Page 55 of Pray for the Damned

“This could work, Emmett, and I’m just asking you to consider it. Do you want to spend the rest of your life running from our dad to keep her safe? Or do you want to have someone else protect her? To make sure she’s safe and that nothing can ever hurt her?” I allow him a few seconds to process what I’ve said before reaching for the door handle. “Think about it and letme know. But regardless, I’m not going to let her go, so do with that what you will.”

I climb from the car and make my way toward the fire escape. It’s been too long since I checked on our girl.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

WAVERLY

Volunteering at the soup kitchen seemed like a good idea when I agreed to it a few days ago, but now that I’m here with puffy eyes and only a few hours of sleep, I’m really questioning why I bothered getting out of bed so early on a Saturday morning.

I work at the Scarlet Lounge at five, but that means I could have enjoyed some more sleep and a rare day to myself.

But it’s my turn to give back. Places like this have been a constant for me ever since I fled my father’s house, and now that I have the time to give, I want to help those that need it.

A yawn slips out as I make my way to my station and carefully feed my hair into the hairnet Danny gave me when he checked me in.

“Tired?” a familiar voice asks, and my heart skips a beat in my chest when I find Emmett standing in front of the same table I’m headed for.

“What are you doing here?” I snap.

His brows rise, and a smirk tips up the corners of his lips. Why does he have to be so fucking hot? “I’m all about giving back to the community.”

He’s dressed differently today. Instead of his well-fitted suits, he’s wearing a pair of black jeans that look too good on him, paired with a tight black T-shirt that I’d swear was fitted to his body, it fits so snugly. But it’s not just his clothes that are different, it’s his entire demeanor. The way his hair is styled more messily than any time I’ve seen him before, how his eyes light up with mischief as he watches me under long dark lashes. He seems…different.

“What are you doing here?” he asks me as he feeds his own hairnet onto his head, and I clench my fingers to stop me from reaching out and tearing it off again. I like this version of him. Not that I don’t like the clean-cut pastor in his perfect suit, but there’s something about his casual personality that makes him more…on my level.

“I…uh…” I consider my answer, but my only real option is the truth. “I’m giving back to a place that saved me more than once,” I admit.

His eyes flash with understanding and something else, something I can’t quite put my finger on, but before he can respond, Danny calls out across the huge community hall.

“Incoming. Everyone to their stations.”

I step up beside Emmett and stir the pot of stew on the portable burner. It was rare there was warm food on the days I came in. Even at nighttime, the most I could expect was a sandwich, but maybe that’s because I only ever came in during the week when there were fewer volunteers.

I’ll have to see if I can work out how to make something like this to provide in the winter months, because a warm meal would have gone a long way when I was on the streets.

Time passes quickly, and I fall into conversation with a few people I recognize.

Trevor, a veteran who lost his wife and home in a house fire last year, stands to the side and chats with me about his granddaughter in Kansas, and I ask him again why he doesn’t move to be closer to his family.

“I like the city. It makes me feel closer to Valerie.” It’s the same answer he’s given me every time, and my heart breaks for him. I can’t imagine loving someone and then losing them like that. It’s just another reason I can never allow things to go any further with the man standing beside me, pretending he’s not listening to every word I say.

“I get it,” I tell Trevor. “But don’t you think she’d want you to be close to your son and granddaughter? She wouldn’t want you to be on your own.” I’m talking out of my ass. I never met Valerie, and I don’t have a clue about the relationship she had with her family, but what I do know is how loneliness fucks with you after a while, and he doesn’t deserve that. I’m not sure anyone truly does.

“I’ll think about it.” He looks behind me to where Emmett is standing before leaning in closer to me. “Looks like you have an admirer, missy.”

I scoff. “I don’t know about that.”

“I do. I’ve seen a lot of smitten men in my time, I’ve even been one, and I’ll tell you this one likes you. A lot.”

I shake my head but don’t deny it again because I can feel dark eyes burning into the back of my head. “Think about what I said, Trevor. I’m sure your granddaughter would love to have you closer.”

He nods and heads over to a table of people I don’t recognize and immediately jumps into their conversation, leaving me considering his words.

“He’s right, you know?” His voice comes from closer than I thought he was, and I startle at his proximity.

“About what?” I keep my tone even as I stir the almost empty pot of stew so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

“About my interest in you.”

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