Chapter 16

Shania grinned at the sight of big, tough Ash ladling soup into a bowl for an elderly woman and then leading her to a table. He pulled the chair out for her and made sure she was comfortable before stalking back to his station on the lunch line.

His presence as a "volunteer" had at first raised a few brows among the staff at the shelter, but they quickly accepted that having Shania back meant accepting the hulking presence of her constant shadow. What was surprising was how easily and without complaint the big man had thrown himself into the work. He'd quickly proved himself very useful and willing to help.

Approaching him, Shania said quietly, "Thank you for taking good care of Evelyn. She finds it hard to get down here with her reduced mobility. It's nice for her to be able to take a warm meal once in a while and chat with some of the residents. I don't think she gets the proper nutrition on her own at home."

Ash grunted in acknowledgment and asked, "Why can't she get down here very often?"

"She can't drive anymore, public transit is too hard on her and the seniors bus is too costly for her to use with any amount of frequency. She's pretty much house bound and she can't see well enough to be able to cook for herself with any amount of confidence." Shania watched the elderly woman having an animated conversation with a couple of people that sat at her table.

Ash looked disturbed. "That's not right."

Shania looked at him questioningly and then placed a hand on his arm. "Sometimes the world isn't a just place. At least now you can see why my work was so important to me. I just wish Khalid could too."

Ash covered her hand with his massive, scarred one. "He sees it in your face. I've never seen the boss so happy since you started smiling at him."

Shania smiled shyly and glowed inside. She loved hearing that Khalid was happy with her. Despite their rocky start and her misgivings about him, they were forging a relationship together. One that was more solid than any other she'd known. She never doubted his affection for her, never doubted herself. He gave her that gift.

"I'll be right back. I need to grab some more of the beef barley and thaw some biscuits for tomorrow," she said to Ash, stepping back.??

"I'll come with you."

She laughed and patted his arm before turning away. "Down boy! I think I can make it to the storage room and back without my constant shadow."

He looked somewhat unconvinced, but finally nodded his head. Even the boss had told him to ease up while watching her. Shania was no longer confined to the casino. She could go anywhere she wanted so long as Khalid knew where she was going and she took Ash for protection. It wasn't his job to watch her every move anymore.

The storage room was down the back hall, near the back door. Taking a set of keys off her belt Shania reached for the knob only to realize the door was already ajar. She frowned in annoyance. The shelter had strict rules about securing the staff and storage rooms so they wouldn't be vandalized.

She pushed open the heavy door and entered the dimly lit room.

"Hello, wife."

A heavy hand came down over her mouth before Shania could let out a surprised scream. Aiden held her tightly with one arm across her chest and face and the other around her waist. She gagged against his hand, the smell of booze and cigarettes assailing her senses. A flash of wonder that she had ever agreed to marry such a miserable specimen of man, when there were men like Khalid in the world, crossed her mind as he hauled her backwards out the door.

Shania struggled desperately against him, his fingers digging cruelly into her skin. He loosened his hold for a split second. Shania was about to take advantage when she felt the cold press of a gun barrel against the small of her back. She went rigid against him.

"That's my girl," he breathed against her ear, his breath feathering across her cheek. "You're coming with me."

Frightened, she nodded and allowed him to take her out through the back of the shelter and shove her into a car she didn't recognize. It was a rusted shell that looked like it was on its last legs. No doubt he had won it during a poker game.

During the short drive to their old apartment, he kept the gun levelled on her. His interested eyes devoured every feature of her outfit, noting the quality of the denim jeans and sweater she wore. "Not doing too bad for yourself, are you girl?"

Shania shuddered as he ran the tip of the gun down her arm and nudged her thigh. "I bet he treats you real good, doesn't he baby?"

Disgusted, Shania realized he was proud of her ability to get the notice of a man like Khalid, a man that held such power over others. "You sold me to him, Aiden, how was he supposed to treat me?"

"Don't get me wrong, girl," he said quickly. "It's good that he likes you so much. This is real good for us."

"I don't know what you mean," she said, pressing back against the seat to avoid the glide of his gun over her body.

He jerked the car to a stop out front of the rundown exterior of their old apartment building. As far as she knew, the old apartment they'd shared didn't belong to them anymore, so she didn't understand why he would bring her there. He pulled her across the interior of the car by the arm and dragged her out the driver's side door, uncaring of the bruises she incurred along the way.

He kicked the door shut and cheerfully escorted her up to the apartment.