Page 17 of Renard's Deliverance

However, she knew she’d eat him up and spit him out. Not because he wasn’t strong or dominant.

But he wasn’t the sort of strong Dom she needed. And he hadn’t been through hell in his life. He’d likely never understand her.

Sometimes she wondered if anyone could.

If they could live with her demons and still see something good in her. Lord knew when she looked in the mirror, she didn’t see anyone worthy of love.

“I’m sure, bud,” she told him with a wink. “You don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

“All right. Text me when you get home safe, though.”

“Yes, Daddy,” she replied.

Devon rolled his eyes, the tension in his body easing.

“Don’t call him that,” Renard ordered as she walked behind him toward the door.

“I can call him what I like,” she snapped back.

Easy.

Just let him take you home. It’s no skin off your nose.

Remember, you don’t need a man to love you to feel worthwhile.

Or, at least, that’s what Doctor Susie told her. Doctor Susie had a whole lot of books on how to build your self-confidence. On trauma and recovery. Opal couldn’t afford an actual therapist, but she had managed to get some of Doctor Susie’s books from the library.

She wanted to try and piece her life back together. To find who she was when she wasn’t being beaten down.

Renard paused and turned.

She braced herself for his anger. That’s what men did when they didn’t get their way, right?

They got angry and blamed other people for their faults, their failings.

Not all men.

You can’t hate all men.

Doctor Susie said that too. The woman was really a genius. Opal wished she had a tenth of her smarts. But Opal hadn’t even graduated high school.

Dumb as a box of rocks Stefan used to say.

Asshole.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Don’t walk behind me.”

She blinked. “Huh?” What was he talking about?

“You shouldn’t be walking behind me,” he said again.

“But you’re leading the way. You know where you’re parked.” Was he losing it? Had he ended up having a sip of rum?

“You still shouldn’t walk behind me. Walk alongside me.”

“Um. Okay.”

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