“It’s not mine,” he says. “Listen… Either I get the shirt or you get the shirt.”

“Isn’t this your house?” I yell at him. “You have to have more than one shirt.”

“My house sitter cleaned me out.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Fine. I’ll wear it.

“I’ll bedamnedif I’m going to sleep next to a white man wearing a shirt with a Confederate flag on it.”

“It’s a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt. And it’s not mine.”

“It has an evil racist symbol on it.”

Ruger shrugs. “I don’t even understand all the arguments.”

“Did you not go to high school?”

“I did some,” Ruger snaps. “Not all of us have the brains for sitting around listening to bullshit. Not all of us have parents who give a shit what we do. I joined the Army. I served my goddamn country…”

He seems to catch himself. Because there is real anger running through this man, and all I did was push his ass a little bit on the confederate flag. He’s racist, I haven’t changed my mind about that. But this man is also deeply confused.

“Okay,” I tell him once he trails off. He hates losing control. I store that little piece of information for later. “Take your shower.”

“You want the shirt or not?”

“You have other clothes.”

“I don’t,” he says. “But if it makes you mad, I’ll throw it out and get you some new clothes tomorrow.”

“I’m not wearing that shirt. I don’t care which Skinny Lenny made it or whatever the fuck you just said.”

“Lynyrd Skynyrd…” he said. “They don’t teach you about good music in high school?”

I don’t want to risk triggering this demon again.

“Shower,”I tell Ruger, hoping he’ll just get in the shower and give me time to adjust to my new life of imprisonment with a racist. It’s bad enough that he killed his ex-wife. It’s bad enough that he’s crazy…

“Okay,” he says. “I’ll get clean. Check on Eden. Then we’re getting our asses to bed.”

Bed.

I don’t even wantto think about that.

Survivinga night in bed with that beast.

With any man.

I don’t knowhow I’ll handle it.

Chapter Ten

Ruger

Iwant to see her naked so fucking badly. I don’t know how I plan to do it, but I know I won’t be able to sleep unless I empty my balls. I don’t know what it is about her. All I can see are her calves — which are smooth and dark brown. She has sexy ass feet. I could pop one of her toes in my mouth and suck on them until she came.

Her hair isn’t justpretty.It’s gorgeous. I want to touch her hair. Really badly. She just makes me hard. Confused. Angry. She’s right. I need to take a shower.