Page 30 of Salvation

Iwasn’t expecting to have lunch with Hope, but when she came bursting through the doors of the deli, of course she would join me. Mother’s Love is one of my favorite places to eat and not only because of the fantastic food. The shelter is only a little more than a block away and Hope eats here several times a week. As do I for a variety of reasons.

The food cannot be denied though. For a small restaurant whose kitchen is only open from 10AM-2PM, it’s known as one of the best places to eat in Baton Rouge. People brave the not fantastic neighborhood for the delicious food that comes out of the kitchen. It’s a favorite of many people, both locals and those not from this neighborhood.

Max just set our food in front of us and now I hear him on the phone with his wife. He has a newborn at home and three other kids with her as well. He’s by my side during the day and on nights when I need him, and he does what I need him to do. He’s one of the less than a handful of people I can say that I trust.

He’s dedicated and loyal to me, yet he is a loving husband and a dedicated family man. I envy his life.

I pay him handsomely for his loyalty, and in return, he’s one of the few people I can call a friend. I’d trust him with my life, and I trust no one.

As Max chatters with his wife, asking about her day and what his children are up to, I turn my attention back to Hope. She’s dipping her fries in ketchup and the bliss on her face as she devours the hot potatoes makes me smile.

Hope is no picky female. She enjoys food and makes no attempt to hide that fact. I find it incredibly sexy.

She eats another fry and licks a dab of ketchup from her full lips. Her eyes widen as she sees me watching her. After taking a sip of her water, she exclaims, “What? Why are you watching me, creeper?”

I can’t help it. I laugh as my brow arches at her choice of words. “Creeper?”

Grabbing a fry, she tosses it at me. I pick it up with two fingers and set it on a napkin near my Perrier bottle. Her nose wrinkles. “That’s a waste of deliciousness! You’re supposed to eat that!”

Chuckling, I shake my head. “No, thank you. I can feel my arteries clogging just watching you eat. How the hell do you stay so slim eating the way you do?”

She frowns at me. “What’s wrong with the way I eat?”

I point at her plate. “Fried… Fried… Slathered in dressing… Moderation is supposed to be the key to health…” I glance over her physique and see her blush. “Not that there is anything wrong with your body, love. I just worry about your heart and insides with all of that…” I gesture to her plate again.

Sighing, she mumbles, “You sound like Luke!”

At the mention of Luke, my spine stiffens. I can’t help remembering her last night and how upset she was when she realized Luke knew she’d left my bed.

Suddenly, my appetite is gone. I push my plate away and take a sip of the cool, sparkling water. The bubbles tickle my throat, but it doesn’t tamper my sudden disquiet.

Hope sighs again and I see her crumpling the edge of her napkin. She fidgets when she’s really nervous or upset about something.

Fuck. Is she thinking about Luke now? Did her comment bring last night back to the forefront of her mind?

I grit out, “What? Why are you murdering your napkin?”

Her eyes rise to mine, and I can see something swimming in them. It immediately has my hackles up.

Something is wrong.

“What’s happened? Talk to me, Hope.”

Leaning over the table she says quietly, “Luke came by earlier.”

My back feels as if a steel rod is inserted into my spine. I wait…

“I called him about last night. About him wanting me to call him…” She fidgets and looks away. “He said he’d come by the shelter to talk to me. While I waited for him, I started to go through the mail.” Her face is white, and she looks back at me. “Right before he got there, I opened a package that was in with the mail. It was addressed to me, but there was no return address.”

I snap out, “What? How the fuck did it get there? What was it?”

She jumps and looks around. Max is watching us. My voice rose with my questions and people are watching us uneasily. Standing, I take Hope’s elbow and help her to her feet. Max is already on his feet, and he walks in front of us to the door. Holding gently onto Hope’s arm, I lead her from the restaurant. “Let’s talk in the car. Whatever you’re going to say is likely going to piss me off, so let’s go in there so as not to cause a scene and gather unwanted attention. I’ll bring you back to the shelter.”

She nods and together, we walk to my Escalade. Davey is waiting and opens the door as we approach. Hope gets in first, followed by me, and then Max climbs in and shuts the door behind us as Davey hops into the driver’s seat.

He looks at me through the rearview and asks, “Shelter?”

I nod and after checking the street, he pulls out. It’s literally only a block and a half, so within a minute, he’s parking next to Hope’s Camry. He turns, facing us. “I’ll go in if that’s okay and stay in the lobby.”

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