That’s a felony!
Son of a bitch!
Oh, my God! I let go of his hands and shoot up to my feet to walk to the other side of the room. He was using me all that time. Everything clicks into place; all the questions in my head have been answered. All the hot and cold behavior, the disparaging comments, and now I know just how ridiculous he made me.
Tuck stands up, but I’ve started pacing back and forth at the foot of the bed. I could go to jail. I stop and spin on Tuck, but my mind is spinning faster. “Am I going to jail? Am I being charged?” My hands fly to my mouth as a panicked keen escapes my throat.
Suddenly, anger straightens my spine. For three years my life was a dark lie. Sliding my fingers through my hair, I press my palms into my temples and the raging headache that is starting to squeeze my skull.
I lower my eyes to the floor and try to focus on logic. In my periphery, I see Tuck shift his weight to his good leg, his handshanging at his sides. How can I put myself out there? How can I trust anyone? Should I listen to the warnings about him?
My heart splinters into pieces, and my chest feels like a boulder is sitting on me. I’m tired. I’m so damn tired. Tears sting my eyes, but I blink them back.
“Can you leave, please? I need to be alone.” I keep my eyes on the scratched hardwood at my feet.
He doesn’t move. “I can’t do that, sugar.”
Jerking my head up, I drop my hands to my sides as I take a step back. “Why?”Is he here in a legal capacity?
Keeping his feet planted right where he’s at, he lifts his hands in surrender. “Look, I know you’re feeling betrayed and scared right about now, but I only want to help.”
I feel like I’m on a roller coaster and I can’t get off. The pull I feel toward him keeps grasping at every nice thing he says, but my head is screaming at me to distance myself. “You can help by giving me room to breathe. I need to think.”
His eye contact is steady as he nods. “I’ll give you all the room you want, but I won’t leave you here alone. I want you to come back to the ranch with me.”
I jerk my head back in shock. “What? Are you crazy?”
A smirk that doesn’t reach his eyes pulls the corners of his lips up. “I’ve been called a lot worse, sugar. But I won’t leave you here knowing you could be in danger.”
“How do I know for sureyou’resafe?”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel like shit. He’s done nothing to hurt me, but I feel like I just shoved a knife in his back. That the smirk on his face falls and his eyebrows pinch together tells me he feels the same way. I want to apologize, but I can’t do it.
A slight nod tips his head, and he looks away from me. Losing his eye contact makes me feel like I’m bobbing alone in a cold, raging sea. I fight the urge to walk to him, ask him toforgive me, and force him to look at me, to get his steady support back.
Pulling his phone from his back pocket, he taps the screen a few times and the trilling sound of a call fills the room. He avoids looking at me as he watches the screen.
“Hey, what’s up?” Kinley’s perky voice meets my ears.
“I have you on speaker, and I’m with Nora. Did Rhys tell you about our conversation?”
Her perky voice turns angry. “Yes! He told me what that fucker did. Nora, are you okay?”
His eyes lift to mine as I answer. “To be honest, I’ve been better.”
“I’m so sorry, honey. Rhys is going to pull a team together and take care of this…”
Tuck interrupts her, his voice is clipped. “Kins, I need you to tell Nora it’s safe for her to go to the ranch with me. Her ex is in Tulsa, and I won’t leave her here alone.”
“Oh yeah, for sure! You need to go to the ranch. You’ll be safe there, my family won’t let him get to you. Rhys will be there tomorrow to go over everything with you.”
The guilt I’m feeling is making my eyes sting again as I look at Tuck. He’s trying to help. “Okay, thanks Kinley.”
“Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow. Tuck, take care of our girl, she…”
Tuck ends the call while Kinley is still talking and slides his phone back in his pocket. He looks at my full duffel on the bed. “Do you have more to pack?”
Remembering that I was gathering my toiletries when he got here, I look toward the bathroom. “Just a few things from the bathroom.”
