He glared at her before opening his mouth. This time it was a slice of the pound cake. He still couldn’t decide which he liked more, though he was on his second slices. Of each.
“I don’t know why you doth protest so much, Santi. You’ve been shot, stabbed, pushed out of and into places most of the world probably don’t even know exist. Then there’s the scariest part, the whole communing with vengeful spirits in your lake. So, take this awesome bandaging job and be grateful. Derrick would never?—”
Her energy changed immediately.
“Who is this Derrick? And maybe he fuckingshouldhave.”
“There were a lot of things he should and shouldn’t have done, but none of it is my problem anymore.”
“Is he the reason you end up here?”
“No,you’rethe reason I ended up here, remember?”
Lauren stood abruptly, angry she’d allowed thoughts of fuckingDerrickto intrude into this moment. She stood, placed both remaining slices of cake onto one saucer, and walked upstairs. Climbing into the bed, she finished the cake because men were selfish, and she was petty. When she was done, she lay down,turned off the lights and settled, listening to him move around downstairs until she was lulled into sleep.
She roused when the bed moved under his weight, dozing again as he settled on his side of the bed.
“Thanks for rebandaging my arm, little wren,” he said, probably believing she was asleep.
“Mm-hmm. Thanks for sharing your home.”
Silence.
“I don’t remember being given a choice.”
She smiled. If Santiago wasn’t going to be anything else, he was going to be frank.
“This Derrick, did he abuse you?”
“Only my trust.”
“Another woman?”
“My sister.”
He whistled softly.
“Are they dead?”
She smiled into her pillow. “I don’t know why you think I’m a violent person. Plus, I would never tell a cop any response other than no to that question.”
“They’re probably dead,” he reflected. “Authorities just haven’t found the bodies, I’m thinking.”
She turned over and through the dim shadows, saw that he was on his back, one arm behind his head.
“What if I told you they were very much alive. And pregnant; but my mother and sister didn’t feel it was important to tell me until a week before the wedding. After I’d sold my condo but a day before I was about to ship my belongings to Derrick’s house in San Francisco.”
“Damn. I get it now. The violence.”
“I don’t know if it’s a man thing; hearing and not listening. But again,Iam not violent.”
“Tell that to Mayor Archer’s balls.”
“I would, but it didn’t feel like he had any.”
His unrestrained laughter made her smile.
“Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” she mumbled begrudgingly.
