Rori’s mind froze. The deepening concern in Cassy’s eyes left her cold.
“Damn it, honey. You’ve been through way too much lately.” Cassy sighed, pulling Rori into an embrace. “It’ll be fine. I promise you. We’re here for you.”
I’m not even safe in my own head.
The door opened again. Brandon rounded them and helped Rori to her feet. “Come, Rori. I’m taking you home. Cassy, I’ll get your side work our next shift.”
“I’ll take care of everything.” Cassy took Rori’s order book from her apron, along with her change purse with her cash tips. “I’ll make sure this is taken care of. Get her home safe, okay?” She kissed Rori’s cheek, leveling her gaze. “I’ll be home in a little while. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Brandon said, leading Rori out of the cooler. They left through the back door, avoiding staff and customers. Rori stumbled beside Brandon’s set gait, his arm tight around her waist. “I’ve got you, Rori.”
Brandon had been her rock for years. Him and Cassy. Through all of her ups and downs, her two closest friends were always by her side. Through laughter and tears, dreams and disappointments. When Cael came along, he fit right inwith them. They’d become a tight group of friends that shared almost everything.
As she settled into the passenger seat of Brandon’s car, something dark and nauseating filled her gut. She stared out the window at the restaurant, half expecting to see Thaddeus stalking toward them, half yearning for him to be in the driver’s seat. She couldn’t explain it, the ache that bloomed in her chest as Brandon pulled out of the parking lot and sped down the road. The greater the distance, the more it hurt.
I will never fall for him.
The universe mocked her self-promise in tune with the pulsing pain. His hand on her waist. His encompassing cocoon. The security and safety only he could elicit, however dangerous and lethal and pretentious. His words cut like the blade he carried, but his actions went against every hurtful word he spoke. The healings. The defending.
Hiskiss.
Brandon pulled into her apartment complex and found a spot in front of her stairwell. Rori rested a hand over his before he shut off the car. “I’m okay. I just want to be alone.”
“Rori,” Brandon said with a sigh. “Not after what I witnessed.”
“I’ll be okay. I’m not going to do anything to myself. I promise you with my life. I just…need to be alone. To sort through my thoughts.”
Brandon watched her closely, seemingly unconvinced. “The mind is a dangerous place,hermosa. Please, let me stay for a bit. To make sure you’re settled.”
“I would normally cave, but not tonight. You can call me every half-hour, if it makes you feel better. I’ll answer. I’ll answer every time you call, but I really just need time to work this out by myself.”
“What kind of friend would I be, leaving you alone inthis state?” He grabbed her hand between his, his eyes pleading. “If anything happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”
“Nothing will happen to me. Nothing. I’ve too much to live for to do anything harmful. And I’m too strong to completely give in to madness. I’ve got the world’s best friends between you and Cassy. I’d never hurt you.” She tried to smile, but failed. “Please? Trust me? This is something that I need to figure out alone. Neither you nor Cassy can help me.”
He swallowed hard, understanding slowly winning over his natural urge to protect. His hands squeezed hers, his head dropping. After a moment, he nodded once, lifting his gaze to hers again through strands of dark hair that had fallen over his forehead.
“Okay. As much as I don’t like this, I understand what you’re saying. But I’ll be calling you until Cassy gets home.”
“And I’ll answer.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Diosmio. It pains me to see you like this.”
“I’ll get through this, too, like everything else.” She dug out her keys and cell phone from her apron. “I’ll text you as soon as I get upstairs.”
Brandon nodded again, but remained quiet. Reluctantly, he released her hand, and she climbed out of the car. She offered a small wave before taking to the stairwell, thoughts stirring and stewing once more. She opened her phone to her text thread with Brandon and started to type in that she was inside as she rounded the hallway to her apartment. She hit Send only when she reached her door and found her key on her chain?—
Steel poked her lower back. Pressed hard into her spine.
Cold, raw fear gripped her in a death hold. Her stomachflipped dangerously. Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest.
The stench of grease and oil cut through the odors lingering on her uniform from the restaurant. Another facet of the universe mocking her helplessness.
“Open the door. We’re going to talk, only I’ll be doing the talking.”
Frozen in sheer terror, she didn’t move. Dizziness swept over her, threatening to make her faint. He jammed what she could only suspect to be the barrel of a gun deeper into her spine until she winced.
“Do it, Rori, or I’ll make sure the next time I tell you to do something, you won’t forget the consequences of not listening.”
