Chapter Twenty-Seven

Stacey showered and washed her hair, trying to get a grip on herself as her tears flowed. How had Troy gotten under her skin so fast? He was determined to control her life, but she couldn’t live that way. He seemed to think she was incapable of living in New Orleans without either him or his hideous brothers taking care of her. She could damn well take care of herself.

She stepped out of the shower and dried herself as quickly as possible. She needed to fall into bed. Her feet hurt and her head was spinning with what to do about work. Instinctively, she knew she had to fire Bill. On Monday, she’d do it.

He’d been watching her all day with shifty sideward glances as she did the stocktaking, detailing everything that was missing, and it was adding up to thousands of dollars.

But first, the pregnancy test. She had to do that, too. She opened the cardboard box she’d bought at the pharmacy earlier and pulled out the test. She sat on the toilet and peed. Holding up the test she waited as one blue lined formed. Tremulous, she waited for a second blue line. A baby would change her life. Make her dependent upon Troy.

Nothing.

Thank God. But oddly, the irrational part that lived deep inside of her was sad.

Just as every muscle in her body started to relax, she heard it. The front door rattled as someone tried to open it. Thankfully, she’d locked it and used the chain.

Was it Troy? Her whole body was attuned to the rumble of his bike, but she hadn’t heard it.

She threw the pregnancy test into the garbage bin, raced to her bedroom, and yanked on her jeans. Quickly opening her chest of drawers, she dug out a black T-shirt and pulled it over her head. She could hear whoever it was trying her bedroom window next, rattling it, testing the window frame.

Damn Troy. Couldn’t he knock like a normal person? The last thing she needed was to pay for a window to be repaired. She flew across her bedroom and slung aside the curtains.

And screamed.