Her Only Salvation by J.C. Valentine Read Free Book Online Page B

money, maybe waiting for him to come home, but he squashed that line of thinking immediately. If she had been waiting she would have welcomed him back by now, instead of forcing him to rot away in this dump.
    Whatever. He wasn’t worried about whether she was or wasn’t glad he was back. He needed to concentrate on the reunion. And there was going to be a reunion. He just needed to get his head on straight and set a few goals. Finding where she lived had been the first, so he could check that off his to-do list. He had already made contact but that wouldn’t be enough. Tonight he planned to do it again; he just needed to lock down how to go about it. Terri had already gotten her panties into a bunch just from one little phone call, so he knew coming at her too much too fast would be more trouble than it was worth. He couldn’t exactly beat her into submission, not right away anyway. Although he did enjoy seeing her get all riled up.
    Nothing tugged at a man’s heartstrings like a pair of mascara-smeared eyes.
    No, he wouldn’t use force just yet. Some things in life required finesse, and Randy was a smooth operator when he wanted to be. Romance wasn’t exactly his shtick, but he would manage. Maybe buy her something sparkly, take her to dinner, for a walk around the neighborhood. Show her how it used to be, and how it could be again.
    Of course, if Terri decided to be stubborn, she would force his hand. Randy wasn’t the kind of man to take no for an answer, and when it came to his wife, no was like a cold, hard slap in the face. He would allow her some time to get reacquainted with the idea of him being around again, but anything beyond that, and he would have to remind her of who she was dealing with.
    Women needed to be put in their place. Too far over the line one way or the other, and things could get out of control fast. She was lucky he put up with her insubordination. Getting him locked up, that was an offense that couldn’t go unpunished, but he was cutting her some slack. People had been killed for less.
    Because of her thoughtlessness, he had spent the last year in a jail cell, his freedom snatched away in the blink of an eye. Now he was homeless, wifeless, and penniless. Her actions had cost him everything. Oh yes, she would pay for her role in all of this, and he would start with reclaiming what was rightfully his, starting with that pretty little house. She thought to divorce him, but she would soon realize that not only was that never going to happen, but everything that was hers was also his. They were still married, after all.
     
    ***
     
    The lighter went on with a shhhtck, and Randy brought it to the cigarette. Taking a long draw, he let the smoke fill his lungs and breathed it back out slowly. The inside of the truck cab was growing colder the longer he sat in front of the house. Glancing down at his watch, he realized that Terri would be getting off in a few short hours. That meant he didn’t have much time to work with.
    Tucking the keys in his jacket pocket, Randy popped the door open and stepped down from the truck. The block was dark, save the dull glow of lamplight from the neighboring homes. Looking both ways, he jogged across the street and up the short drive until the freshly trimmed bushes lining the foundation provided him an effective cover.
    For the past few days he had spent his time following Terri, learning her habits. Since she came in late each night, she started each afternoon with a run, always careful to keep an eye on her surroundings, though she never saw him. The rest of the afternoon was spent inside cleaning or watching TV. Once she had ventured to the grocery store, sticking to the main roads, stopping at all the red lights and stop signs.
    Never was much of a risk taker, he mused, puffing on his cigarette.
    Smoke curled from his nostrils as he peered inside. Tidy kitchen as always. He made his way around back, peeking inside at all the furniture. So she had kept the