Don't Rush Me (Nora Jacobs #1)(37)

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.”