"What were you doing out here, anyways?" Lauren asked cautiously, realizing she may already know the answer.
Roderick smirked, looking straight ahead, and shrugging. Lauren chuckled.
"Don't answer that," Lauren said quickly, "If I'm running to release stress, you were probably doing the same thing."
Roderick looked over and winked at her.
"No, ma'am, not today," Roderick said reassuringly with his Midwestern drawl, "Just out on a call."
Lauren nodded like she believed him but said, "Your radio's off. You weren't on a call."
Roderick's face darkened. If she really wanted to know, he'd tell her but that would have consequences she wouldn't like. His hands gripped the steering wheel, reminding himself to keep his cool.
He looked at her carefully, thinking he would really have to kill her this time. He preferred not to, but he wouldn't argue with it.
She knew what he was thinking.
"Relax, Roderick, you don't need to lie to me," she smiled, "I've known who you are for a while."
He looked back at the road. He didn't argue.
He almost wished Lauren knew about Joe and the manor. She would agree with him that Joe needed to act soon. She would agree that he had put in too much to get so little back.
She understood him and she would advise him to step up and demand something be done. He knew exactly what she'd say…
But he hadn't shared Joe… Roderick had kept him to himself, even when it had been so tempting to tell her so many times. He hadn't known Lauren when he first met Joe, but he'd known her when he began recruiting. So many nights, Roderick had wanted to tell Lauren his accomplishment and what he was working on, how he was the leader… but he hadn't.
Roderick knew Lauren wouldn't show loyalty to Joe, she wouldn't join if he asked. He wished she would… but she wasn't a killer. Lauren accepted Roderick, he decided to do the same for her and leave her out of the plan.
When he was gone, it was easy for Roderick to forget Lauren and focus on Joe and the following. Now that she was sitting beside him, and his blood boiling in his veins with anger for Joe, he fought to tell her everything.
Roderick drove in silence, not even concentrating on the road. It was no matter at all, though; he knew the way back to her house like the back of his hand. He knew how to get anywhere in this town, but making his way to her home was a case of muscle memory.
He had built this town. It was his. He was the Sheriff and what he didn't have control over as Sheriff Nelson, he controlled as Roderick; Joe's second in command. He owned all of those people in the manor. He'd given them orders.
As the drove, people waved to him from the street. He noticed some of the followers from the manor; they did not wave to him. They knew better.
Roderick pulled down the small road to her house. Lauren had bought it two years ago and had been working on it ever since. It was a small cottage with a front porch and a pitched roof. She loved living there.
As Roderick pulled to a stop, he looked over at her, remembering being here so many times but this time he felt like a stranger.
"Thanks for the ride," she said, smiling, seeing him looking at her.
Lauren met his gaze and he held it, staring at her. He didn't say anything, but he wasn't ready to let her leave. The issue of Joe and the next step were on his mind… he hadn't had enough time with Lauren. Just looking at her made things stir in his memory that he hadn't though of in a long time.
"Is it alright if I come in for a while?" he asked, already making up his mind with or without her consent. His expression was blank, making it hard for her to read him.
She glanced back at the house, thinking, and nodded. "That'd be alright."
Roderick followed her outside the car, up the front steps, and to the door. He had always been a step behind her; she wondered if it was because he wanted nothing behind his back or if it was because that's how he stalked people.
As she unlocked the door, Roderick reached in front of her and opened it for her. He was always a gentleman.
Lauren threw her phone and keys onto the table in the hallway, turning on her heel suddenly, catching Roderick by surprise.
"Are you going to tell me?" she asked blatantly, crossing her arms.
Roderick laughed to shield his discomfort by her question. "Tell you what?"
Lauren cocked her head. "Why you were all the way out on Route 5? And what you were thinking about in the car…?"
Roderick chuckled, his eyes glinting. "Oh, Lauren, you know, the usual. And I said I was out on a call."
Lauren held her ground. "You're full of it Roderick. You're a terrible liar. You want me to ask. That's why you wanted to come in."
He took a deep breath, his lips pursing. Had that been why he wanted to come in?
"You're not going to like the answer," he answered in a low voice, his eyes becoming dark.
Lauren sighed, already turning, dismissing the whole thing.
Roderick was on her in an instant, cornering her against the wall, staring at her darkly.
Lauren felt her pulse quicken as her heart pounded against her chest.
She looked up to Roderick's stare as he leaned over her. She was sure he would kill her if he'd made up his mind to. There would be little she could do to stop him. But what she saw in his look wasn't that. She saw anger and lust.
Carefully, he brought his hand up to touch her scar, shuddering as he touched it.
Lauren watched his face as he traced it, remembering how he'd done it, how she'd trusted him completely.
As his fingers moved, his pulse quickened. It exhilarated him to feel his handiwork. He loved that she was a walking exhibit to his achievement. It had been quite a conquest to get her approval. His life revolved around Joe… but she was his. All his. He noticed her beautiful eyes watching him.
Lauren saw Roderick's dark eyes flicker. He slid his hand across her neck, his palm flattening as his hand encircled her throat. He felt her pulse against his skin. It was steadying. She wasn't afraid.
He didn't mean her to be. He put no pressure into his hand, letting it rest against her throat, her scar along his thumb.
Roderick shuddered, feeling her throat in his hand, able to choke her easily, with her scar as a guideline for his palm.
When he looked back at her eyes, she saw desperation, drowning.
Roderick swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the thought in his head. He couldn't.
With his hand around her throat, he tipped her chin up, steadying his hand. This time, he felt her pulse speed.
Roderick leaned closer, now hearing her breath match her pulse. He knew that if her hand was around his throat, that his would be the same.
His kissed her harder than his descent had warned. His body leaned in as he kissed her, but holding her in place with his hand around her throat.
She kissed him back just as easily as she had months ago. Her lips still remembered how he tasted.
His pulse reached a speed that had only been met recently by Joe's escape from prison.
Joe. He wanted to be rid of the thought of him.
Roderick kissed Lauren harder, his hand clenching around her throat. She swallowed gently, a silent request for him to relax. He did instantly. When they had begun together, he told her that he would always stop when she asked. When he had built the trust to such a level where she permitted the scar, it took everything she had not to tell him to stop.
Roderick broke the kiss and descended on her neck, his hand moving for his mouth, hot against her skin. The smell of her, being in her house again, having her in his hands was intoxicating to him. She was the closest thing to the satisfaction of a kill that he'd ever been able to find.
He kissed the scar, feeling its slickness against her smooth skin. She tipped her head away to allow him more access to it. He owned it.
His hands settled on her waist and moved their way up her back. The space between them had closed.
Roderick pulled away quickly, breathless and eyes dark. He saw the same look on her face that he'd missed. The one he wanted more of.
He chuckled, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against hers. He felt her smile as he did it.
Roderick kissed her again quickly and then leaned back to look at her.
"I have to get back to…work… can I come later?" he whispered, looking at her lips.
Lauren smiled. "Should I make supper?"
Roderick grinned at the idea. "Yes, please."
"I'll make your favorite, then," she offered with a smile.
His eyes glinted. His belly ached with the thought of a home cooked meal, especially his favorite. He knew she'd sauté chicken, make rosemary potatoes, and steam green beans… just for him.
"Make sure you're not too late, Officer Nelson," she teased with a grin.
Roderick smiled wickedly. "Oh no, ma'am, I won't. I promise."
Roderick leaned down and kissed Lauren on the forehead. "I'll bring us some drinks, too."
Lauren laughed. Roderick drank beer with anything, even meals that were more suitable for wine.
"Well, I'd better go," he said, stepping away from her, still leaving her smiling.
As he left, he watched her go into her bedroom, imagining her showering, and relaxing after her run this morning.
Still confident and content as he'd left her, he resolved to put those ideas away as he started his cruiser, steering back to the manor.
Roderick had to do something. Joe could not put up this charade any longer. Something had to be done. He had given his word. Roderick had worked for this for so long. It was time for a pay off.
He would talk to Claire. Perhaps Joe told her… perhaps he could arrange for her to ask him. Claire was the secret to Joe… he wanted more than anything to please her… Joe would do whatever it took to make Claire love him again… Roderick only needed to find the right way to use her to his advantage…