long moment. Drawing back, she offered her a shaky smile.
“You don’t have to call first. You’re their mother, and you own the place.”
“True or not, I know what it feels like to be afraid in your own home.”
“You don’t look like you’re afraid of anything,” Eva said shyly.
“That’s years of perfecting a mask, honey. My earliest memory is hiding under my bed, listening to my father beat the hell out of my mom. Even after twenty years with Zeke, there’re still things that make me want to hide.”
The pain she’d glimpsed in Ginny’s eyes the first night was back. Under the tough exterior of this woman was a vulnerability that made Eva feel like she truly did understand.
“I told Mox I want to be you when I grow up,” she said with a giggle, hoping to break the tension. It worked. Ginny laughed.
“Honey, as beautiful and classy as you are, I think you can aspire to something a little more.”
“I would kill for cheekbones like yours. You’re stunning, and maybe more importantly, Mox thinks you’re the perfect woman.”
“You’re a hell of an ego stroke, baby girl. If you suck up to my boy that well, we’re going to get along great,” Ginny said, giving her a wink and a saucy pat on the cheek.
“I’m trying. The man treats me like a princess.”
“They get that from their father. There is no doubt Zeke is king in our household, but as gruff as he is, he treats me like a queen. I should’ve let him toughen up our oldest one a bit. He’s taken it a step too far and has one that walks all over him.”
“Rhys has a girlfriend?”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “He has a nasty skank that’s been attached to his dick since high school.”
It took Eva a moment to realize her mouth was hanging open. Snapping it shut, she blushed and shook her head. She had no idea what the girl had done to make Ginny hate
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