“I do.” He motioned to the plastic bag hanging from one of the wheelchair’s handles.
“Then you are good to go. Take care.”
“Thank you.” Margaret waved goodbye as he wheeled her out.
In the parking lot, she turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder. “Are you sure that we don’t have time to stop by Safe Haven to collect my things?”
“The detour would take more than two hours. I’d rather stop at the mall and get you what you need. If you have anything in Safe Haven that you can’t live without, we can arrange for it to be mailed to you.” Bowen stopped in front of the rented car and clicked the doors open.
Clutching her purse, Margaret shook her head. “Other than some clothes and toiletries, it’s all in here.”
It was a sizable bag, but it was still sad that she owned so little.
Taking the crutches from her, he tossed them on the backseat. “I pushed the passenger seat all the way back, so you should be comfortable up front.” Bending at the waist, he wrapped his arms around her tiny middle. “Hold on to me. I’m going to lift you and help you get inside.”
“I can hobble on one foot.”
“No need. On the count of three. One, two, three.” He lifted her off the chair and held her gently to him before putting her down in the seat. “Okay?”
Margaret nodded. “You’re very strong.”
“You don’t weigh much.”
He doubted that she weighed more than a hundred pounds, which wasn’t nearly enough for her height even though she was small-boned.
“What’s your favorite food?” he asked as he got behind the wheel.
She chuckled. “Chocolate.”
“That’s not food, but I’ll get you a couple of pounds of it. What else? Do you like hamburgers? Because I grill mean ones. Steaks too.”
She arched a brow. “Are you on a mission to fatten me up?”
He gave her a mock stern look. “I am, and it’s not open to negotiation, so don’t even try.”
Relaxing into the seat, she cast him a soft smile. “I’m not a big eater, but that’s because I’m usually too rushed to remember to eat. That’s not going to be an issue now that I can’t do much.”
He liked it that she hadn’t found his intent to fatten her up offensive or tried to argue against it. Admission was half the battle already won.
“I need to call Safe Haven to tell them that I’m not coming back.” She sighed. “With everything that’s going on, I don’t think the administration will even notice that I’m gone, but I need to let someone know.”
He pulled out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her. “Do you know who to call?”
“Yeah. We have an 800 number for emergencies.”
For some reason, it bothered him that Margaret was still referring to the Safe Haven community as we. He wished she could leave the damn place behind and start a new life, but he knew that she wasn’t ready to even contemplate it.
Perhaps he could work on that during their stay in the cabin, convince her that she was wasting her life hiding in the cult.
“Hi, it’s Margaret. I need to speak with Riley.”
“How are you doing?” asked the guy who answered the phone.
“I had surgery, and I need someone to take care of me while I recover. That’s what I need to talk to Riley about.”
“One moment.”
“What are you going to tell her?” Bowen asked.
She covered the microphone with her finger. “I’ll make up a story.”
“Margaret. How is your leg?”
“I had surgery for my knee. How are things over there? Are you holding the fort?”
“I am. I just hope Emmett returns soon. People are nervous and unsure, but they are adjusting.” The woman sighed. “I’m bracing for the possibility that he might be gone forever. What about you? When are you coming back?”
“That’s why I’m calling. Until I can use the crutches, I will need help twenty-four-seven, and I don’t want to burden anyone in the community at a time like this. I’m going to stay with my cousin.”
“I understand. Get well and then come back to us. The community needs you.”
“I know. Good luck, Riley.”
“You too.”
Margaret ended the call and handed him the phone. “That was easier than I expected. Riley didn’t even try to convince me to come home.”
“She has her hands full.”
“I wish I could be there to help her.” She looked down at her cast and shook her head. “What bad timing.”
Bowen reached over and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Who knows? Perhaps the timing was just perfect because you need a vacation as badly as I do.”
Or maybe the Fates had something to do with it?
Was it possible that Margaret was a Dormant? Anastasia hadn’t mentioned her having any paranormal abilities, and she seemed to be just an ordinary human who, for some reason, tugged at his heartstrings.
But then, not every Dormant had a paranormal talent.
Nevertheless, it was foolish of him to hope that Margaret was more than she appeared, and he pushed the thought away. His job was to take care of her so Leon and Anastasia were free to pursue their happily ever after.
His wasn’t there yet, and perhaps never would be.
9
Eleanor
As Eleanor lay next to Greggory, listening to his even breathing and his steady heartbeat, she was envious of his calmness and his simplicity.
He wasn’t stupid, he was just uncomplicated. Given his past, his proverbial closet should have been full of skeletons, but he’d never talked about them. He’d never become moody for no apparent reason either, so she had to assume that he wasn’t dwelling on what he’d done during his time in the Brotherhood. Somehow, he’d managed to bury who he’d been back then and live in the present.
Lucky bastard. She wished she could be like him.
Sprawled on his back, his muscular chest rising and falling, his handsome face relaxed, and his lips lifted in a smile, he looked like the epitome of a satisfied male.
It made her feel good that she’d done that to him, but the truth was that her heart hadn’t been in it, mostly because of the damn guilt.
She’d put on a convincing act, pretending to be as desperate for him as he had been for her, and luckily, Greggory hadn’t noticed a thing.
For the first time since they had become a couple, he’d fallen asleep right after the sex while she’d remained awake.
Eleanor no longer blacked out from his bite, and the floaty euphoric feeling didn’t last long. According to Vivian, it was common for the venom bite to lose its potency over time, and the other mated females reported the same thing.
But if that was true, then why had Emmett’s bite knocked her out for hours?
Was his venom different? Or maybe the blood loss had amplified the effect of the venom?
How much of her blood had he taken? She had been too out of it to register the passage of time, so he might have taken a lot.
Damn bloodsucker.
It was all his fault. If not for him, she wouldn’t be questioning her relationship with Greggory, and she wouldn’t be tormenting herself over her so-called infidelity.