by Jackie May
I’m surprised by the hint of vulnerability he’s showing. I’m not sure what has him so nervous. “Are you kidding?” I say, wanting to put him at ease. “It’s fantastic. This is by far the nicest room I’ve ever been offered. I can’t thank you enough.”
He relaxes at my enthusiasm and finally looks me in the eyes. He doesn’t smile exactly, but there’s pride and satisfaction in his expression. He covers it with clearing his throat and a gruff, “I will install a light at the top of the stairs tomorrow.”
The statement startles me. “Can you read minds?”
“No. But I know humans don’t have a troll’s night vision.”
“So you do have night vision?”
Now he grins. “Aye, little lady. It’s one of my many talents. Sorry if the place isn’t lit very well. Bright light is hard on our eyes, and I wasn’t prepared for a roommate. Especially not a human one. That’s probably a first in troll history.” He shakes his head as if he still can’t believe it’s happening, then looks at me again. “I can make whatever adjustments you need. Just let me know. For now, let’s eat. I’m starving, and I can hear your stomach rumbling.”
He’s all smiles as he heads back toward the kitchen, but I can’t quite share his good mood. His normal need for complete privacy is disconcerting. I feel terrible for putting him out and don’t want to overstay my welcome. He’s like, the second friend I’ve ever had. I don’t want to ruin that by making him uncomfortable in his own home. “You don’t have to trouble yourself with changing anything. I won’t be here that long. I can manage in the mood lighting.”
Terrance points to a tall barstool on the far side of the kitchen island, frowning. I sit as instructed and try to keep the atmosphere light while he heads to the fridge. “I’ll just go topside when I need a little vitamin D boost. No biggie. As long as me being here really isn’t going to be hard for you.”
Terrance folds his arms across his wide chest, and I get another frown with a no-nonsense stare. “I told you, you’re welcome here as long as you want to stay. You don’t need to rush away on my account.”
It’s a kind offer, but I can’t help feeling self-conscious. “Are you sure? I know you value your privacy and…well…not that I’m worried about you attacking me or anything, but, don’t trolls sometimes…eat humans? I’m not going to be some kind of tasty temptation that tortures you day and night, am I?”
Terrance blinks at me a couple of times in a stupor and then throws his head back and laughs so loudly the walls shake. “A few of the savage ones may snack on a human every now and then, but it’s not the norm.” He pulls out a package of ground beef from the fridge and winks. “We prefer red meat. I hear you all taste like chicken. Nothing especially tempting about that. Burger?”
I blush despite myself. I feel stupid for asking, but I’m relieved by his answer at the same time. I give him a sheepish nod. “A burger would be great.”
He goes to work forming a couple of big meat patties. His enormous state-of-the-art stove has a built-in gas grill where he can cook the burgers over an open flame. As he cooks—and he looks very comfortable in the kitchen, which I find oddly fascinating—he continues his explanation of his kind. “Eating people would bring the humans into our business, and that’s the last thing any troll ever wants. For the most part, we’re not a threat; just a big, ugly, grumpy lot that stays away from humans and keeps to ourselves.”
I grin at him, thankful he’s able to put me at ease. “Well, you’ve got the big part right, T-Man, but I don’t know about ugly. You’re at least average-looking.”
He snorts a laugh at the playful taunt.
“And you laugh way too much to be considered a grump.”
He slides me a glance over his shoulder as he tends to our burgers. The smell is tantalizing and makes me realize it’s been well over a day since I’ve eaten anything. “That’s why I was chosen to come to the city. My clan is small and extremely standoffish. They don’t blend well in the human world. They live up north on Mackinac Island and stay out of the way of humans as much as possible. They needed a steady source of income and wanted a voice among the underworld. I was sent here to be our representative because I was the most sociable in the clan.” When I grin, he matches my smile and adds, “I’m also a bit of a runt. I fit in better among humans.”
Eyeing his seven-plus feet and mountainous pecs, I say, “I’ve got news for you, dude; if you didn’t work at Underworld, you would fail epically at the blending thing.”
Terrance pulls his shoulders back and stands tall, as if I’ve just complimented him. “Good.” I raise an eyebrow, and he shrugs before reaching for a couple of plates from a cupboard. “I’ve been here long enough, and I do well controlling my instincts, but all trolls have horrible tempers. I’m no exception. That’s my main reason for keeping to myself so much.”
I believe him. After seeing him almost lose it on Henry several times tonight, and seeing how seriously everyone responded to his lapse in control, I don’t think I ever want to see him lose his temper. I can understand his fear of hurting his friends if his rage is really that hard to control. It makes him offering me a place to stay that much more baffling, though.
“So I don’t annoy you?” I laugh, but I’m genuinely asking. “I’ve been known to piss off my fair share of people. Are you sure I’m not going to send you into a rampage?”
“I’m sure.” Terrance grabs a package of hamburger buns and, while avoiding eye contact, points to the fridge. “Would you gather all the fixings?”
I hop off my stool and start rummaging through the fridge without complaint, but I don’t let the conversation drop. I hand him a couple slices of cheese. “How are you sure?”
He places the cheese on the sizzling burgers and sighs. “I told you, you’re different. You have nothing to fear from me. Even if I were to become angry with you, I could never hurt you. My instincts would not allow it.”
“But why?”
Pressing the topic is making him uncomfortable, but I have to know. I hadn’t thought him to be under my whacked out spell, but if he is, I need to know. I can’t stay here if he’s infatuated with me.
Terrance slathers some mayo on his burger, and I drench mine in mustard. While we both add lettuce, tomato, and onion, he purposefully focuses on his burger and says, “Even after I refused to help you, you stood up to a master vampire on my behalf and offered to help me find Shandra, no questions asked. You went against your master’s wishes at a sacrifice to your own personal health and safety, and you didn’t even ask for compensation afterward.”
“A) that bastard was not my master, B) I told you—I understood why you couldn’t help me. And C) you were kind, and Shandra was innocent. You both deserved my help. I was more than happy to give it.”
As he grabs a couple cans of soda from the fridge, his quiet reply catches my attention. “Yes. And for that, you have earned my trust and my loyalty.” Handing me a drink, he finally meets my gaze and sits at one of the counter stools. “That is rare among my kind, especially outside one’s clan. It is unheard of outside our species. I don’t understand it, but tonight you invoked my protective instincts.”
He uses the phrase like protective instincts are some kind of official troll thing, and he’s staring at me as if he’s dumbfounded by the possibility that I invoked them. The attention makes me uncomfortable. “Is it really such a big deal to feel protective?” I ask. “I mean, I’d have your back in a fight, too.”
“I—” He pauses and seems to change his mind from whatever he was about to say. “You’re right. It’s not that big a deal. It’s just surprising. Like I said, it’s a rare thing for a troll to befriend someone outside his clan. You can trust me, though; you’re safe with me. I snore like a troll, and my feet smell like troll’s feet, but if you can handle it, I don’t mind the roommate.”
He brushed off my question, and I hate that I feel like he he’s hiding something, but I do. I want to trust him, but I’ve had too many bad expe
riences, especially with men. I need to clear the air in this department or I’ll never relax around him, so I drop onto the stool next to his and spit out what has me so bothered.
“Um, Terrance…?” His brows draw low over his eyes at my sudden nerves. “I just, um…I don’t date. Anyone. Like, at all. Ever. I mean, I doubt you were thinking that direction, but if I’m going to crash here, I figure it’s better to just lay the ground rules now, you know?”
I place my hand on his forearm with a grain of guilt. I hate reading people’s minds, but I need his honest reaction this time. And though I’m afraid of what I might hear, I have to know. I like Terrance. I want this new friendship to work.
His thoughts surprise me. He’s relieved. Really relieved. Having someone to take care of and protect is so new to him. He’s still reeling from the intensity of his instincts earlier. I guess that was the first time it’s ever happened to him. He thinks it’s going to take him some time to learn to control himself. He’s afraid having to deal with any possible suitors of mine might throw him over the edge. He was certainly ready enough to kill Henry, and likely would have gone into a full rampage at the club earlier had Wulf not stopped him.
Nowhere in his mind is there any disappointment. His interest in me is purely platonic. He’s right about his protective instincts. He only means to look out for me and help me when I need it. He wants to take care of me, and he’s excited by the thought of having a friend—a companion that he doesn’t have to feel pressured to date. It’s been a lonely seventy years away from his family.
He’s been here on his own for seventy years? How sad.
I’m pulled from my mental eavesdropping when Terrance chuckles and pats my hand. “You’re breaking my heart right now, Trouble,” he teases, “but I’m sure it’s for the best.” Eyeing me critically, he adds, “I doubt a little thing like you could handle all of this.”
He gestures to his enormous body, the motions thick with innuendo. I laugh, grateful he’s broken the awkward tension I created. “I’m sure you’re right. I’d be terrified to even try.”
He unleashes his booming laugh again. “I like you, Trouble.” Elbowing me lightly, he tries—and fails—to sound serious when he adds, “Strictly platonic, of course.”
“Of course.”
I finally take a large bite of the amazing burger Terrance grilled up for me. For a moment, I almost regret the platonic thing. He’s an amazing cook. Moaning with pleasure, I quickly finish off the burger. Terrance grins at me as I suck the grease off my fingers. “You keep feeding me like this, and you may never get me to leave.”
I’m teasing, but the jaunt seems to please him. Judging from his thoughts I’d overheard a minute ago, I’m not sure he’d mind this situation being permanent. If I weren’t so desperate to leave this shithole city, I don’t know that I’d mind, either. I’ve never felt like that about anyone before. It’s crazy how quickly my life has changed.
As I take my plate to the sink, I look around the room again and am hit by a sudden lump of emotion. I feel safer right now than I have in my entire life. No one has ever been so kind to me, either. Swallowing back the threat of tears, I force myself to smile at my new roommate. “Thank you, Terrance.”
“No thanks necessary.” Terrance joins me at the sink with his empty plate. “I’m happy to have you.”
An awkward silence falls on us that’s broken when I yawn. “It’s late,” Terrance says. “You need anything before you go to bed?”
“Nope. I should be good.”
When he reaches for his wallet and keys again, I give him a curious glance. “You going back out?”
He shucks a thumb toward the front door. “I’m going to head back to the club and help finish with the cleanup.”
On closer inspection, I realize he doesn’t look the least bit tired, while I’m practically dead on my feet. “Are you nocturnal?”
He bobs his head up and down. “Mostly. Not that I can’t be up during the day, but I get even grumpier than normal when I have to be.” He frowns at me and adds, “I didn’t think about that. We’ll be on different schedules. Is that going to be a problem for you?”
I smile at his concern. “I’m a big girl, T-man. I can amuse myself when you’re sleeping. And I’m a bit of a night owl anyway, so we’ll see each other plenty. You’ll be ready to kick me out in no time.”
His frown melts into a grin. “All right.” He glances around the room and sighs. “Well, as long as you’re here, make yourself at home. I’ll get a key made while I’m out tonight. It’ll be waiting for you on the table when you wake up. Feel free to come and go, and help yourself to whatever. Mi casa es su casa, and all that. You going to be okay here all by yourself? If you aren’t comfortable here alone yet, you’re welcome to come to the club with me, but you look exhausted.”
“I am exhausted. And now that I’m fed, that bedroom is calling my name.”
“So you’ll be good?”
I smile at his concern. “I’m probably safer here than I ever have been in my life.”
“That’s true. I had this place warded by a sorceress along with my own protection charms. No one who isn’t expressly invited can get in.” He stands up a bit straighter and gives me a cocky smile while puffing up his chest. “Not that anyone would try. Breaking into a troll’s den is suicide.”
I laugh. His cockiness is adorable because it’s not natural. “I have no doubt, T-man. Go back to work, and don’t worry about me. I’m going to sleep better tonight than I have in months.”
The declaration pleases him so much that he gives me a wide grin. The man keeps claiming to be a grump, but so far I’m not convinced. “All right. See you tomorrow, then. Stay out of trouble, Trouble.”
“No promises.”
As he walks out of the kitchen, chuckling to himself and shaking his head, I call after him. “Hey, Terrance…” When he looks back, I flash him a grin. “About those stinky feet…are we talking air freshener, or should I start looking for my own place now?”
Like I’d hoped, Terrance breaks out into his deep, roaring laughter that shakes the whole room.
When I wake up, it’s after three p.m. I’ve never slept in that late, but the last two days had been very taxing, and I haven’t had a good night’s sleep where I felt completely safe in years, if ever. I feel more rested than I’ve ever been.
As soon as I shake the sleep off, I smirk. Terrance wasn’t kidding about his snoring. Like his laugh, it’s loud, deep, and rattles the whole house. I’d been so exhausted it hadn’t wakened me, but I’ll be investing in some earplugs.
After a nice, hot shower where I’m not worried about hidden cameras or perverted neighbors breaking in on me, I get dressed and make my way into the kitchen, wondering what a troll keeps in his pantry. I don’t make it to the cupboards, because there’s more than a key waiting for me on the kitchen table. Terrance has left me a laptop, and on the same ring as the house key, there’s a fob for a car sporting a Cadillac logo. He gave me a key to his car?
Along with the computer and keys, there’s a note. It simply says NO ARGUMENTS and lists five contact numbers. The handwriting is strong, slanted, and all caps. And it’s dark, as if he bolded the letters to emphasize his point. Point? I snort. It’s not a point. It’s a threat.
I don’t take charity. In my experience, when guys give you stuff, they expect too much in return for it. But somehow I feel safe accepting this loaner. I know Terrance is only trying to be nice. He’s trying to take care of me. And he’s doing it because he wants to. Not because the state is paying him to. I’ve never had someone look out for me like that. It’s overwhelming.
After scrounging up a bowl of cereal, I sit down at the table and open the laptop as I eat. Terrance has already set it up and connected it to his Wi-Fi. While I connect to the Internet, I look over the list of phone numbers and add them to my contacts. The five numbers he gave me are for himself, his bartender Wulf, Nick Gorgeous, Parker, and Oliver. The list makes me grin. It
’s like he’s telling me these are people I can count on. People I can trust. The irony of it is that they’re all underworlders. Who’d have ever thought I’d find more friends among monsters than humans?
I’m surprised Parker’s number made the list. As angry as Terrance was at him and Henry last night, I’m shocked he’d trust Parker enough to give me his number. Still. It’s a good thing he did since he’s the person I need to talk to right now. My thumb hovers over his name, but I can’t make the call. I shake off my nerves and take a deep breath. “Get over it, Nora. Parker’s not Henry, and you need his help.”
The personal pep talk does the trick. I dial his number before I can think better of it.
“Hello?” His voice sounds sleepy. It’s cute. That thought shocks me almost as much as the small smile currently on my face. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Hello?” he asks again, because I haven’t said anything yet.
“Hey, Parker. It’s uh…Nora.”
“Nora?”
His surprise sucks away the little confidence I had. “Um, yeah, it’s me. Terrance gave me your number. I hope it’s okay that I called.”
“Of course. I’m glad you did.” He doesn’t sound groggy anymore. “Listen, Nora, I—”
“Don’t bother with the explanations or apologies. I don’t want them. It happened. It’s done. End of story. I’m just calling to see if you found out anything about that license plate number I gave you.”
There’s a long pause, and then Parker says, “Let me take you to dinner, and we can discuss it.”
My heart jumps up into my throat. I go with my initial knee-jerk reaction to being asked out, even though something akin to butterflies flutters in my stomach at the offer. “No. Hell no.”
“I don’t mean you harm, Nora. I’d just like to see you again. Under normal circumstances this time.”
I’m tempted to accept, and that scares me. “I don’t date,” I whisper. “Ever.”