Chapter Seventeen

Priety sat cross-legged on Luke’s massive bed when a knock came at the door. Glancing around to make sure everything that had been disturbed during their love making had been put back into place, she smiled. “Come in.”

Kerry tore through the door and dove onto Priety. They both giggled as they hugged. It was a while before Kerry let her best friend go.

“I was so worried,” Kerry confessed. “It was all over the news and I was scared to call you and not only that, I didn’t know where to call.”

Priety nodded pushing hair from her face. Her ordeal had been harrowing to say the least but Luke made it all better. After everything he had taken her into his arms and just held her. He touched her as though he had lost her and couldn’t believe she was there. He held her so tight and even though he was squeezing her she didn’t care. He was there.

“Kerry, I love him… when he touches me everything that is wrong with the world completely disappears. Then all that is left is him. The way he smells, the way he smiles at me.”

“Oh, sweetie.” Kerry pressed a dainty hand to her chest. “I am so happy for you.”

“But he blames himself for what happened. He keeps apologizing even after we just made love all he could do afterward was tell me how sorry he is for not taking me with him. It’s not his fault. Who would have thought, even though the windows and doors were locked, from the inside, he would have gotten in?”

“I get that. But he is a real man, Pree. He thinks it’s his job to protect you and what happened was not him protecting you. Did he tell you he loved you?”

“Yes. Then he touched me to prove it to me. Kerry, what am I going to do?”

“Stay with him, Pree. This man is the real deal. He has proven himself to be loyal, truthful and good in bed, huh?”

Priety blushed and nodded. “He is.”

She tried to think back to one of the times when she had been this in love and couldn’t think of one. She remembered having a crush on Tiger Woods when she was younger and thought she’d never love another man compared to what she was feeling at that moment. She bit down on a nail as she thought about what Kerry said.

“Priety!” Luke called up the stairs and Kerry giggled when Priety gasped.

“Yes, honey?” Priety replied as she got up and moved for the door with Kerry close behind. They went down the stairs and Luke instantly wrapped his arm around her.

“You all right?” she wanted to know.

“Yeah. Riyu and Michel went down to see Chen and they say he wants to talk to me. Something about his mother.”

“I don’t trust that man,” Priety voiced. “With everything that he’s done? He’s probably going to lie to you.”

Luke pressed his lips into a thin line and leaned in to kiss her. “You would have been a wonderful cop.” He smiled down at her knowingly. “But Keegan did a check on his mother and it seemed she fell off the face of the planet years ago.”

“My God—do you think he did to her what he did to the others?” Kerry wanted to know.

“His own mother?” Priety asked and pulled closer to Luke’s side.

Luke knew exactly what Priety was thinking but with a psycho like Chen there was no telling what he was capable of doing. But Luke also knew that if he didn’t go down to see Chen, it would bug him forever. Taking in a deep breath he walked into the foyer and reached for his jacket. He couldn’t even put on his own jacket. The wound on his shoulder had been agitated in his fight with Chen and that made him want to kill the man even more.

“Priety, help me into this?” he asked her.

While she helped him, he gritted his teeth and held his breath. He turned to Kerry and smiled. “You’re welcome to stick around here until we get back.”

“That’s all right. I have a fiancée to go home to that’s probably freaking out.”

Luke reached in to kiss Kerry’s cheek. “We’ll see you later.”

When Kerry said her good-bye to Priety, Luke took her hand and placed his car keys into it. He never let anyone drive his car but he was in no condition to drive; the doctors had him on Morphine for the pain.

Priety wasn’t just anyone. He willingly trust her with everything. She is the woman he wanted as his wife. The thought made him smile like a mischievous prankster, making him feel alive. Kissing her head, he wrapped his arms around her and led her toward the car.

His mind was all over the place as he stroked her thigh absentmindedly. Turning his head against the head rest, he watched her lovingly. She was busy watching the road as she drove and he took that moment to take her in. He loved the way her dark hair cradled her face, the soft way her chest rose and fell. The silly way she tilted her head to the side when she thought no one was looking.

I really love you.