Page 104 of Dead Love

I shook my head. Andrew had gotten me a bouquet. That was something. And my father had told my mother that Vincent’s test results showed he had been under the influence of so many drugs, it was a miracle that he was still alive. He had seen things. Andrew had nothing to do with his car wreck.

But still, that explanation didn’t seem exactly right. It seemed…unevensomehow.

“How you have been, Miss Kora?” Andrew asked. “I know you’ve been through a hell of a lot lately.”

I studied Andrew. He was so at peace with everything as if right and wrong were as easy as the difference between apples and oranges. A glimmer of light caught his face, a patch of skin powdered on the surface.

“It’s fine,” I said, staring at the powder. “As best can be expected with my mother.”

His brows pulled down, focusing on me. “She had a very hard time without you.”

“Are you wearing makeup?”

He sucked in a breath, stretching his arms out to the side. “Caught me. Got into a little tiff with one of the inmates. You know how it can be on the job. I’m sure you’ve seen it with your daddy.” Vincent had never hidden his black eye, and yet Andrew couldn’t handle jeopardizing his image, even if it was a simple shiner he had earned on the job. “But save your worrying about me, Miss Kora. I’malwaysready and willing to protect and serve, especially for your safety.”

My mind flashed to the phone call from inside of the funeral home:You are a strong, brave girl, Miss Kora. And you have a rare opportunity. You can look into him.Either he didn’t believe that Vincent was actually a danger to me,orhe was lying that he wanted to protect me.

I forced myself to lift the menu. “Shall we?”

Once the server brought our meals, I held up my fork. “How did you convince my mother to agree to the greenhouse?”

He grinned. “We want what’s best for you.”

“And you agree to transfer ownership to me?”

“Eventually,” he said, stabbing his fork into a chunk of steak. “Of course, that’s depending on how things work out.”

“Work out?”

“I’m sure we can come to an agreement. We can discuss that later on when it’s ready to be finalized.”

I opened my mouth to disagree, but he started making small talk, distracting me, but still, the lingering sense of dread never left me. I didn’t have a choice about the date, or my clothes, really, or what I did with my time. I could be locked in a madman’s basement, and I would still have more freedom than on a date with a cop.

Outside, the night had begun to darken. Andrew offered me his hand, and I took it, even though my stomach turned. I looked up at the sky. In the middle of town, the lampposts were so bright, you couldn’t see the stars. And for a brief second, I wished I were in that garden room, where the stars might have been fake, but they shined for me, and the person who made them was real.

“Do you know if Vincent is still at the hospital?” I asked.

Andrew jerked his chin, but he straightened quickly. “Why do you ask?”

“I just get,” I tried to find the word that would pass me off as innocent, “I get nervous. That’s all.”

“Ahh, Miss Kora,” he playfully knocked into my shoulder. “Don’t be nervous. I’ll protect you.”

“But is he in the hospital?”

Andrew stopped and took both of my hands in his, peering down at me. Those blue eyes were like soulless vultures, like he was the kind of man to pick rotting flesh off of a corpse.

“I’m afraid that yes, he has been discharged, Miss Kora,” he said. “Was discharged this afternoon.” His voice turned low: “None of that should bother you though, darling. You’re here with me.”

He leaned down, his eyes closed, and when he opened his mouth to reach my lips, I turned, making him kiss my cheek. He pulled back, and I pushed his hands away, not realizing what I was doing until a scowl twisted his face.

“You do know what a kiss is, right?” he asked. “I know you’re sheltered, but generally speaking, it is customary for the man to kiss the woman after he deems it a successful engagement.”

My stomach dropped. What about what I wanted?

“You’re great, Andrew,” I said quietly, “but I’m not ready for that. I’m not ready for any of this, actually.” I pulled my hands away, hugging myself. “This was my mother’s idea. Not mine.”

His mouth pinched shut. Then he said, “I do understand that. But your mother knows what’s best. You know that, right?”