Chapter 9
Natalie
“Sir, I need to stop for gas.” The driver’s voice comes through the intercom.
To tell the truth, I’d almost forgotten we were in a vehicle at all, or that there was someone else only separated from us by a partition and a door.
Tor smiles at me, then reaches over and presses the button to reply. “Fine. Are we making good time?”
“Yes, Mr. Saman. I’m pulling over now.”
“You hear that?” he says to me. “We’re making good time. I told you I’d get you there, didn’t I?”
I narrow my eyes, but this time I can’t help smiling. Truth is, it’s perfect. This is the way to travel. “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you,” I say with mock seriousness.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Way more apologizing to do. But first, I’m going to head into the service station and grab you some Gatorade. You’re way dehydrated. Some chocolate too, because you look like you need it.”
“Oh, I see. So yesterday it was fine restaurants and buying me cocktails. Today it’s Gatorade from a gas station? Is this the trajectory our relationship is on?”
“So you admit we have a relationship?”
I punch his arm, laughing, but I don’t think I’ve been this happy in a while. Who cares if my job is on the rocks? So long as I have him, I feel like life can’t really throw me any curveballs I can’t handle.
The RV comes to a stop, and Tor pulls on his pants, slips into his shoes, not bothering with a shirt as he heads out of the door. And why would he bother with a shirt with a torso like that?
I watch him go, then sigh as I roll over on my back, staring at the roof of the vehicle.
And hear the door open again.
“Forget your wallet or somethi—”
I fall silent as I turn my head and see a stranger standing there. I tug the sheet around me, ready to scream, but my lungs suddenly feel empty. I see the silver flash of a knife, his face twisted in a mask of crazed fury.
“W—w—?” I want to ask him who he is, what’s going on here, what he’s going to do, but all I can do is watch as he heads my way, a grin sliding over his features as I notice the blood already dripping from his blade.
“This is perfect. I was going to burn this thing to the ground, but this? This is much better. That jackass’s whore lying right there like a gift from God.” He laughs. “A gift from God. Maybe that’s what this is, huh? He wants me to cut you up for what that bastard did to me. Marriage is sacred, after all. You know that? God didn’t want that fucker Saman to take my wife away from me. I thought he’d given me an opportunity when I stabbed him, but that wasn’t to be. The fire didn’t work either but thank you for this chance. But God works in mysterious ways, oh yes. He’s given me you in return. An eye for an eye…”
It’s almost like he’s not even speaking to me. Like he’s talking to the voices in his head.
“I’m going to cut you into so many pieces, your own mother won’t recog—”
I scream in surprise as he’s yanked backwards, tumbling out of the door. I don’t even realize what’s happening until I see Tor on him, grabbing his wrist and turning it so fast I hear the bone crack. The other man screams, dropping the knife, but Tor doesn’t stop.
“You? Fucking you?” Tor growls in disgust. “What, have you followed us all the way from Charleston? You crazy motherfucker!”
In a rage, he starts beating the man’s face again and again, and it’s then that I spot the driver. He’s bloodied, but on his feet, stumbling towards Tor. But as he reaches down to pull Tor away from the other man, I see what’s going to happen.
And finally find my voice.
“Tor!” I scream as his fist comes up, aiming for the driver. “Stop!”
And amazingly, he does just that.
“If you kill him, they’ll take you from me.” I finish choking on the truth of my statement and realizing how lost I would be.
It’s like a light is switched on inside his brain, and his eyes shoot my way. Then he spots the driver starting to stumble, and in an instant he’s on his feet, catching him. The staff from the service station pile through the door as well, asking what’s going on as Tor barks orders.
“Call 911. We need an ambulance. And the police.”
He levels the attacker with a foot to the chest. Tearing his bloodied t-shirt off and fashioning it into a binding around his wrists then securing it to the metal rod that holds the RV steps in place.
Then he heads my way, asking if I’m all right. And I nod, the tears finally starting to form now that it’s over.
“Who…?” I swallow, trying to find my voice. “Who is that?”
“The previous owner of this RV,” Tor says, looking up into the vehicle. “And I’m betting he’s the one that stabbed me a couple weeks ago, too. And probably started the fire in my building.” He sees the look in my eyes and shakes his head. “It’s fine, baby, it’s all fine. He can’t touch us, not ever again.”
“Don’t leave me,” I beg. “Please don’t leave me.”
“Never,” he says, and kisses the top of my head. “What I did to that guy was probably wrong. But, you didn’t deserve this.”
“What did you do?”
Tor leans down and kisses the part in my hair as I listen to the sounds of sirens coming closer in the distance. “I won. It’s what I do, but maybe, sometimes, winning isn’t everything.”
“He was wrong. Maybe you were wrong.”
He nods, those sparkling blue eyes lighting up my soul.
“Two wrongs don’t make it right.” He turns to look at the bloody chaos behind him.
“Then, let’s just focus on getting things right.”
“From now on, baby, that’s all I’m going to focus on. And you...” He clenches his jaw on a breath. “You are everything right in my life, and I’m never letting you go.”