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"It’s about time you two found your way home" Ray and Maria stepped into the entryway

Kelly breathed in deeply before turning to theazes

"Rowdy has a habit of poking along on the way back from the docks" She kept her voice flat and even "You kno he is"

They weren’t convinced

"She’s a lousy liar, isn’t she?" Rowdy drawled, his deep baritone still sending shivers up her spine despite her anger

She glanced over at hi legs stiff and straight as he smiled in open amusement back at their parents She drew in a deep, hard breath

"I’ up to bed" She smiled stiffly "Rowdy can be a butt by hi with it"

She raced up the stairs, fearing Roould follow her, grateful he didn’t She sla the lock on the handle before she stomped to herand jerked the heavy curtains closed

"Begher down "You’re irl, Kelly You’re mine, it’s okay to let me in Let me in…"

She shook her head at the intrusive ed to hold back the fear while she ith Rowdy, but now that she was alone, it was sneaking in, attacking her The feeling of being watched was overwhel as her stoued, essentially been the one who got away She had escaped the full rape, suffering only soht her aith a cry on her lips

She didn’t wear the clothes she used to because the ht reveal the nearly imperceptible white scars that still s Nakedness would reveal the ones on her buttocks Deeper slices had beenher panties from her

Her mother swore they weren’t noticeable But to Kelly, they were

She still re into her, razor-sharp, the skin parting as cold pain streaked through her nervous systean to pour from the wounds The doctor had assured her that within a few years they would be gone entirely She wondered if the h the dark room to the wide recliner that sat on the far wall, beneath the standing la into it, she propped her elbows on her knees and dropped her head in her hands She didn’t need Rowdy’s arguer She knew she wasn’t, just as she knew that it was only a matter of time before her attacker made his nextbut her own suspicions and her own fears Shaking her head, shesleeveless gowns she slept in and headed for the shower A cold shower et the o crazy

But even the cool water did nothing to still the idea he had planted in her head earlier She was furious that Roould play gah to realize she wasn’t safe

She dried her hair, staring at the thin white scars on her shoulders and upper arms There were four on one, three on the other They showed clearly in the bright light of the bathroo the marks

At times she swore she could feel the ones on her buttocks

She shook her head as she turned fro out to flip off the light She paused at the switch, her eyes narrowing on the man in her bedrooray sweatpants, he was propped against her pilloaiting on her, a scowl creasing his handsome face

"That expression freezes on your face and you’ll be terrifying little kids on the streets," she inforht and walked into the bedrooht, Kelly--"

"Windoere locked and so was the door," she informed him as she stood by the side of the bed, her arot in the door anyway"

She inhaled slowly, her gaze sliding to the shadowed outline of the door as Rowdy reached over and clicked on the dim lamp on the s position, still locked

"How did you do that?" She turned back to hily sexy as he lay on the flowered corunted "Thelocks aren’t a lot harder to release Until I can get the contractor out here to add to the security, you’re stuck with me"

His expression was determined, stubborn It was easy to tell when Rowdy had made up his reen eyes turned as cool as the arctic

"Fine" She shrugged "You sleep here and I’ll sleep in your bed No biggie" She moved for the door

"Open that door, Kelly, and your ree Is that really what you want?"

Da back to him

"Whose side would they take?" She opened her eyes wide, withinnocence "Noonder, ill they think about the little proposal you put towith lust, with aer

"Dad would probably kick ood-naturedly "Is that what you really want?"