Derrick stood. “I’ll take her.”
Alex hesitated, looking at him seriously. “You’ll take care of her? She might need someone to stay with her for a bit.”
Derrick raised his brows.
“Yes, mother, I’ll tuck her in and sing her a lullaby.” He clapped the other man on the shoulder. “Relax, Alex. I’ll look after her. I promise.”
***
“Thanks for bringing me home, Sir. I’m fine now.”
Derrick wasn’t so sure. Tara was huddled into a corner of her living room couch, a blanket wrapped around her as she sipped on the hot chocolate he’d made her.
There were dark circles under her eyes, standing out in contrast to her milky-white skin. He looked around the apartment, not liking what he saw. Although she had tried to brighten the place up with some colorful cushions and cheap artwork, there was no disguising how rundown it was.
The walls had peeling wallpaper that looked like it was right out of the ‘70s, there was a big hole in the wall behind her head and the carpet had seen better days.
“I don’t like leaving you here. It’s not safe.”
“It’s fine, Sir. I’ve lived here for two years now.”
The neighborhood wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t a high crime area, either.
“All right,” he said reluctantly. “But tomorrow, I’m having a friend drop in to put better locks on this door and a security system.”
“I can’t afford that.”
“I can. And before you protest, either you take my offer or I’m going to call Master Alex right now and have him come over. What’s it to be?”
Her eyes grew wide. “The security system,” she said in a quiet voice.
Yeah, that’s what he’d figured.
“Okay, love. I’m going now. I want to hear you lock up behind me.”
Derrick waited until he heard the lock engage before heading down the stairs, and outside into the warm Austin evening.
Fatigue pulled at him as he climbed into his car. He usually had his driver take him to the club, but Robert was away visiting family, so he was on his own.
Pushing past the fatigue, he pulled away from the curb and headed home.
Chapter Two
The loud screeching of tires woke Jacey from a light sleep. Heart beating frantically, her skin clammy, she sat up. She glanced around frantically, but she couldn’t see much from where the doorway she’d been sleeping in. Jumping up, she watched a small car spin out of control across the street.
Jacey cringed as the car crashed into a power pole. Shaking off her shock, she grabbed her backpack and slinging it onto her back, she ran toward the accident, throwing the old blanket she’d had wrapped around her to the ground.
The car had rolled onto its roof. Jacey knelt on the pavement to peer into the driver’s side. A car door slammed shut and she glanced up, swallowing nervously as a large man approached quickly. Jacey fought the urge to turn tail and run.
“What happened?” a deep voice asked. “Are you all right, miss? Miss?” he said in a firmer voice.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I wasn’t in the crash.”
A low moan drifted out from the car and Jacey sighed in relief. “The driver is alive. We have to help.” As she reached for the car door, the man grabbed her hand, pulling her back.
She glanced up at him in surprise.
“We need to get some help,” he told her as he pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. “We could make the injuries worse if we do something.”