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Roxie turned off the TV. They’d always found a quiet place to be so they could talk. Why did people reach for a device or noise or a flashing screen rather than simply sitting? In the quiet, her mind could create its own ideas. So she could reason things out.
She wouldn’t have realized what Mark had planned without it. Instead, she’d have lived in oblivion and probably would have died there, because it was easier than turning the tide.
The whole thing made her heart hurt for anyone in a situation that caused fear, a situation where they felt trapped.
Liam set his plate on the table. “I figure you’re either all right, or you’re not. What’s so hard about that?”
He wasn’t being mean. She’d always appreciated the pragmatic view of the world he had. The way so much was black or white for him. Cops needed that, or things got cloudy really fast. Roxie had to push out a long breath, lean her head against the couch.
“I can make myself scarce if you need to rest.”
She shook her head. “I’m okay.” Which meant she’d just invited him to sit and talk with her. Was that what she wanted? It would only make things more complicated. “I just haven’t been at peace in a long time.”
“Depends where you get your peace from. But the person I talk to about that is my mom, and she’s currently not replying to any of my messages.” He sat back in his chair, one boot on the other knee. “But peace isn’t that far away. All you have to do is reach out and grab it.”
“Destiny had me pray with her. I don’t know what good it did.” Faith, or God, felt so far away. Mark was here, but no one believed her.
No way did she want to risk Liam not believing her. That would hurt far too much. She’d always respected his opinion way more than anyone else’s.
Roxie shook her head. “I don’t know how I feel about any of that church stuff. I know you go—”
“It’s been a while.”
She wasn’t entirely surprised about that, given he seemed so much…harder…these days. “But it’s like everyone around me believes, and they want me to be interested.”
“No pressure from me. Believe what you want.”
She shot him a look.
“It’s important, and I want you to. Don’t get me wrong.” He lifted his fingers. “But I get the feeling you don’t want to be pressured or told what to think.”
“I definitely don’t want that.” Roxie looked around. “Being here… You probably think I shouldn’t be putting Destiny in danger, but Clare ordered me to be here.”
Liam pointed up at the corner of the wall where it met the ceiling. “I’m guessing that might play into the reason why.”
“Cameras?”
“My guess is Vanguard wired up the whole place after the snake thing.”
Roxie shuddered. “Makes sense. I should be mad because that feels a whole lot like being controlled.”
“Call it strategic protection. Two people to safeguard. It makes sense if they’re together. Assuming they aren’t going to try to kill each other.” He flashed a smile.
“Has that happened?”
He chuckled. “Protective custody. They said they were in love, and they were going to flip on their dealer who was about to meet with the drug supplier. So we take them both to a motel and take shifts. Two in the morning, they start tearing up the room. She’s throwing lamps. He gets the shower curtain off the rail, puts a hole in the wall in the process, and then he takes the plastic sheet and tries to suffocate her to death. It was nuts.”
Roxie blinked, almost laughing, even though it was tragically not funny at all. “Wow.”
“Yeah.” Liam chuckled.
They lapsed into silence, the comfortable kind that two old friends settle into. Roxie soaked up that moment of peace, even knowing she didn’t have the kind of peace that sank in her soul. Situational peace was all she could have, it seemed, and she enjoyed that when she felt it tangibly. Like right now—with Liam.
“Thanks for coming over.”
Liam gave her a soft smile she really liked. “Destiny is a great kid. I was happy to pitch in.”
He might’ve known she would be here, or maybe he hadn’t. She couldn’t get a read on how he felt about that either.
