Page 75 of The Hangman's Rope

“Ready to try for bed again?” I asked quietly, and had I not been captured by her, and enamored with watching her, I might have missed the nod of her head.

“Okay,” I said, pushing to my feet.

She pushed to hers and tucked herself into my side as I opened the screen door to let her back into the apartment. I gave her a one-armed hug and kissed the top of her head before relinquishing her to let her go inside.

I heaved a sigh and followed her in, sleep dragging at my edges before I’d even tossed my bottle into the recycling in the kitchen.

I set Lorelai’s proffered mug in the bottom of the kitchen sink and took her in my arms again, steering her back in the direction of the bedroom.

I tucked her into my bed, and she tucked herself into my side, laying her head on my shoulder and chest and fitting herself to my body like she was meant to be there.

As fragile as she was, she was resilient and it was a heady combination for sure.

Chapter Twenty

Lorelai…

“Lore, baby. C’mon and wake up,” Hangman’s voice was gentle, but I couldn’t help but wince and curl in on myself in the warm snug bed. I groaned. I didn’twantto wake up, yet. It was too early – the sun still having that quality of light to it that said it was still barely past sunrise where it poured in between the slats of the bedroom blinds.

“What? Why?” I groaned and then whined.

“Your daddy sent the cops here,” Hangman said, sighing. “Gotta come show them that you’re fine, that you’re not under duress, and tell them that youwantto be here.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked, sitting upright.

“Wish he was, ma’am,” I heard from the bedroom doorway and I turned to face a uniformed officer in dark blue standing in the doorway.

“Savannah police?” I asked frowning.

“Thunderbolt, but your father called Savannah and then Savannah reached out to us for a wellness check, ma’am.”

“Well, I’m fine. You can see that I’m perfectly well,” I said, annoyed.

“Yes ma’am,” the cop was young and he was grinning.

“I’m right where I’m supposed to be right now, thank you,” I said and the cop nodded, tipping his hat.

“Yes, ma’am. You might want to call and sort things out with your father.”

I sighed tiredly and nodded.

“I’ll walk you out,” Hangman said tersely and he led the officer out.

“Ugh!” I flopped back into the bed and pressed the heels of my hands into my eye sockets, rubbing the sleep from them.

I heard the whisper of denim swishing against itself and looked up. Hangman was leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, looking put out but not necessarily annoyed withme… just more at the situation.

“Nice that you’re loved,” he said with a faint smile.

“Am I?” I asked and sighed out. “By my mother, yes, absolutely. My father, I think it’s less about love and more about control sometimes.”

Hangman shook his head and came over to sit on the edge of the bed. He sighed and reached out a hand to touch my leg and I felt my stiff posture ease.

“I get that,” he said. “I get that all too well. Is that why you called me?”

I looked at my hands, gripped together in a distressed ball in my lap and said, “Partially. I felt as though he was suffocating me.”

He looked thoughtful.

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