DANGEROUS LOVE
"It's for your safety, son."
"Trust me, son," his mother Eira added, voice warm and utterly unconvincing in its reassurance, "they are very nice people."
Lance exhaled through his nose, unimpressed. "But I can take care of myself."
That seemed to strike a nerve. Eira's expression flickered, something tired and worn settling behind her eyes. "If you can take care of yourself," she said slowly, "then you wouldn't have…" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "Nevermind." Instead of finishing the thought, she reached up and began massaging her own temples, as though the conversation alone had given her a headache.