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I stepped further into the dining area.
“Um, thirsty, I guess. I came down to raid the refrigerator for something to drink.”
Lock nodded, resting his hands on the back of a dining room chair. He tilted his head towards the table. “Have a seat. Let me see what all I have.”
“I?” I asked, unable to hide the shock I felt. “Is this your house?”
“It is.”
I immediately started shaking my head. “No, Lock. I can’t… this can’t be…” Panic seized my heart as I thought about what dangers I could bring being here. What if Byron, or worse, Santos, knew I was here? I would bring unnecessary drama into his life. I couldn’t let that happen.
“Phoebe, calm down and breathe.” Lock placed his hands on my shoulders. I pushed him off and stepped back from him.
“No, I will not calm down. Lock, this is too dangerous. Me being here is too dangerous. You said a safe house. This isn’t a safe house. This isyourhouse!”
I was frantic now, looking around the room for… shit, what? An escape? Was I going to just bolt out of the house without shoes or clothes? If I did, then what?
Ugh… this was messed up on so many levels.
I closed my eyes, thinking about how I would leave here and where I would go, when Lock spoke again, his voice surprisingly calm.
“Phoebe, you arrived here at night. Ivey drove you in his car. The windows were tinted, were they not?”
I opened my eyes and frowned, but I nodded my agreement. I also settled my mind, knowing where he was going.
“And when you arrived here, did you enter through the front door?”
“No, I didn’t. But…” I began but even to my ears it sounded weak.
“But nothing. No one knows you’re here. Believe it or not, the members of my team are here all the time, in the wee hours of the night sometimes. My neighbors know that. It’s not strange to see their cars parked in my garage or to see them leave in the next morning. So your arrival wasn’t out of the norm. No one saw you enter my house and no one will see you leave. Also, there are a couple of detectives that live on my block and two patrol officers on the next block over. We watch over each other’s houses. I have security cameras everywhere and backups to those cameras. When I say you’re completely safe here, I mean it.”
Well shit…
What do you say to that? Nothing I suppose but okay, and that’s what I said.
I breathed out a sigh of relief, smiled and said, “Okay.”
Lock smiled too. “Okay. Now, have a seat at the table and I’ll see what I have in the fridge for you to drink.”
I moved to one of the six chairs surrounding the large rectangle table and sat down. I glanced around the room again, taking things in with a fresh pair of eyes.
“How about coffee?” he called out and I watched him bend over looking in the fridge.
“That’s fine, thank you.”
I could see this house being Lock’s now that he made it known. That feeling of emptiness I had when I first walked in explained a lot. This has to be the house he lived in with his wife. There were female touches around the living room and dining room, now that I know this was his house. Faux plants and flower arrangements were on the coffee table and end tables. Not to mention the colors used to liven up the place.
I suddenly became interested in getting a tour of his home, of learning more about Lock. I was in his domain. He had opened his home to me. Did that mean something? I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t wait to find out.
I smiled at the prospect of diving deeper into Lockhart Mills and noticed a good-looking sandwich on subway bread sitting across from me. It didn’t look as if it was made from some sandwich shop. This looked as if it was homemade. I licked my lips and felt my stomach growl. It was loud too.
I heard a chuckle at the kitchen doorway. I looked up and smiled shyly.
“I guess I am hungry, after all. You can’t blame me really. This sandwich looks good.”
Lock placed a hot cup of coffee in front of me. He then slid the plate my way.
“Help yourself. I can make another one.” When I started to protest he narrowed those storm-filled eyes on me. “Eat, Phoebe. I’ll bring you some water. How do you take your coffee?”
