returned his focus to the road.
Terri fidgeted, scratching her long nails lightly over the skin on her thigh. It was ludicrous that she should be nervous about approaching him about something she wanted and was entitled to. But she hadn’t known anything else in so many years; it had become an instinctive reaction.
Forcing herself to grow a pair, she sat up a little straighter in her seat. “Before we get to the club, I want you to take me by my house so I can pick up a few things.”
Luke’s expression tightened, and she thought he might be gearing up to tell her no, but he surprised her by saying, “Okay, but I check it out before you go inside, and if everything is good, then you go in and get what you need, fast. I don’t think it’s a good idea to hang out for long. He could be watching.”
She was so surprised by his response that she eagerly agreed to his conditions. In her head, she began making a list of all the things she wanted to take, but mainly, she had her focus set on one thing, and Luke might not be too happy when she told him what it was.
***
“Stay here until I tell you it’s okay,” Luke said, cutting the engine. “And lock the doors behind me.”
Terri was a nervous wreck now that she was sitting in front of what used to be her home. Now it felt tainted. Dangerous. As if at any moment Randy would come bursting through the doors with that half-crazed look in his eye that she knew so well. Her hands trembled and she clamped them between her knees to still them.
Waiting took forever, and Terri was nearly crawling out of her skin by the time Luke waved her on. Taking a steadying breath, Terri emerged from the safety of the car and made her way to the front door where Luke stood, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
Trying to pretend this was just another normal day, Terri collected her mail from the box and sorted through it as she stepped inside. Nothing seemed amiss, everything in the room sitting just as she left it, right down to the glasses she and Luke had been drinking from that night.
Gathering them, she walked the empty glasses to the sink, all the while feeling like there were eyes trained on her. Of course, there were—Luke’s. He was standing in the doorway, watching her every move as if he was afraid to let her out of his sight.
Get in and get out . Right. They were on a time limit.
Taking a canvas tote from a peg in the coat closet, Terri set about stuffing it with the items she had come here for. When she finished with that task, she knew she had to confront the real reason she had wanted to come here.
“All set?” Luke asked, looking at her expectantly.
“I just need one more thing,” she said hesitantly.
“Fine, get it and let’s go,” Luke said, wiggling his fingers in the universal hurry-it-up-would-ya gesture.
She didn’t appreciate his impatience, but she could appreciate where the emotion stemmed from, because she was feeling the pressing need to leave too. “It’s not something I can put in my bag,” she hedged, leading him to the door that opened to the garage.
“Terri,” Luke said on growl, and she could feel the tension rolling off of him.
She chose to ignore it. My life, she reminded herself. It’s my life.
“Luke,” she said calmly as she palmed the doorknob, “if I am going to stay with you, I at least need my own car. I don’t want to become a burden.”
“You’re not a burden, Terri,” Luke insisted.
“Fine,” she replied sharply. “I don’t want to be dependent on a man again, okay. Not for anything, especially when it comes to my freedom.”
Luke’s head snapped back like he had been slapped. “I would never try to trap you, Terri, but when it comes to your safety…”
Terri nodded sagely. “Yes, I know I need you, Luke. I don’t deny that. But I also need to be self-sufficient. My life may be in danger, but I’m not stupid. I can watch my own back and I know how to be careful. Besides, we
Terri fidgeted, scratching her long nails lightly over the skin on her thigh. It was ludicrous that she should be nervous about approaching him about something she wanted and was entitled to. But she hadn’t known anything else in so many years; it had become an instinctive reaction.
Forcing herself to grow a pair, she sat up a little straighter in her seat. “Before we get to the club, I want you to take me by my house so I can pick up a few things.”
Luke’s expression tightened, and she thought he might be gearing up to tell her no, but he surprised her by saying, “Okay, but I check it out before you go inside, and if everything is good, then you go in and get what you need, fast. I don’t think it’s a good idea to hang out for long. He could be watching.”
She was so surprised by his response that she eagerly agreed to his conditions. In her head, she began making a list of all the things she wanted to take, but mainly, she had her focus set on one thing, and Luke might not be too happy when she told him what it was.
***
“Stay here until I tell you it’s okay,” Luke said, cutting the engine. “And lock the doors behind me.”
Terri was a nervous wreck now that she was sitting in front of what used to be her home. Now it felt tainted. Dangerous. As if at any moment Randy would come bursting through the doors with that half-crazed look in his eye that she knew so well. Her hands trembled and she clamped them between her knees to still them.
Waiting took forever, and Terri was nearly crawling out of her skin by the time Luke waved her on. Taking a steadying breath, Terri emerged from the safety of the car and made her way to the front door where Luke stood, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
Trying to pretend this was just another normal day, Terri collected her mail from the box and sorted through it as she stepped inside. Nothing seemed amiss, everything in the room sitting just as she left it, right down to the glasses she and Luke had been drinking from that night.
Gathering them, she walked the empty glasses to the sink, all the while feeling like there were eyes trained on her. Of course, there were—Luke’s. He was standing in the doorway, watching her every move as if he was afraid to let her out of his sight.
Get in and get out . Right. They were on a time limit.
Taking a canvas tote from a peg in the coat closet, Terri set about stuffing it with the items she had come here for. When she finished with that task, she knew she had to confront the real reason she had wanted to come here.
“All set?” Luke asked, looking at her expectantly.
“I just need one more thing,” she said hesitantly.
“Fine, get it and let’s go,” Luke said, wiggling his fingers in the universal hurry-it-up-would-ya gesture.
She didn’t appreciate his impatience, but she could appreciate where the emotion stemmed from, because she was feeling the pressing need to leave too. “It’s not something I can put in my bag,” she hedged, leading him to the door that opened to the garage.
“Terri,” Luke said on growl, and she could feel the tension rolling off of him.
She chose to ignore it. My life, she reminded herself. It’s my life.
“Luke,” she said calmly as she palmed the doorknob, “if I am going to stay with you, I at least need my own car. I don’t want to become a burden.”
“You’re not a burden, Terri,” Luke insisted.
“Fine,” she replied sharply. “I don’t want to be dependent on a man again, okay. Not for anything, especially when it comes to my freedom.”
Luke’s head snapped back like he had been slapped. “I would never try to trap you, Terri, but when it comes to your safety…”
Terri nodded sagely. “Yes, I know I need you, Luke. I don’t deny that. But I also need to be self-sufficient. My life may be in danger, but I’m not stupid. I can watch my own back and I know how to be careful. Besides, we
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