Page 11 of Always Eros
He leads me back the way I came until the street comes into view again. Parked on the gravel is a shiny black sports car. He opens the passenger door for me and waits as I get inside.
I buckle the seat belt while he joins me. Once in the car, Eros smiles at me before putting the car in gear and tearing off down the street.
“Oh!” I grip the leather seats.
“Don’t be afraid,” Eros says. “I drive fast but safely.”
“I’ve just, um, never been…” I blow out a breath and try to fight back the bile rising in my throat.
Eros swerves the car to the side of the road and stops. “What’s wrong, Justice?”
“I’ve never been in a car before. It’s very overwhelming.”
His face softens. “Oh. I’m so sorry. I’ll go slower.”
I shake my head. “It’s okay. I just have to get used to it.”
Eros smiles, restarting the car and pulling more gently back onto the main road. He lowers the window on my side by pressing a button, and the pleasant evening air across my face does help the panic settle.
“You’ve never been in a car?”
“No. We had a bus, but it’s big and old and definitely doesn’t go fast like this.”
“I see. Are you hurt physically?” Eros asks.
“No. I avoided punishment. I’m probably the last person they expected to run.”
“Do you want to tell me more?”
Shaking my head, I clench my hands together. “I don’t think I can yet. I just knew I had to run. It had to be now.”
Eros reaches across the seat and pats my hand gently. I almost flinch but hold back by reminding myself that Eros isn’t like the other men I grew up with. That much is already clear.
Twenty minutes later, Eros turns onto another darkened street and drives down a dirt path.
“I’ve always wondered what this building is,” he says, pulling to a stop in front of a huge metal gate. The entire area is surrounded by a brick wall, which makes me slightly uneasy. For once I would like to live without a wall holding me in.
“You don’t want to go in?” Eros asks.
“Um, yeah. I have to. I just, um, I hate fences.”
Eros nods, his eyes focused on me. In the light from one post outside the gate, I can see his face even better, and yeah, he’s gorgeous. If I thought my attraction to men was just because of my circumstances, I’m pretty sure this proves it wasn’t that.
“You could come with me, Justice. I could help you.”
His offer startles me. “Oh, uh, that’s so nice, but I don’t know you.”
“Do you know the people inside that wall?”
“Sort of. They’re people like me. People who ran. They understand.”
“Okay. Well take my number just in case.”
“I don’t have a phone.”
“I see.” Eros reaches across me to the glove compartment and pulls out a small business card. He unclasps my hand and presses the card to my palm. “If you ever need me, just call this number and ask for me. They likely have a phone inside.”
I look down at the card. “Veil Protection Services?”