Page 11 of Home on the Road (Trucker Love #2)

A steady thumping pulled Ziggy from the best sleep he ever had. Sitting up, he looked around and then frowned. It took another few seconds to recognize that he was not back in the small room at his stepmonster’s house.

Looking at the sleeping man beside him, he wondered if he should investigate what the pounding was that he could hear all the way up here. A moment later, the pounding stopped, so he laid back down and snuggled into Harry’s side. They had spent most of the night exploring each other’s bodies in every possible way, and going back to sleep sounded like a great idea.

He was slipping away, when a loud, sharp knock started on the hall door. He jumped, but then held still, not sure if Harry would want him to answer it or not.

“Harry, I think your brother needs you,” he said, rubbing a hand in circles over Harry’s chest, hoping to wake him gently.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at him then turned his head to look at the hall door. He sat up and pulled the covers up over Ziggy before he called, “Come in, Sam.”

Sam opened the door just far enough to stick his head through the opening. “Ziggy has a visitor who is demanding to see him. Immediately.”

Ziggy sighed and pulled the covers over his head. He knew exactly who it was, though he wondered how she had found him.

“Tell her I died.”

“I would, except I’m sure she would demand to see the body,” Sam said. “I’ll give her a cup of coffee and tell her you’ll be down in a few minutes. Don’t hurry.”

“Thanks, Sam.” Harry said before pulling the covers down to expose Ziggy’s face. “Would you rather sneak out the window and take off?”

Though it sounded like a reasonable alternative, Ziggy knew she would just keep coming after him. He needed to face her and somehow make her understand that he would no longer be her slave and whipping boy.

He just wished he knew how.

“No. She’d just follow us. I just wish I knew how to get her to let me go. Being in love with you won’t be a good enough excuse.”

Harry blinked and stared at him as if he had suddenly begun speaking Swahili or something. “You love me?”

Ziggy shifted to face Harry and nodded. “Of course I love you. What’s not to love? You’re gorgeous, kind, have a good job, and are willing to put up with me.”

Ziggy squeaked when Harry grabbed him and pulled him into a bear hug. “I love you, too. And not just because you make my favorite cookies. If you want, I’ll go down and talk to her.”

Though he would love to agree, he did not want Harry to have to face the bitch alone. And besides, if he did not face her, the guilt that had been haunting him since leaving five days earlier would remain with him until he did.

“No,” Ziggy sighed, “I’ll talk to her. But you can be with me, just in case I need someone to evict her from the house.”

He felt Harry brush a kiss on his temple as he squeezed him tighter before releasing him. “I’ll always have your back, Z-man. Should we go down fully dressed, or only wearing boxers so she can think the worst?”

While Ziggy would love to offend her, he also did not want her to be drooling over Harry’s body, which he knew she would. She had done it enough times with other well-built men in the past, even before his father had died. No way did he want her looking at his man like he was a steak dinner.

“Dressed,” he finally said as he crawled to the edge of the bed and climbed down. “But I need a shower before I put anything on.”

“I think I’ll join you,” Harry said, smacking Ziggy’s ass as they entered the bathroom. “But no funny business in the shower. I don’t want to blush in front of your stepmother because you took advantage of me.”

Ziggy jumped with a squeak and then giggled. “Yeah, sure. You stick with that story. I’m sure everyone will believe that I take advantage of you.”

Thirty minutes later, Ziggy paused at the top of the staircase that led straight into the kitchen. Terry’s voice drifted up the stairway, and sent a shiver of disgust down his spine.

Turning to Harry who stood just behind him, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For whatever insults and degrading comments she’ll spew. Please, just remember that I love you.”

Harry smiled at him, loosening the knot of nerves that had been tying themselves in his belly. “I love you, too, Z-man. Now let’s go and deal with her. Afterwards, we can go into town for breakfast.”

****

Harry had seen Ziggy’s stepmother from a distance at the truck stop, but from what he could tell, she had never worked, either in the diner or the gas station slash convenience store. He did not know how she kept the place open if she was not pulling shifts, but that was none of his business.

His business was keeping Ziggy safe and away from her. And if that meant he had to pick her up and carry her out of the house, he would. Anything to protect the man who loved him.

Halfway down the stairs, Ziggy paused again, looking over his shoulder. “If it’s okay, I’ll do the talking. You just stand beside me and look tough. Okay?”

Though he would prefer to stand between Ziggy and his stepmonster, Harry nodded and said in a low voice, “As long as she keeps her hands to herself. If she touches you, all bets are off.”

“I can agree with that.”

Harry gave his man a smile that he responded to with a shaky one of his own. Then Ziggy turned and continued down the rest of the stairs with Harry following a step behind. Once they reached the kitchen door, Harry watched as Ziggy stopped and took a deep breath. He raised his head and straightened his shoulders before he took two steps into the room.

Harry followed, then moved behind Ziggy to the coffeemaker where two mugs waited on the counter.

“She’s on the porch,” Sam said from where he stood at the stove, cooking what smelled like bacon. “I gave her a cup of coffee, but refused to allow her inside.”

“Probably for the best,” Harry said as he stirred two teaspoons of sugar and a healthy dollop of milk into Ziggy’s coffee.

Leaving his black, he carried both mugs across the kitchen. “Shall we?” he asked as he handed over the prepared mug to his man.

Ziggy took a sip and gave a small moan of appreciation before he said, “If we have to.”

“Waffles and bacon when you’re finished with her,” Sam said as an enticement to hurry through the next few minutes.

Harry looked at Ziggy and gave him what he hoped was an encouraging smile. “You can do this. I’ll be right behind you the whole time. And if she tries anything we can call the cops and have her arrested.”

Ziggy took a deep breath and nodded. “I can do this.”

Without any further hesitation, he headed to the closed door to the back porch. Harry followed, determined to keep his man safe. He had been raised to never hit a woman, but if this bitch did anything to harm his man, he would not hesitate to slap her down.