Free The Way Home by Shannon Flagg Page A

was important to the both of them.
    “Thank you,”
    “Come with me.” Houdini didn't phrase it as a question when he tightened his grip on Susan's hand. “It'll be fun.”
    “I'm sure that it would be,” Susan replied in a tight tone. “I've got things that I need to do here.”
    “What things?” Houdini was tired of being put off by her. Since their conversation she'd gotten really good at putting him off, at finding random places to fall asleep alone, and he wasn't going to let it keep up. “You know what? I don't give a fuck what you've got to do. You're coming with me.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “You're coming with me, and we're leaving now.” With the decision made, Houdini left no room for her to say anything. “Susan and I are heading out to the warehouse. We'll let you know what we find.”
    “What the hell are you doing?” She hissed the words at him as he pulled her to the door. “I have things that I need to get done here.”
    “I said, I don't give a fuck.” He was glad once they hit the fresh air outside.
    “What is this about?” She tugged her hand out of his. “I really don't give a fuck that you don't give a fuck what I have to do. It still needs to be done. I don't have time for...”
    “For me? It's pretty obvious that you don't have time for me, and I've got a really big problem with that.”
    “Houdini, we talked about this...”
    “No, you talked.” He corrected. “This is me talking, and you're going to listen. I'm done being ignored and shut out. We're in this together. That hasn't changed. It's not going to change. Now we're going to the warehouse, do you have a problem with that?”
              “I'll go with you, but we are merely keeping up appearances, nothing more.”
    “That is such fucking bullshit.” Houdini worked really hard to keep his temper in check, he could remember, too clearly, what had happened the last time he'd just let go. When he'd slaughtered five men in the most vicious way possible and smiled the entire time. If he let go again, he couldn't guarantee that no one would get hurt, and Susan made that so fucking hard. Why did she have to be so damned stubborn?
    “I think that it would be easier if I was relocated away from Center City. Surely there are many areas that could use a doctor. I know that you want to stay here, for your friends and for The Vikings. I've been thinking about it and...”
    He'd had his fill of the bullshit coming out of her mouth, reached the limit of how much he was going to let her push away. Even though he'd tried, he hadn't even come close to figuring out what had changed things so drastically for her, and it was obvious she wasn't ready to share. Houdini was a patient man, but he'd been patient with her long enough.
    He covered her mouth in a kiss that was anything but sweet, swallowed her cries of protest and grabbed her forearms when she would have taken a swing at him. He continued to kiss her unresponsive lips until finally she did respond. Houdini kept the pace steady and slow, overly aware of every aspect of them and the situation around them.
    He needed her to relax, and finally she did; when he released her arms they moved around his neck and her fingers slid into his hair. The kiss would have continued, grown deeper, but they shifted and her cheek bumped his. “Fuck.” Maybe it wasn't as healed as he'd thought it was.
    “Why aren't you wearing a bandage?” Susan wiped her hand over her now swollen lips.
    “Why do you care? It's for appearances, remember?” Houdini watched as a guilty expression flashed over her face. “Why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on in that head of yours?”
    “Not here,” she looked over at the house. “I'll tell you at the warehouse, I promise.”
    “That's good enough for me.” Houdini leaned in, kissed her lips lightly. “Do you want to run or take the SUV?”
    “Let's drive, I think that I'm too tired to run. I haven't been sleeping really