“It can’t be me?”
“I don’t want to put any extra pressure on you. This is your vacation.” Until Robert inevitably figured out where Lucia was staying. No more vacation once he started trying to worm his way back in. Tristan didn’t want to say it, but he couldn’t help wondering if he’d convince her to return again. Karen or no Karen, would Lucia still be there when Tristan got home? Robert had always managed to get a new foothold in her life, and Tristan could only hope this time would be different. “Can you just put her on?”
A moment of silence. “Yeah. Sec.”
Tristan waited until a thick, heady voice rasped over the line. “You rang?”
“Yeah. Thanks for being there.”
“No problem. Andre has the kids under control, so I’m here as long as you two need me.”
“Good. I officially owe you more than I could possibly pay back.”
“I know. Don’t worry, I won’t let you forget it either.”
Tristan offered a weak laugh. “I don’t want to take up a whole bunch of your time, but... look, if anything happens, I want you to call me. I don’t care if Lucia wants you to, you call me. Andpleasekeep this between us, because I don’t need her stressing out over this while she’s supposed to be relaxing and recuperating.”
“Of course. It’s not a problem.”
“And if Robert shows up at my house, you call the cops. He’s not welcome in my apartment. He’s trespassing or harassing or— I don’t know, maybe he’s not doing anything, but the cops will scare him off.” Karen had plenty of contacts with the local cops, so even if there was no actual crime, she’d be able to get someone to show up with a badge. Being friends with a sergeant’s kid had its perks.
“I’ll take care of it. No worries.” Her voice grew quieter, a bare whisper nearly swallowed up by telephone static. “She’s in really bad shape, Tristan.”
The words stung, even though he already knew it. Someone else confirming it somehow made the truth wriggle deeper under his skin. “Yeah. We made an ER visit when she showed up.” What else could he say that he and Karen hadn’t talked about a dozen times already? They both wanted Lucia away from Robert. They’d both be there for however long it took her to find her own way out. They both hoped this was the time that path would make itself clear. And this competition could give Tristan the chance to make it easier on her. “If I can win this thing, I’ll have enough money to help her out, you know?” He didn’t know how much of a hurdle her finances were, but he knew Robert had a firm grasp on the purse strings, and he hadn’t let her get a job. He “liked the house kept nice,” which had meant she’d better damn well stay home and clean. Or else.
A couple seconds of silence before Karen came back, her voice still soft. “Then you better rest up and make sure you win this thing.”
Yeah. No pressure.Tristan’s shoulders slumped as he blew out a long, slow breath. “Thank you. Like I said, I owe you. And if it comes up, I asked you to get Carlita a message for me, since I couldn’t get hold of her.”
“Got it. I’ll take a trip down there when she opens up.” Her voice was back to normal, thankfully. Serious time over. “Go kick some butt.”
“Bless you, sweet virgin.”
“I’ll take the blessing, but I’m no virgin. At least not according to my kids. You want Lucia again?”
“Yeah. And thanks.”
Lucia’s voice came over once more. “You finish your plotting?”
“Plotting for her to talk to Carlita, I told you.” Tristan flopped over on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “I’m gonna get off the phone, but I wanted to say I love you before I go.”
“You don’t need to tell me all the time.”
“Yeah, I do, Lucia.” He pulled the bathrobe a little tighter around his middle, holding in the warmth as long as he could. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now rest, please. And stop worrying about me.”
“Not going to happen. But I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Let’s make it five o’clock?”
“I’ll be here.”
“And I’ll be here. Possibly in a bathrobe.” He hung up the phone to a disgusted laugh from his sister, then set it aside and stretched his arms out wide.Stop worrying about you?They both had scars on their bodies from their father. But Lucia had plenty of new marks from Robert too. Including fresh bruises. Thankfully no breaks this time. “I don’t think I evercouldstop worrying about you.”
His family had poor luck with men. Sure, there was a whole stock of good ones out there somewhere. Karen had managed to find one. But his father was an abusive son of a bitch. Lucia had gotten caught up with the same kind of bastard, and even though he knew better than to blame her for what had happened, it was painful to hear her make the same excuses as their mother had.
Tristan shook his head, trying to dislodge this old, too-familiar stream of thoughts. He was already doing all he could, including being here to try to make up the difference in the bills. All he could do now was wait. Wait, and vow to never get caught in the same trap. Eighteen years with his father had been more than enough.
Tristan rose and stripped out of his bathrobe. He was ready to leave it there on the floor... but this was his home. If he let it get messy, it would just lead to clutter in his head that he couldn’t afford. So he grabbed it and hung it up, then slipped into his lounge pants.
