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“Sorry, my man just got out of prison on parole. It’s best if you move on along before he sees you here. He has a bit of a temper,” I replied, then picked up my glass.
The man looked a little uncertain as he straightened back and glanced around the bar. “All right then. Not looking for trouble.”
I held up my glass. “Then, you’d best get on along.”
He turned and headed off in the opposite direction. That one always worked. And if it didn’t, I mentioned taking them home to meet my seven kids, including two sets of twins under three, and how I needed some bills paid.
Roger stood up, and I kept my eyes locked on him. The creepy glance he gave the server who brought him back his change sent a shiver through me. She was too old for his taste. When she flirted with him, I wanted to go grab her and tell her to get away. My guess was, she had a little girl at home, and he’d found that out.
I picked up the rot-gut whiskey he liked to drink that I’d ordered, but not touched, then followed him as he headed for the exit. I noticed he swerved slightly as he walked. He’d had several drinks while I sat and watched, just out of his line of sight. I didn’t know how many he’d had before I tracked him here. But tonight, he was going to have one more.
He dropped his keys twice before he got to the ancient Cavalier he still drove. The second time he picked them up, we were far enough away from witnesses that I stepped in front of him and bent down to take the keys before he could get them.
His gaze traveled up my body, and it took all my willpower not to kick the fuck out of his face. But not here. I had to get him away from here. I’d set it all up carefully. Spent months planning it. Making sure every step was in place.
“Well, hello,” he drawled, stumbling slightly backward as he straightened back up.
I could tell from his drunken grin that he didn’t recognize me. But I hadn’t expected him to. There was nothing left of the dirty, abused, neglected child who had fled the hellhole he’d raised me in.
“Oops,” I said, flashing him a smile. “Seems you dropped these.”
“Well, hello, sugar. Aren’t you a pretty thing?”
I could not get sick. I was stronger than the demons. This ended tonight. No more.
“Seems someone has had too many to drive, and I could use a ride. Why don’t you let me drive, and you can come back to my place for the night and sleep it off?”
He blinked, swaying as he grinned. “Well, that’s a nice offer, sugar.”
Yeah, I just bet it is.
I didn’t give him a chance to argue—not that I’d allow that. I had backup strapped under the back of my jacket if I needed the extra push to get him in the passenger side of this car. Taking his arm, I led him around to the passenger door and helped him get inside before slamming it closed and making my way around to the driver’s seat. Right on schedule.
When I sat down, I handed him the drink I had been carrying. I hadn’t wanted to chance that he’d spill it. “Here, why don’t you finish this up for me? It’s too strong for my taste,” I told him.
He glanced down at it and chuckled. “Don’t want to put hair on your pretty chest.”
Just drink the damn whiskey, you sick son of a bitch.
I pulled out onto the main road and drove down to the marina less than one minute away and pulled his car into the spot I’d been instructed to leave it. He hadn’t drunk any yet as he frowned, then looked around.
“What are we stopping for?” he slurred.
“This is my place,” I informed him.
He gave me a weird look. “It’s a marina.”
I nodded and kept my friendly smile in place. “It is. I live on a houseboat. You want to drink that down before we get out. Might be easier getting on board if you’re not holding anything.”
He raised his eyebrows. “A houseboat. Ain’t never been on one of them.”
He gave me a leer that said he clearly was not reading this situation, then threw back the drink. I watched as he drank it. The way his throat constricted as he swallowed.
I had wondered how this moment would feel. If I would panic or freak. But neither of those things happened. It was relief.
It was almost instant when he lowered the glass; it fell from his hand, and his eyes widened in terror. Whatever it was doing to him was making its way through his body.
“Hello, Roger,” I told him, seething as I glared at the man who had taken my innocence. Stolen my childhood. Given me every nightmare I’d ever had. “It’s been a long time.”
