Page 20 of Absolution

“This is madness, Ella.” Susie shook her head. “You know that, right? It’s Stockholm syndrome. You’ve fallen for the guy who made you his prisoner.”

“Maybe.” Ella resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She’d expected this response, yet it was demoralizing to know she’d been so right. “Maybe not.”

“What do you mean, maybe?” Susie hissed. “You need to come home with me and get some sleep!”

“I’m not a little girl anymore, Mum.” She waited until Susie met her eyes before she went on. “I know you love me and only want what’s best for me, but I’m all grown up. I make choices for myself.”

“But Ella…” Unable to defy Ella’s logic, Susie’s softer tone appealed to her heartstrings. “See it from my point of view. You were abducted, and I heard nothing from you for days, and now you’re telling me you want to stay with the guy who made that happen?”

Ella shifted in her seat. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with the way Susie had put that but reasoned it wasn’t worth correcting her.

“For now,” she confirmed. “But I’ll keep in touch this time. I have a new phone, and we can speak whenever you want.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the smartphone. “Let me text you the number.”

Susie looked close to tears again as Ella typed out a quick message and sent it to her mother’s mobile number.

“There.” Ella nodded as her mother’s phone beeped from her own purse. “That’s me.”

“Okay.” Susie nodded. “That’s a start, but I’d still rather you come home with me. The place is too big without you.”

“I was never going to stay at home forever, Mum.” Placing down her phone, she stretched a hand across the cloth to nudge her mother’s fingers.

“I know.” Susie’s tone was wistful. “I just didn’t think you’d leave home like this.”

“Yeah.” Ella couldn’t argue with that. “I guess not. I’m sorry, Mum. I never meant to cause you pain.”

“I think it’s a condition of motherhood.” Susie’s laughter was dry, but she pressed her warm hand over her daughter’s. “Maybe one day you’ll discover for yourself, though please don’t wind up pregnant with this Tucker guy.”

“Don’t worry, I have no plans to get pregnant.” Her attention shifted to the dregs of the fizz in her glass. “That’s the last thing I’d want.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Susie patted her hand. “Whoever this guy is, I’ll need to meet him before I can give anything akin to my blessing.”

“Right.” Ella chuckled at the idea that she required her mother’s blessing. Honestly, Susie’s control freakery was starting to parallel Tucker’s. Why did everybody want to tell her how to live her life?

Although it’s sexy as hell when he does it.

“Well, that’s easy to resolve, Mum.” Shifting in her seat, she peered around and caught her lover’s gaze. “As it turns out, he wants to meet you, too.”

Chapter Eight

When Susie Met Tucker

Tucker

Swirling his iced water for the umpteenth time, Tucker’s stare burned into the side of Ella. He watched as her delicate palm enveloped her mother’s hand again, unease rising at what he could see of her animated expression. His little girl had certainly been lively during the discussion, but he was alarmed to note she’d scarcely turned around to acknowledge him during that time.

What does that mean?

“Nothing,” he muttered to himself. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Can I get you something else, sir?” The curvy brunette waitress hovered by his side, surveying his half-drunk bottled water.

“No, thank you.” He dismissed her with a flick of his wrist. “I’ll be joining a table over there shortly.”

He motioned to the place Ella was sitting, though he wasn’t sure why he’d divulged the information. It hardly mattered to the server where he sat since the place was so quiet, she was basically serving every table.

“I can bring you something to that table if you prefer, sir?” Her glance traveled to Ella and Susie before sliding back to him.

“No,” he snapped, having apparently not made himself clear the first time. “Thank you.”

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