Page 106 of Demon's Angel

“Trust me,” he says again.

I might have been more able to stand my ground if his closeness hadn’t had the normal effect it does on me. I’ve often wondered whether his scent, his touch, will ever stop making my toes curl.

“I was meant to be helping Lizard…”

“Lizard gave you the time off, didn’t he?”

Another decision I hadn’t made. “Yes, but…” I respond grumpily.

“We’re wasting time. Come on. Theo’s all set. Just need you to get inside.”

When I capitulate, his helping hand on my ass as I climb into his overgrown truck gives me tingles inside.This man is my everything.With a smirk—he’s won after all—he goes around to the driver’s side. As he climbs in, I sigh. I should have known what I was getting into. I do trust him, with my life, that of my child. I’ve always known he was controlling. He’d never do anything to hurt me, it’s just that at times, I can see us going head-to-head.

It’s not long before I recognise the neighbourhood. As familiar roads pass, I have a sneaking suspicion I know exactly where we’re going. I start to get a bad feeling inside.

“D…”

“Just wait, Vi.”

“Please D, stop the truck. I don’t want…”

But it’s too late. He’s turning into the driveway of my childhood home. The place I never thought or wanted to return to again. Who wants to see strangers roaming through rooms you remember having lived in all your life? New furniture in place of familiar items you grew up with? Changes made just to put a new stamp on a place.

“No, D. Take me home.”

But he doesn’t stop. Just drives straight up to the front door. He comes around to my side.I’ll refuse to get out.As I think that thought, though, the front door opens. To my surprise, it’s Vicky, standing there with the widest grin on her face.

Huh?

“Come on,” Demon encourages.

What’s Vicky doing here?I know the house has been sold; I received all the paperwork a few days ago, as well as the money deposited into my bank account. It was a weight off my mind, as I knew my mom’s situation was sorted, at least for now. Vicky couldn’t have bought it, she couldn’t have afforded that much.

While I’ve been hesitating, Demon’s reached into the back and has extracted Theo from his seat. Vicky, unable to contain herself, has run over.

“He’s grown! Vi, he’s grown so much. And is that a tooth? So many changes.”

What mom can resist someone cooing over their kid. “He’s six months now, Vicky. And yes, he has his first bottom front tooth and the other’s trying to come through.” The pride in my voice equates his accomplishment as if he’d earned a degree.

She responds in the same vein. “What a clever boy,” she coos, taking Theo from Demon’s arms. “What a good boy. You being good for your mama?”

It’s great seeing Vicky. I’d forgotten how much I’d depended on her after Theo was born. Of course he has a wider support network now, but I do feel guilty I hadn’t gotten in touch before. Truth is, even when I had my freedom back, memories of the past were painful.

“Why don’t we get inside?” Vicky asks, as a drop of rain falls.

Because this is now someone else’s house. Have they engaged her as a housekeeper?But as she kidnaps my child and takes him in through the door, what can I do but follow her? I stand, amazed in the entrance hall. I’d expected it to be empty, or furnished differently, but all the furniture I remember from my childhood is here.

“I made arrangements for it to be cleared.”

Demon clears his throat. “I might have cancelled that,” he says.

I can’t understand. I look at Vicky, then around me. Then, sigh. I’d run with very little as I never expected to need much again. “Demon, if we’re here to collect stuff…”

“Vi, we’re not here to collect anything.” He holds out a sheaf of paperwork he’d had in his back pocket. His eyes catch mine. All of a sudden, he seems uncertain, nervously fidgeting as he moves what he’s holding from hand to hand. It’s a strange look on my normally confident husband. “Vi…” Then he’s voice trails off, and he shoves the papers into my hand.

I look down. It’s a deed of ownership. For this house. “You bought it?”

“We bought it.” He points to my name alongside his.

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