by Maggie Thom
Bailey started her car and drove back across the city wondering if it was safe to return to the house. A couple blocks away from her mom's she pulled over and stopped. Taking a moment to steady her frayed nerves, she drew in several calming breaths.
What was going on? First, the guy at the house and then Lund. She wasn't sure which one was creepier. Lund had been good, slimy but good. He'd almost had her believing he was genuinely sad that her mother had passed away. But she knew better. Living on the street had taught her a few things, too. It had been a while since she'd had to act the victim. In fact she hadn't since she'd been about fourteen and her mom had flipped when she'd found her playing the dumb innocent school girl, who never got anything in her life that was her own. Would the nice gentleman please give her twenty dollars?
That had been her scam for a long time, and it had worked, at least until her mom had put a stop to it. It was just another one of her mom's many major disappointments in her. Her stomach clenched at the memories of what she had done just to survive.
Leaning back, she slid her hand into her pants pocket and pulled out the USB keychain she'd lifted from the false bottom of the second drawer in Lund's desk. She was confused by some of what her mom had doodled on the envelope to her but locating and getting that jump drive had been really clear.
She started to chuckle. He'd been so easy. Talking about women's menstrual cycles always seemed to freak guys out and not question when you didn't show up for fifteen or twenty minutes. Of course, when she'd returned and given a detailed explanation to Mr. Lund on the history of women's menstruation cycles and how it was one week out of every month to have to deal with all that mess, it had been his undoing. He hadn't questioned why she'd taken so long in the loo.
With her free hand she reached up and tugged out the elastic, freeing her hair from the ponytail. Normally she pulled it back because she liked the ease of it but she also knew that it made her seem more like a teenager then a woman pushing thirty. The effect on men was the same, they strutted their stuff like they were groomed peacocks.
Without warning, her door was yanked open. She jerked sideways, her arm coming up to shield herself, her foot lifting to lash out. Before she could make contact, a body pinned her and a hand reached across her, ripping out the keys. The scream that formed on her lips was swallowed as she met a steely pair of blue eyes. He moved back but not before redirecting her foot to the floor mat. Her hand instinctively wrapped around the flash drive and slipped it into her pocket. Feeling faint with relief, she slumped back. Her door slammed and her would-be thief was soon around the car and opening the passenger side. Sliding into the seat, Guy closed the door, leaned back and glared at her.
Too tired to move, she rolled her head sideways to meet the glower, neither spoke. She waited him out. After a long period of time, she raised her eyebrows.
He folded his arms across his chest and turned to look out the window. "Who was the guest at your house?"
"What?"
"Who was the nice man who was waiting at your home?"
"What were you doing at my mom's place?"
"Looking for you."
Since he wasn't looking at her, she took the time to study him. He definitely had the cute bad boy down pat, all dressed in black, with his black leather coat and his hair looking windblown and falling over one eye. The scruffy beard thing was almost going too far.
"I don't know who he was. I thought maybe he was a friend of yours."
That brought his piercing gaze around to hers. His jaw clenched.
"Aren't we funny? I never sent that man to your house but someone did. Any ideas?"
That had been her thought but that didn't mean she had to play nice. The not knowing scared her more than she cared to admit. The shiver started out as a fine vibration shimmying down her spine. "What makes you think he wasn't just a random kook looking for a place to break into?"
"He trashed your place, which in and of itself, generally means the person is looking for something. And before you say he could have been looking for drugs, I met your friend at the door and since I got up close and personal with him I would agree that he was the slime of the earth. But I don't think drugs were what motivated that break in."
"How'd you find me?"
"I've been following you for the last ten minutes. I was almost to Lund's when you went roaring past me. You didn't know I was following you, did you?"
Fear shook her body as though she were in arctic weather. Not questioning what was causing her tremors he smoothly slid the key into the ignition and started the car, turning the heat on full.
"Thanks." She turned and rested her forehead on the side window, staring out at the black night that the weak street lights tried to stave off. A dark shape crouched low, leapt over a fence, and then reappeared jumping over another one. The person was traveling from one back yard to another. Startled, she sat up but kept her focus on where she'd last seen the guy.
"What's wrong?"
Not bothering to look at him turned out to be a mistake. His warm breath brushed the back of her ear as he stared out her window over her shoulder. She suppressed the shiver of excitement that tickled her nerve endings as she pointed off to the right.
"Someone or something is running through yards. Watch, you'll see him in a moment between the grey house and the blue one. He'll jump over the hedge between the yards."
A few seconds later a person did exactly that. A thin strip on the neck of the hood glowed in the dark.
"The guy who visited you tonight had on a hoody, right?"
"Yes." Whipping around, forgetting that he was so close, they literally ended up nose to nose. She froze.
"I figured we'd end up like this."
Trying not to breathe in his male scent, her eyes opened wide.
"Nose to nose that is. You like to get your way and I like to get mine."
Breathing out slowly, she eased back. "Are you suggesting that the guy who was at my place is that person?" She inclined her head in the direction of their night crawler.
Guy nodded.
"What the hell's going on? My life was normal." She ignored the twinge of guilt that remark gave her. "Until you barged in telling me I'm someone else." Her hand flipped up to stop his quick retort. "What you've said doesn't make sense. Please don't. I don't want to hear it again."
"You do recognize that you're in trouble?"
"As dense as you may think I am, yes, even I get that. I just don't understand why. Except that, back to my theory which I never got to finish, until you barged into my life I never had people chasing me down. So when I put two and two together they add up to you." Glaring at him, she crossed her arms. "Or add two and two and you get? oh my god."
The man they'd been watching jumping fences, raced out onto the street. Once he was under the street lights, she immediately recognized him by his long, greasy hair and grubby clothes, as her home wrecker. "That's the guy?"
A black car came zooming around the corner. Tires squealed, as the vehicle swerved but not in time. Thump, crash, bang, all blended together. She could never remember if the guy made any sound as he landed on the hood of the car, only to be shot forward when the man slammed on his brakes. The vehicle spun around.
Bailey reached for the door handle, ready to run out and see if she could help, when Guy grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"What the hell's your problem?"
He jumped up onto the console and stomped on the gas with his left foot. As they screamed away from the curb, he cramped the wheel, so they did a U turn.
She slapped at him and fought him for control.
"He's got a gun."
She never saw it but she heard the distinct popping sound. "This isn't going to work if you want to get out of here. Give me the wheel and move your damn foot. I know what I'm doing."
He couldn't steer very well from his crouched position on the console, so he removed his hands. "Turn right." After they squealed around that corner, he realized she was right and removed
his foot, letting her take over.
"Where did he come from? And what happened to my uninvited guest? Did he get up?" She slammed on the brakes and whipped down a back alley before gunning it. Guy who had been sitting precariously on the console between the seats, tumbled backward. He scrambled up onto the seat, as they shot out onto a street. Bailey turned the steering wheel and with tires squealing, they shot off down the road.
"I don't know but I don't see him anymore. Keep doing what you're doing. Great driving."
Annoyed at his sarcasm, she snapped, "the other man, what happened to him?"
When there was no answer she glanced in the rear-view mirror. He was studying her.
"What? What?"
"I think your guy-"
"I don't claim ownership."
"Your guy-"
She glared at him in the mirror.
He smiled in return. "Might have gotten in the way of our thug shooter. Know who or why either of them would be chasing you?"
Her gaze automatically went to the glove compartment. The letters from her mom were in there. No, but I have a feeling I know who might be able to tell me. "Where am I dropping you off?"
"You're not."
After zipping down another avenue she slammed on the brakes. She spun around to face him. "Then get out."
"No. You and I are tied at the hip, so to speak. If it's because of me that these goons found you then that's my responsibility."
"I can take care of myself." She clenched her teeth.
"I'm sure you can. However I will be along for the ride. Besides, if you want to see your family ever, you need me."
Slowly shifting to face forward, she stared out the front window at the deserted street. Aaaah yes, my one lifetime dream. Family.
"Where are we going?"
"I can drop you off at any time." She put the car in drive and eased forward. Taking several side streets that took them another hour, she then headed west, taking Highway One. She drove for a while before turning north. Silence was something she was used to. Driving with a partner was not. Refusing to let herself be intimidated by him, she drove for hours, ignoring him. When her back started to complain that she'd been in one position too long and she realized they needed fuel, she pulled into a gas station on the side of the road.
"Would you like something to?" She looked back over her shoulder as she spoke. He was slumped sideways across the seat. Her first thought was that he'd been shot but then she saw the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Her hero had fallen asleep. Before she forgot, she pulled out the envelopes from their hiding place in the glove box and stuffed them into her back pocket.
Quietly getting out of the vehicle, she filled up. Since she had no idea how long it was going to take to get where she was going, or exactly where she was going, she purchased an Alberta and B. C. map, loaded up on junk food and bought a case of lemonade and a case of water. She set everything on the seat beside her, eased into hers, put on her seatbelt and pulled onto the highway.
"Not a smart thing to do."
"Aaahhhh." Her head almost hit the roof and the car swerved before she was able to still her reaction. "Jesus."
"No, actually I'm not but I do get mistaken for him a lot."
She frowned as she looked at him in the mirror for a minute. Then the joke hit her. Laughter came from nowhere. It started as a giggle, then a chuckle. It sounded off key, which just made her laugh even harder.
"Pull over."
Too far gone with laughter to even question his command, she turned off into a well treed campground. Gasping for breath, she was finally able to bring herself under control. Completely drained, she slumped over the steering wheel. "Thank you."
Guy climbed out of the back seat and stepped up to the driver's side opening the door. "For what?"
Too exhausted to move, she turned her head but didn't lift it. "For making me laugh, for keeping me company, for feeling safe enough to fall asleep."
His cheeks turned a nice shape of apple red. That got her attention. She sat up and faced him.
"Tough guy, embarrassed about that?"
His face turned ruddier as he swore. "Let's just say it's an issue." He turned away. His shoulders shook.
Surprised, Bailey got out of the car and put her hand on his back and bent over to see his face. "Hey. I wasn't making fun?"
He was laughing. She stepped back not sure how to take it.
"I'm sorry. The insanity of this just hit me." Scrubbing his hand down his face, he yawned.
"Where are we headed?"
Contemplating how much to share with him, she finally replied, "near Jasper."
He looked pointedly at her. "Your turn to sleep. I'll drive." He opened the driver's door.
That shot some pep into her. She squinted, trying to block out the glare of the interior light as she turned to face him. "I'm fine."
"What the hell?" He moved so quickly, she had no time, except to stiffen at his light touch against her swollen cheek. "Your intruder."
Telling him yes with her eyes, she found she couldn't pull away from his concerned gaze or break the contact with his hand.
"That bastard."
Realizing she was liking his attention way too much, she stepped back and stiffly walked around the car. She opened the passenger door and reached in.
"Want a bottle of water or lemonade?"
"Lemonade please."
She tossed him the bottle over the top of the car which he snatched out of the air.
"You have bags under your eyes. Since I've already had a good nap, it's your turn." He looked at her pointedly. "Unless that look is vogue right now?" Arching his eyebrow, he didn't wait for her to respond. "Seriously, if we're going to figure out what is going on we need to work together. I have information you need and I believe you have some I need."
Breathing out slowly and without another word, she climbed into the back seat and lay down, curling on her side. Several minutes later he climbed into the front, downing his juice.
"Where we headed?" He pulled back onto the road and headed north.
"Jasper. For now."
He didn't ask why, he just drove. Reaching into the seat beside him, he ripped open a bag of chips and grinned over his shoulder at her. "My kind of woman."
She tried to stop it but the warmth of those words went well beyond the joke he had meant. She tried not to let that simple statement make her sit up with pride but it did. Her mother had never doled out any praise and it seemed any little bit made her want to strut like a peacock. Then something that had never happened to her before, happened, she drifted off to sleep. Immediately.
CHAPTER TWENTY