Page 42 of Delicate Escape

I felt Russ’s footsteps falter more than I saw it. “Must have money to burn, then.”

My back teeth ground together. “He’s doing me a favor. I’m friends with his sister.” The truth was, Shep had only let me cover the cost of materials so far, and I knew he was giving me his contractor’s discount on those. But I was determined to find a way to repay him.

Russ scoffed. “Box Baby probably just wants to fuck you.”

I whipped around to face him. “Excuse me?”

Russ’s chest puffed up like a ridiculous impression of a baboon. “You heard me. Don’t be an idiot. He’s trying to get in your pants. But be careful. Box Baby leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake. Just ask around. He acts like the town golden boy, but the bastard’s anything but.”

There was so much to unpack in that tirade that I didn’t know where to start, but one thing stuck. “Box Baby?”

Russ’s eyes lit with cruel pleasure. “Haven’t heard the story?Shep got left in one of those haven boxes at the fire station. Even his own ma didn’t want him.”

The urge to slap the man in front of me was so strong I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from stooping to his level. Instead, I jerked the bakery box out of his hold with my free hand. “Get the hell away from me. Youwishyou could be half the man Shep is. But you never will be. Because you’re a sleazy, rude,meanperson. And my guess is, you’re worse than that.”

Russ’s brows lifted in shocked surprise for a moment, and then he sneered at me. “Already fuckin’ him, I see. Good luck when he tosses you away like the trash you clearly are.”

As Russ stalked down the street, the trembling set in. He was nothing more than a bully, but I knew bullies could do unconscionable things when they set their minds to it.

“It’s okay,” I whispered to the kittens, who’d begun meowing at the sounds of our raised voices. “We’re okay.”

My hands shook as I lifted their carrier into the trailer at the back of my bike. It took three tries to fasten them into place, then I placed the bakery box in front of them so it wouldn’t get jostled. But as I threw a leg over my bike, I froze.

How had Russ known I rode a bike?

The thirty-minute ridehome should’ve calmed my nerves, but I was glancing over my shoulder every two seconds, looking to see if anyone followed. It was possible that Russ had simply seen me riding around town. That was the most likely scenario. I’d had this bike for almost as long as I’d lived here. Still, his cruelty and knowledge of my habits had set me on edge.

It reminded me too much of Brendan. Someone who had extricated every possible detail about me under the guise of getting to know me, or in the name of intimacy, and then used the information as a weapon. To aim at the places he knew would inflict the most damage.

My body shuddered as I rode down the gravel drive, swervingto avoid potholes. Catching sight of my house and the silver truck parked in front of it had a burn building behind my eyes. Because I knew I was so close to safety.

I did everything I could to force down the tears. I thought about the flowers I planned to add to the front garden after Shep filled in the trench. I thought about what I might harvest from the greenhouse and give to Shep to pass on to his mom. I thought about how Moose loved playing in the yard and watching Shep as he worked.

All of it helped. Just not enough.

I pulled to a stop in front of my walkway. Shep was already striding toward me, a huge grin on his face. “I had to go to Roxbury today, so I got Indian. I’m not sure this will be my new favorite, but I got a bunch of things to try. And I made sure samosas were on the list. You might have to reheat stuff, but—” His eyes locked on my face, and all the pleasure drained from his. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Of course, Shep could see right through me, no matter how much happy imagery I ran through in my head. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Bull,” he growled. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”

I shoved my hands behind my back as if that would hide the truth.

“Thorn,” he whispered. “What happened? Please.”

It was thepleasethat did it. The beseeching tone with a hint of desperate need. The burn was back, and I desperately tried to blink it away. “It’s stupid.”

Shep moved then, slowly coming into my space but giving me all the time in the world to show him I didn’t want him there. But I didn’t move away, didn’t step back. His hand came up, and he brushed strands of hair out of my face. “It’s not stupid. Not if it’s affecting you like this.”

My heart hammered against my ribs. I wanted so badly to just tell Shep everything. But I couldn’t. There was too much shame wrapped up in it all. But I still wanted to give him something. A tiny piece that could possibly help him understand.

“I had a run-in with Russ Wheeler.”

Shep’s hand tightened in my hair, and a low, rumbling noise that sounded a lot like a growl emanated from him. “What. Did. He. Do?”

“He didn’t touch me,” I hurried to say. “He was just…a jerk, I guess. Crass, cruel. It wasn’t him, not really. It’s just…he reminded me of someone. Someone I don’t ever want to remember.”

Pain sliced through Shep’s eyes. “Fuck.” Then he pulled me to him and hugged me.

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