Page 48 of Ruthless Salvation
My glass hit the bar with enough force to slosh out half my drink.
“Well, she’s not living with anyone now. No signs of a man past or present in her place.”
“I want to know how you know that?”
“Not even a little.”
Jolly brought the glass to his mouth and savored a sip, licking his thin lips after. “Love you like a son, but that girl is special. Don’t fuck around there.” His words were laced in warning, low and guttural. I wasn’t sure he’d ever spoken to me with such chilling finality.
“You saved my ass, so I’ll refrain from knocking loose your teeth, but watch your tone, old man.”
Jolly grinned, a rare ear-to-ear affair. “Glad we understand one another. Now clean up that mess you made. We got work to do.”
Present
Torin had offeredme a ride home the past three nights after work, which I accepted. He didn’t ask to come upstairs, and I didn’t offer. It was strange … but nice. He was trying to be normal for my benefit. To help me feel safe around him.
Normal fit him like a suit sourced at Goodwill, but I appreciated his effort.
I’d spent more time than I liked to admit mulling over what Rowan had told me. I considered what I’d learned about Torin and how hard he was trying. Oddly enough, I realized that I wasn’t sure I liked him changing for me. I’d been preaching honesty and transparency. Who was I to examine his true self and ask him to modify who he was? Especially when I had to admit that his surly, overprotective side was a little endearing so long as he didn’t take things too far.
The more I thought about it, the more decided I became. I was going to give him a chance. Arealchance. Tell him about my past and let him decide how we moved forward. Together.
How was it I was more nervous about the possibility of him rejecting me than I’d been about learning he was stalking me? I didn’t know how to be logical where Torin was concerned, which was why I decided to give myself through Thanksgiving before doing anything irreversible. That meant one more day to change my mind. Then there’d be no going back.
If I’d been told two years earlier that I would consider baring my soul to a man who broke into my apartment and beat people to a pulp for fun, I’d have laughed at the absurdity. But it was true. I felt the pendulum of my life nearing a shift in direction. I prayed it was a shift for the better.
I closed my door on my way to work just as Luke returned home.
“Hey, Storm. You working tonight?”
“Yeah, but we’re closed tomorrow, thank goodness.”
“What are your Thanksgiving plans? You don’t have family nearby, right?” he asked, brows knitted together.
“No family,” I said with a twinge of sadness. “I’ll be holding down the fort here, watching the Macy’s Parade on TV and giving Blue Bell all the cuddles.”
Luke pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t like it. I’m going to a Friendsgiving tomorrow. You’re coming with me.”
“I’m not crashing your Thanksgiving.”
“It’s not Thanksgiving. It’sFriendsgiving. And there’s no such thing as crashing Friendsgiving. That’s the whole point. It’s for those of us who, for various reasons, aren’t spending the day with family. You check the box. Besides, I won’t take no for an answer.” He raised a brow in challenge. “We aren’t eating until three, so I’ll grab you at noon.”
“Luke, are you sure? I don’t want it to be awkward.”
“I’mpositive. And trust me, nothing is awkward with this group. You’ll love them.”
I rolled my eyes with a smirk. “Fine. And thank you, I suppose.”
“Hey, I’m just annoyed I hadn’t thought to ask before.” He opened his door. “Have a good night at work, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks!” What had I just been thinking about life being unexpected? I wasn’t sure why I even tried. Fortunately, this change of plans would likely be a good one.
I made the short walk to work with a smile. We closed early tonight, which would help me get up and be ready on time tomorrow. I was surprised that I was looking forward to the gathering. I hadn’t had Thanksgiving with anyone in years. The prospect put a grin on my face, though it died a tragic snarling death when I walked through the club toward the back and spotted one of the newly hired dancers draping her arms around Torin’s shoulders. While she was topless.
Two thoughts entered my mind simultaneously. First, he was never going to get the glitter out of that shirt. And second, I HATED seeing her touch him.
He had his arms crossed, clearly irritated. I’d never seen him involved with any of the dancers, so it shouldn’t have bothered me, but there was no denying I was madder than a one-eyed goose.