Muffin Top

by Tabatha Kiss

  “Bargaining chip with who?”

  “Whoever will solve this Snake Eyes problem so I can take you back home.”

  Home. Back to movie sets and the paparazzi.

  “Get some sleep,” he says. “We have a long drive ahead of us.”

  I glance around. “There’s only one bed…”

  “I’ll take the floor.”

  “You don’t have to,” I offer. “There’s plenty of room.”

  “I’d prefer it.” His voice is firm, almost cold, but I’d rather not draw attention to it.

  I nod and lower myself down to the pillows, kicking the blanket off my burning legs. My heart won’t stop racing. That black ink, those rock hard abs. The way the cobra tail swished across them, curling left and right before stopping just above his navel. I can’t get it out of my head. My fingers have been vibrating since the moment I touched him. It’s taking everything in me not to reach between my thighs right now and—

  “Dani.”

  I jerk out of my trance. “What?”

  “Do you mind?” He points to the other side of the bed at the unused pillow.

  “Oh — yeah.” I grab it and hold it out to him. He takes it and drops it to the floor at the foot of the bed. “Need a blanket?”

  “No,” he says, disappearing below.

  “Goodnight then…”

  “Goodnight.”

  I reach over and flick the lamp off, casting the room into total darkness.

  ***

  Holy shit.

  If I don’t touch him again soon, I’m going to explode.

  I honestly can’t remember the last time I spent so much unsupervised time with a man other than my father. Even when Fox and I lived under the same roof, we rarely ever spent time alone together. I thought he hated me back then. I guess he was just hiding what he really feels.

  Or felt. He doesn’t feel like that about me anymore. It was all just a teenage crush, apparently. Nothing more.

  Why doesn’t he feel that way anymore?

  I grab a pair of shoes, a package of socks, a few shirts, and some jeans, and walk straight to the checkout counter with the cash Fox gave me to find something to wear. It’s a low-end department store, somewhere I’d usually never shop but Fox insists that’s the point. I’m not Roxie Roberts right now. I’m just Dani. I’m not a movie star. I’m a normal person with thick sunglasses and short hair, buying some clothes because I have nothing else to wear other than a man’s shirt and boxer shorts. Just a normal girl with a target on her back.

  Nothing to see here, folks.

  “Do I know you from somewhere?”

  I look at the cashier through tinted lenses. “I get that a lot,” I mutter, dropping my voice deeper than usual. She stares at me for an extra-long second before finally shrugging and requesting seventy dollars from me. My heart resets to its normal rhythm and I get out as fast as I went in.

  Fox waits outside for me, leaning against a new car by the curb. I’m not quite sure where he got it but I’m not about to question it. His eyes move back and forth in his skull on constant watch. Each passing person could be a danger. Each one another possibility for me to get recognized, however unlikely that is, especially with a fresh bandage covering half of my face. “So, where is this secret master file decrypter guy?” I ask.

  “Denver.”

  “Denver? Why aren’t we flying?”

  He pops open the passenger side door. “Because that requires going through security, flashing IDs…”

  “So?”

  “So…” He jerks his head, gesturing me into the car. I step off the curb and lower myself down into it while he moves to the driver’s side. “Snake Eyes has access to those systems. Chances are we’ve already been flagged by them and the L.A.P.D.”

  “Why them, too?” He glances at me out of the corner of his eyes, giving me a quick second to figure it out for myself. “Oh, right. My dad.”

  “Bennett’s not stupid,” he says as he turns the ignition. “He knows how to track you down. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if our photos are all over the news right now. We need to stay as off-the-grid as possible or we’ll never even make it out of California.”

  “It’s a good thing I look nothing like myself then…” I pull the visor down and flip open the mirror to look at my reflection. Black hair. No make-up. Giant gash on my cheek. I slide my sunglasses up onto my head to check my eyes. Still blue. That’s something, I guess.

  “Put those back on until we get out of the city,” Fox says as we start rolling down the busy street. I do as he says and shield my eyes again before tossing the bag of new clothes into the backseat and sliding back there with them. “Dani, what are you doing?”

  “I’m changing,” I say, flicking the buttons free on his borrowed shirt. “Just keep your eyes on the road.”

  “We have windows, you know.”

  “I’ll be quick.” I grab a black t-shirt out of the bag and lay it open on my lap. “It’s not like you’ve never seen it before anyway.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asks quickly.

  I smirk to myself as I throw the shirt over my head, covering my exposed breasts in less than a second. “Candy Crushers?”

  Fox sighs, keeping his neck stiff and his eyes locked forward. “I wasn’t looking at you.”

  “You see, here’s what doesn’t add up to me, Fox…” I slide both legs into the jeans and pull them up and over the boxer shorts. “You’re out there, watching from across the street, but you turn away — like the honorable man that you are — and focus on Smith while I’m all exposed. Am I right so far?”

  “That’s exactly what happened,” he confirms.

  “Then why didn’t you help Smith?”

  He pauses. “What?”

  I take the shoes and a pair of socks from the bag and climb back into the front seat. “If you were staring so intently into my kitchen to avoid seeing me naked, then you — an honorable man and all — would have taken out Mercer before he got to Smith.”

  “Dani…”

  My lips twitch. “You had a clear shot. I know you did because you shot the guy in the doorway right between the freakin’ eyes. The only possible explanation is that you missed Mercer breaking in because you were staring at my tits—”

  “That’s not what happened!”

  “Then why didn’t you shoot Mercer before he attacked Smith? It would have saved us heaps of trouble…”

  “I was checking the stairwells and missed it.”

  “Is that right?”

  “You can only see one target at a time through a scope,” he explains. “I missed it. It was bad timing on my part.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you.” I narrow my eyes at him, studying his bearded face for any secret tells while keeping my laughter at bay.

  He glares at me with sideways eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you, Dani.”

  “You can tell me they looked great.”

  “I really have no idea how they looked.”

  A chuckle finally escapes my lips. “Okay, fine. I believe you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “For now.” He cranes his neck, exhaling a soft breath in frustration, but says nothing more. I slip on my socks and shoes. “Time to hit the road?”

  “We need to make a quick stop first.”

  “For what?”

  “Supplies.”

  “Like what? Snacks?”

  “Guns.”

  I blink. “Oh.”

  “It won’t take long. My dealer knows I’m coming.”

  “You have a dealer?” He nods. “What’s his name?”

  Fox pauses for a moment as we change lanes. “Her name is Caleb.”

  “Caleb? Your gun dealer is a girl with a boy’s name? How cliché.”

  He smirks and licks his lips. “Tell me all about it, Dani.”

  “Short for Danielle. At least, my mother wasn’t a hippie.”

  “My mother is not a hippie.”

  “She
named you Fox.”

  “It’s a cool name,” he defends. “Don’t get me started on Danielle Roxanne Roberts. I mean, what the hell is that?”

  I pause, unable to contain the laugh in my throat. Nostalgia silences me even more. It’s strange how quickly old habits take over again. We’ve haven’t spoken in five years and we’re already tossing insults back and forth like nothing has changed.

  Like siblings.

  I reach for my left cheek to scratch an itch without thinking and my nail scrapes against the stitches holding my skin together. “Ouch—”

  Fox looks over at me. “How’s that feeling?”

  I check the mirror and peel back the bandage to be sure I didn’t do any more damage to it. “It’s all right.” I sigh with annoyance. “Any idea why he chose the face of all places?”

  “I have the same scar.”

  “You do?” I eye his dark beard and he slides a finger down his left cheek.

  “Right here. He knew I’d make the connection.”

  “When did you get it?”

  He furrows his brow in thought. “It happened during my first mission in Snake Eyes. I screwed up and got made. The target had a thing for knives and managed to sneak in behind me, but…” His voice falls. “I was faster.”

  I glance at his cheek. “Not fast enough.”

  “Mercer called it my trophy,” he continues. “He wouldn’t let me get it fixed. Just let it bleed, he said. It’ll look cool.”

  “Why do you cover it up?”

  He keeps his eyes on the road. “Makes it easier to forget about, I guess.”

  We turn off the street and enter a small parking lot behind an old, brick building. A pink neon sign flashes above the entrance with several letters missing. I squint at it, trying to decipher the store’s name.

  “Fawn’s Pawn?” I read. “Who’s Fawn?”

  “It’s her last name.”

  I sit back. “Your gun dealer is a woman named Caleb Fawn?”

  Fox pulls his seatbelt free. “Wait here.”

  “Wait here?” I repeat. “No way. I want to meet your gun girl.”

  “No.” He pushes the door open and steps outside. “I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Fox—”

  “Dani.” He bends down and stares at me through the open window. “Stay here.”

  I sigh and fall back into my seat. “Fine.” I reach for my sunglasses.

  “Keep them on,” he warns, pointing a stiff finger at me.

  I hold up my hands in surrender and he walks off towards the pawn shop.

  Here we go. Bantering like siblings.

  This is going to be one strange road trip.

  Chapter 9

  Fox

  “Back again so soon?” Caleb’s thick, pink lips grin at me as I step inside the shop. “I’m starting to think you’re falling in love with me, Fox.”

  “You think every man that walks in here is falling in love with you, Caleb,” I fire back.

  “All except my father,” she quips. “May he rest in pieces out back.”

  I chuckle. I’ve forgotten how much I enjoy Caleb’s dark brand of humor. “Bit slow today,” I note, glancing around the abandoned shop.

  “It’s still early. The weirdos don’t come around until the afternoon…” Her lips curl. “Usually.”

  I stop at the counter in front of her and take one last glance around the shop to make sure we’re alone. “I need a few more things from your back room.”

  “Buy or trade?”

  “Loan.” She raises an eyebrow and I tilt my head. “You know I’m good for it, Caleb.”

  “You’re good at a lot of things, Fox. Returning my stuff, not so much. Guns, ammo, phone calls…”

  “I died.” I shrug.

  “How convenient for you.”

  “Come on, Caleb. I said I was sorry.”

  She chews on her lip with crumbling resolve. “I know… but I reserve the right to feel bitter about it for a little while longer.”

  “I don’t blame you. Please, Caleb. One tiny loan and I’ll have Boxcar wipe out some of your debts. It’s a fair trade.”

  She scoffs and brushes her auburn bangs away from her eyes. “You still hanging around with that prick?”

  I throw up my hands. “He’s useful.”

  “So are lobotomies. Still wouldn’t recommend one.”

  I smile. “Help me out and I’ll tell him I found you spread eagle with some beefcake in the back room. That outta piss him off.”

  She finally drops her head and lets out a smooth breath. “What do you need?”

  “A few boxes of those Win Mag rounds, a bowie knife, and that Model 60 I saw yesterday.”

  She hisses. “That’s my special occasion gun.”

  “I wouldn’t ask for it if it weren’t one.”

  “Going hunting?” she asks with a raised brow.

  “More on the defensive side this time.”

  “What are you defending?”

  “Bit of unfinished business.”

  “Let me guess…” She leans forward to speak with a deep whisper. “Black hair? Red lips? Scary-looking gash on her left cheek?”

  I pause. “What makes you say that?”

  “Because she followed you in here and it’s pretty obvious she doesn’t give a shit about my antique fishing lures.”

  I turn around to see Dani standing in the corner behind a tall tower of lures. “Dani—”

  She twitches at my tone, but a smile creeps to her lips. “Hey.”

  “I told you to stay in the car.”

  Dani wanders over to the stand next to me. “And I objected to it. You’re not my father.”

  “Go back outside.”

  “No.” She looks at Caleb. “Hello.”

  “Hello, there…” Caleb greets her with a knowing twinkle brushing her green eyes. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

  “I just have one of those faces,” Dani says, shrugging.

  Caleb bites her cheek. “Uh-huh.”

  “So, how do you know Fox?”

  I hang my head in annoyance. “We don’t have time—”

  “Army buddies,” Caleb answers.

  Dani’s eyes grow wide with interest. “You were in the Army?”

  “Once upon a time.”

  “You’re not anymore?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why did you leave?”

  Caleb grins and her eyes fall on me. “Got boring without old Foxy here.”

  Dani twists in my direction. “Foxy?”

  “Can you please just go take a look around?” I ask Dani, gesturing away from the counter. She rolls her eyes and wanders off, once again lingering around the fishing lures with zero interest. I turn back to Caleb and she tilts her head at me. “Don’t encourage her, Caleb.”

  She laughs, her lips dancing into a long grin. “I should have known. Who else could bring you back from the dead, Fox?”

  “It’s a complicated situation…”

  “Yeah, no shit.”

  “Please don’t tell anyone you saw her,” I add.

  “Fox, come on. It’s me.” She leans forward, lowering her voice. “If this was all about her, why didn’t you just say so?”

  “Because it’s a—”

  “Complicated situation,” she finishes with a happy sigh. “Take whatever you need.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m sure Boxcar will prove his usefulness once more.”

  “I’ll make sure he does.”

  Caleb’s eyes follow a trail behind me, ending with a presence hovering over my shoulder. I glance to the side and Dani’s elbow brushes my ribs.

  “I want a gun.”

  I spin in her direction. “You what?”

  “I want a gun,” she repeats, her little blue eyes sparkling with innocence.

  “No.” I shake my head. “You don’t get a gun.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you don’t know the first thing about handling a gun, Dani.”


  “Yes, I do,” she claims. “I did thirty hours of training with L.A.P.D. officers for Backseat Driver.”

  I blink with disbelief. “Backseat what?”

  “Backseat Driver. Come on, you saw it. Everyone saw it.”

  “I saw it,” Caleb grins.

  “See?” Dani points at her.

  I play dumb, bringing annoyance to her eyes. “I don’t have time to watch movies, Dani.”

  “Just ask my dad if you don’t believe me,” she sighs with frustration. “Or we can throw up a target and I’ll prove it right now.”

  I glance at Caleb’s amused face then back at Dani. “No. You can’t have a gun.”

  “My life is in danger, Fox. No offense to you and your skills but I’d feel much safer if I were armed.” She looks at Caleb. “I want a gun — and not a dinky little .22 girl gun. I want a 9mm Glock.”

  I turn back to Caleb in defeat. “And a Glock for the lady, please…”

  Caleb turns with a grin. “I change my mind. I like her.” She walks off into the back room, snatching a black duffel bag off the wall as she goes.

  “She didn’t like me?” Dani asks. “Why didn’t she like me?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Dani.” I glance at her again and she looks up at me with those perfect eyes. “Thirty hours?”

  She smiles and my knees turn to jelly.

  “Here you go.” Caleb drops the black bag onto the counter.

  “Thanks again, Caleb.” I grab the bag, taken back by its surprising heft.

  She grins at Dani and holds out a Glock by the barrel. “And for you…”

  Dani steps forward to take it but I snatch it away from her and drop it into the bag with the rest of it.

  Caleb chuckles. “If you get busted with it, you didn’t get it from me.”

  “As always,” I mutter. “Come on, Dani.”

  “And if I don’t get my Model 60 back, I’ll kill you myself.”

  I shrug. “I’d just come back.”

  “Yeah, yeah…”

  Dani lingers behind me and waves to Caleb. “It was nice to meet you.”

  “Take care of him for me,” Caleb replies, flashing a quick wave in return.

  Dani gives her a short smile before following me outside. “What did she mean by that?” she asks me.

  “Nothing,” I answer, popping the trunk open and setting the black bag inside.