Page 35 of Dark Alleys

When the furniture had been unloaded and was all inside the apartment, Annie took over and helped Cindy and they got the place looking decent.

Annie had brought four or five bags of groceries too, and all the food had to be put away.

When we were all done, tears came, and Cindy cried she was so happy. Flint had his own bed and the two of them had their own home in a brand-new apartment.

Neil spent a few minutes with her going over her budget and giving her a list of emergency numbers to call in case anything went wrong.

“Keep the cards handy and become familiar with the agencies that can help you.”

“I will, Neil. Thank you so much.”

We wished Cindy luck and waved to her as we left Montana House.

Since Aunt Gail’s house was so close, we drove over there to surprise her. She rarely got to see Neil with him living in Arlington and being on the Ranger team schedule.

Cherrywood. Austin.

Aunt Gail squealed when she saw all of us on her porch. “Come in, come in. My family is here to visit me.”

After I’d eaten most of the last batch of butter tart squares, she’d made more and had a good supply. She wanted to hear all the details of Mick’s new project to help women who were victims of violent crime, and I told her the happy ending of Cindy’s story.

“Such wonderful work, all of you are doing.”

We talked and drank a lot of great coffee. It was a happy family time that I didn’t get much of. Nearly all the family time I got was with Tommy and his kids.

After a lot of hugs on the porch, everyone left, and I was the last to leave because I technically lived there.

I was backing out the driveway when Regan pulled in behind me and blocked my exit.

I rammed my truck into park and jumped out ready to snap. “How did you get this address?”

She shrugged. “We need to talk.”

“We’ll talk in my truck. I’m not upsetting my aunt.”

Regan climbed into the passenger seat and glared at me over the console, her eyes full of angry questions. I waited for her to start.

This was her party.

The cab of the truck was dead silent as I lit up a smoke and didn’t offer her one. I checked my messages and waited…

“What the hell is wrong with you, Lukas?”

“Nothing is wrong with me. I’m the same as I ever was. What do you want to talk about?”

“I thought we had something together, Lukas, and then suddenly we’re not on the same page at all. I tracked you down to find out why you did a one-eighty on me.”

“Triggers. I’ve got certain triggers, and you set off a lot of them.”

“For instance?”

“As soon as you said we should get to know each other better, I saw flashing lights. Right away I knew you wanted a relationship—that’s what you’re expecting from me. If it isn’t a relationship you want, then it’s something else and you’re going to use sex to get it.”

“That’s crazy talk, Lukas.”

“Is it? You want something from me. All the signs were there when you invited me over for lunch—the lunch I never got.”

“Not true.”

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