Rock felt a knot form in the bottom of his stomach.What the hell is she talking about? What can’t she tell me? And who ishe? Is it Luc?His eyes narrowed.Fuck! Something isn’t right here.He ground his teeth as tightness crept into his expression. He thought they’d worked past all this, yet there she was still hiding things and trying to trick him.That’s why she wanted to fuck me last night. She probably has another man in Louisiana and needs me to help her escape from Frederick. She’s a vixen I can’t trust.Heaviness spread through him as images of the previous night and the morning assuaged him.Damn, she’s good. She almost had me convinced it was all real, that she wanted to try and make a go of it. Fuck her.
He banged the door open and smirked when she jumped from the bed and whirled around. With eyes wide, she laughed nervously. “You startled me.”
He glanced at the phone in her hand. “Don’t you think you should finish your conversation?”
She stiffened, then placed the phone to her ear and whispered, “I have to go. Text me.” She placed her phone on the mattress. “Did you play a round of pool?”
He shook his head. “Who were you talking to?”
For a split second panic crossed her face, but then she smiled. “A friend of mine from back home. I’m so excited to be going home that I called her up to share the news.”
“Who’s theheyou were talking about?”
She hesitated for a moment, then quirked her lips. “I was talking about my brother.”
“Armand?”
“No. Stephan.”
Rock stared at her but she didn’t flinch. Stephan was her younger brother and an embarrassment to the Boucher family since he was born developmentally disabled. For years they acted as though they only had two children, except for Clotille. She’d always talk about her brother and share funny stories about him to Rock when they were growing up. He remembered the day she’d called him out of the blue when she was a sophomore in high school and he was a junior. They’d drifted apart at that juncture in their young lives, and, on that day, she’d been very upset. She’d asked if they could meet in the alcove in the park, their secret hiding place from the cruel adults in their lives when they’d been kids.
He’d met her and had been blown away at how pretty she’d looked in her short skirt and knit top, her hair shining in the sunlight. Then he’d noticed her eyes were red and puffy, her face swollen. It had been on that day that he’d fallen in love with her. She’d flung herself into his arms and cried for what seemed like hours. Her parents had taken Stephan away and put him in a place for “children like that.” She’d cursed her parents, especially her mother, who had been the instigator of ridding the household of Stephan, and lamented the emptiness in her heart since he’d gone away. She’d told Rock he was the only person who knew about her younger brother. Then, when the sun had begun to descend, she’d told him she had to go. As she ran from him, she’d stopped, turned around, and simply said, “I love you. I always will.” Then she was gone.
“Rock? What’s wrong?” Her voice heralded him back to the present.
“Nothing. I’d forgotten about Stephan. How’s he doing?”
“He’s happy. He’s still at the same place so that’s good. I had to sell all my jewelry to keep him there after my dad died and we had no money.”
“Fuck. Is your mom paying for him now?” Her jaw hardened and she shook her head. “Then Armand? Isa tells me he’s doing pretty good for himself.” Again she shook her head. “Then how’s he staying at that fancy place?”
She lowered her head. “Frederick. But then I suppose he’ll stop that if I don’t go back to him. So much that is good in my family is tied to him.”
“Don’t let all that sway you. You made the decision to leave him. You can’t give up your life for your family. We’ll figure it out.” He crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. She shuddered beneath his touch. Hugging her, he stroked her hair. “We’re leaving tomorrow. Pack real light ‘cause we’re going by bike.”
“No heart attack-inducing mountain passes, right?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “No. I promise.” Then he kissed her deeply, the urge to keep her safe and happy overpowering the feeling that she still wasn’t telling him the whole truth.I should take her to Lafayette and walk away. But how the fuck can I? I’ve been addicted to her since I was a boy. And like an addict, my sweet craving is going to fuckin’ kill me.
“Rock? I have to send some money for… Stephan by wire. I’m sending it to my friend to pay the facility. Can you take me to the grocery store so I can send a MoneyGram?”
“Why don’t you send it directly to the place?”
“I don’t want Frederick tracing it back here.”
“Won’t he be able to trace it to your friend? You’re still leaving a paper trail.”
“Are you going to take me or not?” Irritation had crept into her voice.
“Yeah, sure. We can pick up some stuff for the trip. We’ll leave at nine in the morning.”
“Then we better get to the store so I can get everything arranged.”
He scanned her face. Although it didn’t reveal anything, he knew without a doubt she was bullshitting him big time.
He grabbed the keys to his Harley. “Come on. Let’s go.”
She walked out and he followed her down the hall.
