29

Krissi walked into her apartment after having been gone for more than a week. It felt good to be home but somehow alien at the same time. Dropping her backpack on the coffee table, she sat heavily on the futon sofa and took a deep breath.

Ruger hadn't been happy when she'd insisted on going home but it had been a week and nothing more had happened. Her ribs were still sore but her bruises were fading and she had to get on with her life, get back to school and go back to work. Besides, it wasn't like she was actually alone, not even now. Ruger had sent one of the men from the clubhouse with her. He'd made her promise not to go anywhere without one of the men, not even to the grocery store. She wasn't happy about it but it let her get on with her life without too much disruption so she'd relented.

With a sigh, she pushed herself to her feet. She wasn't here to stay so she might as well get busy. Looking around the room, Krissi tried to decide what to do first. Deciding to start with the chore she wanted to do the least, she headed into the kitchen and pulled a trash bag from beneath the sink then took it to the fridge. After having been gone for so long, she was sure she'd need to get rid of most of the contents and she wasn't looking forward to it. Opening the door, she looked inside and stood for a moment, confused. Nearly everything perishable that had been inside was gone. Closing the fridge, she turned away and laid the bag on the counter as she went back into the living-slash-bed room.

Krissi pulled a spare backpack from the closet and filled it with clothes and a few other things. She was going to be staying at Ruger's house for a few more days and while the clothes he'd gotten for her before were comfortable and fine for hanging around the club house, she needed things to wear to school and work. When she was done packing, she picked up the bag she'd brought in and swung it over her shoulder. Carrying the new bag by the handle on top she went back out to the car. She wasn't entirely sure how to get to Ruger's house, but Jake was waiting and would show her the way. Ruger said he would meet them there, but this hadn't taken as long as she'd anticipated, so they might make it before he did.

#

Krissi used the remote Ruger had given her to open the garage door before pulling the beat-up Mustang in and parking inside like he'd told her to. He'd said something about not wanting it to be obvious where she was, and parking in the garage would help. That didn't matter to her so much, but it was easier for her to get in with the remote. She left the door open until Jake parked his bike in the driveway behind her and dismounted. Once he was in the garage, she closed the door and got out of the car.

“Let me go inside and check it out before you go in,” the prospect said, stepping past her as she pulled her every day backpack from behind the driver's seat.

“Why? You didn't bother at my place. I'd think it was more likely to have someone there who shouldn't be than here.” She didn't bother to let him go ahead of her, instead she pushed past him and went inside. If he wanted to be all protective and shit, he could at least be consistent. The wishy-washy crap didn't work with her.

Stepping in the door from the garage she looked around the kitchen. She'd only been here once before so she wasn't all that familiar with the place. Setting her main backpack on the table, she went back out to the car for her other backpack and the things Ruger had brought to her at the club house, leaving Jake to do as he pleased. She had a plan in mind and he wasn't part of it right now. Today she was going to get settled in some, call Walt and ask him to put her back on the schedule then, while Ruger was doing his own stuff, she would do a little studying before going back to class tomorrow.

Taking the bags from her car she went back inside, ignoring Jake as she passed him on the way to Ruger's bedroom. He'd told her he would meet them here, but that he might be a little bit behind them, in the meantime, she was to make herself at home. They'd spent enough time together over that last week that she didn't hesitate to do just that, but she didn't move his stuff and make room for hers. That just smacked a little too much of moving in.

Krissi gathered all her bags in the bedroom and started sorting through them. She put her toiletries in the bathroom and set the backpack with her clothes in the chair in the corner of bedroom. She needed to pull out what was dirty and wash it, but she'd do that in a little while. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had skipped breakfast. She had been so eager to get out of the club house, to feel the sunshine on her skin for the first time in a week, that she'd forgotten to eat.

A knock shook the bedroom door.

“Yes?” she called, not bothering to go open it. Who could it be but Jake anyway. Ruger wouldn't knock on his own bedroom door like that.

“I'm gonna order pizza, you want some?” His voice was muffled through the door but it was Jake. She went to the door and opened it. He stood sideways in the opening so that all it took to look back down the hall was a quick turn of the head and a glance.

“Can you get me a meat lovers, please?” she said.

“Sure. No problem.” He turned to go back in the front room.

“Give me just a second and I'll bring you some cash to cover it.”

“Don't worry about it.” Jake waved one hand in the air as he walked away.

Krissi frowned at his back, not sure why he didn't want her to pay for her own food, but she'd give him the money, one way or another. She might have let the club feed her for the last week but that was because she was staying there. She'd been hurt because of them and it hadn't been like it was coming out of any one person's pocket like this would be.

It would be a while until the food was delivered so she went back to the bed and pulled out her computer and text books, glancing around the room she decided this wouldn't be the best place to work so she carried them back down the short hall and into the kitchen. Setting them on the kitchen table she looked around. The room was bright with sunlight streaming in the bay windows next to the table and she thought it would be an excellent place to sit and get some work done. Satisfied with her work space for now, she went back to the bedroom to do finish taking care of her things.

#

The bedroom door swung open making Krissi look up. Ruger stood in the open doorway, watching her.

“When did you get home?” She continued to pull things out of her bags, one piece at a time and either drop it in piles on the floor or fold it and stack it in the chair.

“Jake says you wouldn't let him check the house before you came in?” Ruger was frowning in the doorway watching her.

“Yeah, I didn't.”

“Why not? He's here to protect you. I told you that.”

“Because it didn't seem to occur to him until we got here.” Krissi dropped the t-shirt in her hands and moved over to him. Wrapping her arms around his waist she moved closer, enjoying the warm, hard feel of his body against hers. “We went to my apartment first and he walked me to the door but didn't check the place or even go inside. He stood at the door while I got what I wanted, then walked me down to the car and we came here. When he said he needed to make sure there was no one here before I could come inside, it pissed me off. I thought if anyone was waiting for me, it would have been in my apartment, not here.” She felt his chest expand as he took a deep breath.

“What if there had been someone here, not after you but after me?” Ruger put one finger under her chin and lifted until she looked up at him. “What if they had hurt you again? I'd have a hard time with that.” He paused. “Now, I'm not saying Jake was right in not checking your place, and I'll be having a talk with him about that, but please, don't refuse to let him double check again. It's for your safety.” 

It was her turn to sigh. She'd refused to let Jake check the house because she was annoyed that he hadn't done it at her place. She still thought he should have and was glad Ruger was going to talk to him about it. But Ruger was right, she was going to have to improve her behavior, too. Krissi knew endangering herself because she was put out over something was childish.

“All right, you've made your point.” Ruger’s arms wrapped around her pulling her closer while being careful of her still sore ribs.

The doorbell rang.

“What the hell?” Ruger said. “I'm not expecting anyone.” He released her and half turned toward the sound, as if to protect her from anyone coming from that direction.

“Jake said something about ordering pizza. That's probably it.” He turned back and looked down at her.

“Did he offer you some?”

“He did. I asked him to get me a meat lover's. I was kind of hoping you'd make it home to share it with me. But he wouldn't let me pay him for it.” She frowned and glanced down the hall as she remembered that bit. They stood for a moment as if waiting for something, then Jake's voice called out.

“Food's here.”

Ruger let out a breath she hadn't been aware he was holding. “Come on, let's go eat.” He put his hand on the small of her back and together they went back to the kitchen.