Courage Under Duress (SYTYCW)

Chapter 20

The ride to the ranch had been one hell of a painful one.  Regardless, I ached for the familiarity of the countryside, the need for normalcy away from the sterile environment I had spent the last week in.

"Are you alright?" Thomas asked me for what seemed like the millionth time on our half-hour drive home.

He had been quiet throughout most of the day, worry all too evident on his face.  I hoped, much like for myself, that sleep would come easier for the both of us in a familiar environment.

"Hmm?"

"What's going on?  Are you alright?" Thomas asked.  "You didn't answer me.  Where'd you go off to?"  He deposited a hand on my thigh and I felt my body flinch at his touch.  Tom's face turned from the road to me, divvying up his attention between his driving and sizing me up.

"I'm fine," I said.

"Are you sure?"  He squeezed my leg but this time, I didn't flinch.

I smiled.  "I'm sure."

The beautiful two-story ranch home and its splendor greeted me.  I only wished that the view wasn't tarnished by police vehicles.

"It's precaution.  I've even had a security system installed," he said to which I nodded.

"Will they always be around?" I asked.

"No.  They're busy taking in the parameter of the property, looking for weak spots and I can tell you right now, the ranch is probably the worst place to be right now."

"I'm sorry, Thomas," I said, not really realizing the enormity of the burden the promise I had made him make held.  I just wanted to go home.

"It's okay."

"Are you sure?  Maybe we should have stayed in a hotel.  I mean, look at what they're doing!  They're all over!  They-"

"E."  His hand clasped my cheek.  "It's okay, really."  I looked down and away from him.  "It may be the trickiest of locations but I think it might be the best, especially when the time comes to draw the son of a bitch out."

He helped me out of the truck, up the steps to the wrap-around porch and into the house where he disabled the alarm.

As tired of sitting and lying down as I was, my body urged me to take a load off by the time Thomas had walked me through the house and explained how things would have to go from now until Dominic was caught.

All entry points to the house had sensors.  The man had gone all out.  When Thomas led me to my bedroom, he paused to smile down at me.

"What else have you gone and done?" I asked.  If there was anything more than his state of the art security system, I'd have to say he was overly obsessed but regardless, it worked at making me feel safe.

Ignoring my question, he pushed the door open.  The room looked as I had left it.  A slight mess what with a few items of clothing that were scattered across the bed and floor but nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I think you should rest," he said and guided me forward with a soft hand to my lower back.

"I can do that by spending time on the couch too, you know."

"I know but you need to sleep.  I'll be back to get you when I've finished with dinner."  He walked past me, pulled the sheets back and patted the bed.

I shook my head and smirked at him.  "You're unbelievable, a mother hen, really.  You know that it's next to impossible to sleep with all that commotion going on around here, right?"

"It might be but you still need your rest.  Now, get in bed before I put you there myself."

I woke to the sun beginning to set on the horizon.  The house was quiet, the delicious aroma of Italian herbs and spices made me hurry downstairs.

"It's about time you joined me.  I thought that I might have had to bring you dinner in bed."  I took a seat at the table, my taste buds watering.

"I'm a little slow when it comes to moving around still.  Wow!  I expected steak or something simple, not this," I said as I looked down at the plate he set before me.

"I figured you'd enjoy a little something that took a bit more fuss to prepare."  He smiled from across the table.  "I'm starting to think that you were right."

I furrowed my brow.  "Right about what?"

"That this was the best place to come to," he answered.