A motherfucking abuser, that was who.
As I quickly slid into clothes and headed for my bike, I thought about all of the things I needed to do for her in order to ensure her safety. So, she didn’t want their house. That was fine and all, but this man sounded like a real piece of work. I wondered what kind of lock she had on her place. Maybe I could convince her to let me change it out for something a bit sturdier.
“Those apartment locks are practically just for show,” I murmured.
Between Fangs wanting information from me as quickly as possible on Wes and having the night shift watching over that motherfucker, I was drained. I fell into bed last night without even wishing Rose a good night, so the very least I could do was bring her caffeine and sustenance. I drove through one of the best Tex-Mex breakfast places I knew, snatching up the required items that would gain me entrance into wherever the hell she was living nowadays.
And as I made my way up to what appeared to be her condo, I didn’t even have to knock on the door before she opened it up.
With a chain lock stopping the door in its tracks.
“Oh, Caleb. It’s you. Hey.”
My eye twitched. She looked like hell, and I didn’t have to ask to know who she had been expecting.
“I brought tidings of great joy,” I said as I held up the food and coffee.
She quickly closed the door, unlatched it, and swung it open. “Come on, quickly.”
I didn’t like how she stuck her head out into the hallway. I didn’t like how she looked back and forth before quickly closing her door. She latched the lock before sliding the chain into place, and I made a mental note to talk to management about me changing out her locks.
She clearly didn’t feel safe.
“Sorry for my appearance,” Rose said as she ran her fingers through her hair, “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
You’ve always been beautiful to me.“No worries. Where do you wanna eat?”
She pointed over to the couch and let out a loud yawn. “Over there’s fine.”
I handed her a coffee. “Drink, it’ll help wake you up.”
“Oh, bless you,” she whispered.
“So, how would management feel about me changing out that lock?” I asked.
She flopped down onto the cushions. “Would you believe that I’ve already bought one? I just can’t seem to find the time to install it.”
I set the food down on the coffee table in front of her. “Then, point me in the direction of it. I’ll get it installed.”
“You really don’t have to do that. I can get it done.”
“Just let me fucking help, Rose. Show me where it is.”
She cleared her throat. “Underneath the kitchen sink. The lock is there along with the few working tools that I do have.”
I backtracked into her kitchen. “You got anything else you need installed while I’m at it?”
“He showed up here last night, you know.”
The hairs on the nape of my neck stood on end. I knew I should’ve come back last night to deal with that motherfucking lock.
“Is everything okay?” I asked as I slowly stood, locking my gaze with her tired body.
Rose shook her head slowly. “No.”
“Did he hit you?”
She snickered. “He’s smarter than that. A punch would leave marks.”
