I moved to the big picture window by the dining room table and looked out.

Big lawn. Room for kids to play. Same in the back with a nice deck. A place to grill out. A place to relax.

Quiet neighborhood.

I waited and watched and I did this for a while.

Only two cars drove down the street. They didn’t race down it. They didn’t have blaring music. They drove sedately through a safe, quiet, family neighborhood.

“This is my place. This is me,” I whispered.

I was where I needed to be for my son.

But also for me.

I had the man I needed to have who loved my son.

But also he was falling in love with me.

Aaron was going to pull out all the stops.

And he was going to ruin everything.

I heard the back door open just as I focused on a sign in the yard at a house across the street.

“Carrie, water’s boiling,” Joker called.

“Can you turn it off?” I called back, my eyes glued to that sign.

Seconds passed.

“Hey,” I heard.

“Hey,” I replied, eyes to that sign.

I felt him get close. I felt his hand light on the small of my back. I felt his heat. I felt his strength.

“Hey,” he said softly, one syllable, one word repeated, but the change in tone said everything.

“The house across the street is for rent,” I told him, staring at that sign.

“Yeah?” he asked gently.

“We should talk to Mrs. Heely. See if she wants to move. Get her out of that place,” I told him.

“Carrie.”

“Yes?”

“Look at me, Butterfly.”

I tore my gaze from the sign and looked up at him.

He also looked at me.

“Fuck, baby, what happened?”

“Aaron is investigating me.”

His jaw clenched.

“He knows you belong to Chaos,” I told him.

“I’m not hidin’ that, nor would I ever hide that,” he told me.

“I know,” I whispered.

He stared at me. He did this for a while, his hand on my back, light, not claiming like he usually touched me.

Just there.

Suddenly he announced, “Fought the underground fight circuit.”

I blinked.

Then I asked, “What?”

“Illegal fights, illegal betting. Did it for years. Never got caught. Made a shit ton of money. All cash. Didn’t pay taxes on it and won’t if I don’t have to.”

I stared.

Joker kept talking.

“Didn’t live a quiet life, but never did anything really stupid and never got caught doin’ the semi-stupid stuff I did do. In other words, I don’t have a rap sheet, Carissa.”

“I… okay,” I replied.