When he woke, Roderick blinked wildly, forgetting where he was. He'd expected to wake up on the wood floor in the house where he'd taken Joey Carroll.
Instead, he was in Lauren's bed, sitting up against a pile of pillows, gauze taped to his bare chest. He looked down inspecting his wounds, wincing when he breathed too hard.
He sat up as much as he could and looked around the bedroom looking for Lauren, looking to see if her shoes were still there- but then he heard it. He heard scrubbing in the kitchen. He leaned back into the pillows, grimacing, but relieved.
Roderick cleared his throat and the scrubbing sound stopped. He wondered if she was doing dishes. Roderick pulled the covers off his legs and dropped them off the side of the bed. His chest ached but he'd felt worse before. He leaned forward and tried to stand, but the pressure in his chest was too much.
Still, he tried again, standing up, hands out to steady himself. It hurt to breathe, but walking wasn't too bad.
He peered around the doorway into the kitchen and he saw Lauren stand up and turn around.
She had on rubber gloves streaked with blood and a scrubbing brush in one hand. Her hair had fallen out of her ponytail in strands around her face, she brushed them away with the back of her gloved hand.
She looked exhausted.
Roderick took in a breath. "I'm sorry about your floors…"
Lauren shrugged. "It's nothing. How's your chest?"
Roderick shrugged and tried to hide his grimace.
"If you mix water and bleach, it should take out bloodstains," he said carefully, embarrassed that he'd stained her floor and that he knew the best way to remove bloodstains.
Lauren took a deep breath, looking down at her feet, shaking her head. It wasn't about the floors.
She drew in a ragged breath and swallowed, looking at the scrubbing brush.
Roderick thought carefully about what to say but nothing came to him.
"I, uh, put your cruiser in the old barn and um," Lauren said quietly as she continued to stare at the floor, "I put your gun and belt in my safe-"
Roderick blinked. "Lauren, I-"
She continued. "And I brushed away the tire tracks and disabled your cruiser's GPS and laptop-"
"Lauren-"
"And I closed the gate at the end of the road and I destroyed the SIM card in your cell phone-"
"Lauren, stop!" Roderick ordered, frustrated, his brow furrowed.
Lauren finally looked up, struggling to keep a handle on her composure. Roderick leaned on the doorframe for support. Lauren looked at him in a way he'd never seen before. She'd never given him a look like this. She looked vulnerable and almost… scared.
Lauren knew who Roderick was, what he did, but she didn't want to be in any part of it. She knew he was dangerous, that he was with Joe Carroll and all kinds of other dangerous people, and that they were in this town… but she didn't expect to have him show up bloody at her door.
It'd made everything real.
She had been able to look beyond his past and who he thought he was and see the man she knew he was… but this brought her back to the ground. Maybe he was who he thought he was.
And that the danger was very real. There were real monsters now.
It terrified her.
"I need to go out for a few hours," Roderick finally said reluctantly, already knowing she'd fight him about it, "I need you to get my extra uniform and jacket out of the cruiser."
As expected, Lauren's eyes widened and she almost threw the scrubbing brush in anger.
"Are you kidding me? You were shot three times last night, you can barely stand, and you need to go out?" she almost screamed. She didn't add that she was terrified of what other kind of people were out there.
Roderick took a cool breath. "Yes. I need to go out."
Lauren looked exasperated and like she wanted to hit him. If she hadn't been shot, she would have thrown the scrubbing brush at him.
"You can't be serious," she dropped her tone, trying to reason with him.
"There is no discussion," he said and Lauren could hear his voice deepen and his dominance assert itself. He was in no mood to reason with her.
"Roderick, I-" she started.
"No," he growled, "Now get me my things."
Lauren stood her ground for a moment, feeling his dominance prickle over her skin in a way that she would have found enticing in any other moment, but then she resigned. She knew he was in no mood to be convinced or persuaded. She knew he would do what he wanted regardless of what she said.
Not meeting his eyes, she pulled off her rubber gloves and dropped them and the scrubbing brush into the sink. Looking away from him, she slipped past him and out the front door.
He reasoned that this was difficult for her. Last night, she could barely get through taking the bullet out and cleaning him up. This was not her life, it was his. He'd told her before that he'd kept her out of the following and that life for a reason… but now he'd brought it to her front door.
He wished he didn't have to come to her home, but there was no other option. Joe Carroll thought he was dead and, for the time being, it was the best option. He needed to keep it that way.
Lauren was the only one he could come to who he wouldn't have to give explanations and remind her not to call 911.
But in doing that, he brought everything she hated and didn't understand. She'd accepted him and understood that he'd killed people, but she'd never understood how he followed Joe Carroll and she didn't want any part of it.
Too late, he thought, shrugging.
Lauren returned with his bag from the trunk of the car and, coolly, she dropped it next to his feet and continued to her bedroom, not saying a word.
She didn't know what to say to him. She wanted to scream at him for going back and to say that he was lucky he didn't die but she knew he'd brush her off. She knew he'd handle this in a way only Roderick could; cool and in total control.
Lauren sighed, running her hands through her hair and looking at the ceiling.
She was furious at him… but was grateful he'd come to her and had come alive.
She tried to calm herself down, breathing slowly, and trying to get a grip on herself.
This was Roderick. She really couldn't be that mad. This was who he was. This was what he did. He'd kept it out of her sight long enough out of respect and manners, but there was no denying it now.
She closed her eyes and tried to reason with herself. There was no reasoning with Roderick. He would do whatever he wanted, with or without her. There was no stopping him.
Lauren put her hands behind her neck, stretching, taking in a deep breath and letting her equilibrium settle back in.
Roderick's voice came quietly, but firmly behind her. "I'll need your help."
There was no asking nicely or any please. His mood hadn't lifted.
Lauren turned, nodding, and Roderick could see a change in her eyes. Her anger had subsided.
He set his bag on her bed and took out his pants, shimmying them on over his boxers, although it hurt his chest to button them.
Carefully leaning over, he took out his uniform shirt, holding it out to her, not meeting her eyes.
Lauren unbuttoned it and took his left hand, sliding the shirt around his arm, behind his back, and slid his right arm through it. Roderick stood still but watched her.
Roderick lifted his hands to button the shirt, but she stepped closer and reached up, doing it for him.
Roderick looked down at her as she buttoned his shirt, her fingers working carefully not to bump his chest. She didn't look up but she knew he was watching her.
Leaning down, she took out his tie and tied it for him, trying to be gentle.
As she reached for his jacket, his badge still attached, he reached up and touched her scar, cupping her jawline, silently asking for her to look at him.
Lauren met his eyes and he wanted to apologize for scaring her and for showing up bloody. He wanted to say thank you for taking care of him last night and for helping him to dress now.
But he didn't say anything. He just looked at her.
Despite the lack of words, Lauren knew exactly what he wanted to say.
Roderick leaned down and kissed her gently, apologizing for snapping at her moments ago.
Lauren kissed him back, accepting his apology.
When he pulled away, Roderick frowned slightly. "When I go out… it's better if you come with me…"
Lauren frowned immediately, already not wanting to go anywhere that he was going to.
Roderick kissed her again before she could protest.
"I wish you could stay here, but I can't take that risk… I'd have a deputy watch your house but Sheriff Tim Nelson is either dead or missing at this time. And I can't take the chance that anyone knows I've come here…" he said carefully, "If Joe Carroll knows I'm still alive and that I've come here… I know what they'd do to you…"
Lauren's breathing became shallow. She'd thought the night when Deputy Max Hutchinson had guarded her home was the worst she'd get… she was wrong. She'd been scared of the real monsters but now they'd be looking for Roderick, and her, if they thought he might still be alive.
Roderick hoped she wouldn't protest.
"I'm serious, Lauren. You can't stay here and definitely not alone. If they got to you…," he shook his head, "You'd be dead… but it'd be a long time before they actually killed you."
Lauren shivered. She wasn't sure what scared her more… the idea that someone could be coming for her… or that Roderick knew firsthand what the followers did to people… because he'd led and ordered them to.
She reached down for his jacket and held it open for him to slip it on. After it was on and she zipped it up, he took out a black hat and sunglasses from his bag, then sitting down to put on his shoes.
Lauren turned to her closet and took out an old duffel bag, beginning to stuff some clothes into it, mostly long sleeve shirts and other layers. She wasn't sure where they were going or how long they'd be gone but she didn't want to ask.
Taking off her sweatpants and sweater, she put on heavy jeans, thick socks, a long sleeve shirt, and took out her heavy corduroy coat.
As Roderick tied his shoes, Lauren went to her safe, taking out his Sheriff issued 9mm and service belt and her own .22 and 9mm handguns.
In the bedroom, Roderick was standing, her bag slung over his shoulder; he'd made her bed.
Lauren handed Roderick both 9mms and his belt and put the .22 in her coat pocket.
Roderick smirked as he put the belt on and adjusted his 9mm in its holster. "I thought you didn't like guns…"
Lauren nodded. "That's why they're locked up."
Roderick smiled, sliding her 9mm into the back of his belt.
"We can't take my cruiser, we'll have to take your truck. You'll be driving," Roderick said as he put on the hat and the sunglasses.
As Lauren stepped out on the porch, she had to know, she had to ask.
"Where are we going?"
Roderick didn't look back at her as he went down the stairs, looking towards her truck, her bag over his shoulder.
"Kentucky," he replied casually, walking out to the truck.
"What the hell is in Kentucky?" she asked, following him down the stairs.
Roderick turned to face her but continue to walk backwards, "Nathan Mead. I watched Joe kill his brother Charlie."
I'm not sure how I felt about this one… not a whole lot going on. Sorry guys. Hopefully the next one will be better!