Dark Heart

by Eve L Mitchell

  “Nice guys don’t steal cars and sell them on, Gregor,” I commented wryly as I flicked ash.

  Gregor flushed and gave a half-hearted laugh at my comment. “You know what I mean, there could be worse people to work for.” He glanced at me. I wondered if he meant me but chose to let it slide. I wasn’t here to be popular. Like me or not, I didn’t really care, as long as you did your job and gave me no trouble.

  “Go on,” I said, encouraging him to get to the end.

  “So, my cousin gets a list, he finds the cars, he then takes them to a warehouse out at Longmont, erases them so to speak.” He meant he got rid of the VINs, “Said he’s found a way to replace the VIN. I dunno how though.” He shrugged.

  “They resetting the odometer?” I asked quietly. It made no sense to steal the cars, erase them and then respray them if you weren’t resetting the mileage. Otherwise there was no profit to be made. You could sell a car a couple of years old, reset the mileage and make it look like new…or newer at least.

  “I think so. My cousin didn’t say.”

  I nodded as he spoke. “Ten grand a car is a lot.” I put my cigarette out. “Why you getting so much for a respray?” Gregor looked out over the yard. He shrugged. “I would strongly recommend you don’t lie to me right now.”

  “I knew you were going to question the money. I knew it wouldn’t pass you.” He laughed as he rubbed his jaw.

  “What else is in the car?”

  Gregor looked at me. “Ok, it’s not in the car when we have them, I promise, I told him you wouldn’t let that happen.”

  “Drugs then?” I had suspected as much but I was curious to find out more about the operation before I had voiced my thoughts earlier.

  “Yeah, they’re moving the drugs through the cars. But I promise, Aaron, they won’t come to the shop with any in them. I made my cousin promise.”

  “I don’t run drugs.” I was firm.

  “I know, I swear there won’t be any.” He looked at me hopefully.

  “I’ll think about it.” I walked back into the garage. I wouldn’t be personally running the drugs, but I would be a cog in the wheel. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. On the other hand, I had four weeks to get a lot of money together, could I afford to be fussy?

  “Aaron?” I looked up. Lela was standing in front of me.

  “What?” I saw her flinch at my tone. I almost rolled my eyes in exasperation.

  “Um, I was wondering if you were ordering lunch?” She was wringing her hands together again. I walked past her as I headed to the office. There was a customer waiting for his car, reading on his tablet with headphones on. Nevertheless, I headed to the back of the office and Lela followed.

  “The guys put in a lunch order. I didn’t get any yesterday and I was wondering since you were here, if I could order something?” Her eyes were downcast and she looked nervous.

  “Why are you asking me if you can eat?” I folded my arms and waited.

  “I don’t have any money.”

  “What did you do with the fifty dollars you had this morning?” I asked her suspiciously.

  “I left my purse at home. I was so mad at you this morning, I left it with my luggage.” I couldn’t help but be amused at the way she snapped at me like it was my fault she was going hungry.

  I barked out a laugh. “Well that was stupid.” Her eyes flashed up at me but she quickly averted her gaze. “And it isn’t your home, stop saying it is.”

  “Whatever.” She snapped at me again, as she finally looked at me. I grinned at her. I couldn’t help it. I enjoyed pissing her off. “Are you going to give me money so I can eat?”

  I laughed in genuine amusement and she seemed startled. “Order your food Brat, get me something too.” I walked away from her, still chuckling.

  “I told you to stop calling me brat!” she half yelled after me.

  “I told you to stop acting like one,” I countered as I headed back into the workshop. I could imagine her expression as I headed back to the car I had been working on and I couldn’t hold back the smile. Making Lela angry was beginning to be the highlight of my day.

  I was in the adjoining shed which was accessed at the back of the autoshop where the cages of tyres were housed. I was stacking tyres and taking inventory when she arrived between the cages. She had a small lunch bag with her. She stopped when she saw she had my attention. Lela held up the bag, almost like a peace offering.

  “Lunch,” she offered. I nodded as I quickly wrote down the contents of the last cage. “You want to eat it here?”

  I looked up and frowned at her. “You want me to eat my lunch here?”

  Lela glanced around. “I thought we could both eat here?”

  I tucked the clipboard under my arm and considered her. “What have you done?”

  Lela laughed with little humour. “You always think the worst of me.” She shook her head. “I was being nice. Thought you may want to sit away from the others.” She stood there awkwardly for a few more moments and then sighed as she turned away.

  “Lela, wait,” I offered as she turned. “There’s nowhere to sit here, unless you want me to pull out a tyre?” I joked.

  “Jim said that there was a bit to the back?”

  I frowned because there was a small corner at the back, where a broken office chair and wonky table were kept. I gestured for her to follow me and I retreated to the back corner. There were two wonky chairs. Huh. I tested both and offered the more stable one to Lela. As she sat, she placed the bag on the table and started emptying it. I took off the gloves I had been wearing earlier when I stacked the tyres. I accepted the carton she offered me.

  “I have napkins in here too, “she muttered as I opened my box. I had a classic BLT with chips and a pickle. I eyed the pickle with distaste.

  “You don’t like pickle?” Lela asked me as she handed me a napkin and a bottle of water. I took both from her and shrugged.

  “Not so much.” I watched her. I couldn’t figure out what her aim was.

  “I’ll take it, I love pickles.” She blinded me with a smile and reached across for it. I offloaded the offending fruit and opened my bottle of water. “Why are you staring at me like that?” Lela placed her pickle down and looked at me expectantly.

  “Am I? Maybe you should tell me what your game is here?” I wasn’t a fool. There was something going on, or something she wanted.

  Lela fussed over opening her carton and took out her sandwich. She took a bite before she looked at me and rolled her eyes. She placed the sandwich back in the carton and looked at me. “Why are you so suspicious all the time?”

  “Because this morning you hated me, then not even an hour ago you were glaring at me and now you want to sit and eat lunch with me, in a secluded spot, away from your many admirers. Doesn’t have to be fish in the room for the place to smell fishy.” I bit into my own sandwich and chewed as I waited.

  “You’re so difficult.”

  I grunted in acknowledgment as I took another bite, still watching her.

  “Trey asked me if I was going tonight with you to Louisville,” Lela blurted out to me. I put my sandwich down and looked at her.

  “When were you talking to Trey?”

  “He went for the lunch order, he asked me when I ordered your lunch too.” She sat there picking at the side of her sandwich, which looked to be slices of roasted vegetables. It looked hideous. “He asked if we were together and if I would be there tonight.” Her face was a mixture of hopefulness and anxiety.

  I took a drink of water as I watched her. “What did you say when he asked if we were together?”

  Her face flushed scarlet and she looked away as she mumbled, “I said we weren’t.”

  I nodded. I took another bite of my sandwich and watched her. Lela started to fidget. I could tell she was desperate to speak but too anxious to rock this rapidly sinking boat. I took another bite and still she sat there.

  “Oh my God, you insufferable man!” she eventually snapped. “Ok,
I get it. I’m not allowed to go with you to your stupid nightclub! I don’t know why I asked.” She threw her napkin into her carton, her food barely touched. I reached over and removed the napkin.

  “Eat. You don’t eat enough.” Her eyes snapped to me and she glared. I held the glare and she let out a laugh with no humour.

  Lela got to her feet and shoved the rickety old chair away from her. “I lost my appetite.” She turned to leave. I called her back and she turned sullenly. She wasn’t brave enough to fully challenge me yet.

  “Don’t forget to take the trash.” I gestured toward my now empty carton and her own. I put my gloves back on and picked up my book to resume working.

  “I really do not like you,” she muttered as she gathered up the lunch and stormed away. I waited until she was gone and then pulled my phone out.

  “Get back here…now.” I hung up. Minutes later Trey arrived. He looked like he had seen a ghost. I continued with my inventory and waited.

  “Is this because I asked her out or because I told her about the Warehouse?” He shifted from one foot to another. Trey was relatively tall, he had some muscle on him, but it was all show. He wouldn’t know how to throw a punch if his life depended on it. He loved watching it though. His jet-black hair, designer stubble and the care he took with his appearance made him popular with the girls. He used to hang with my brother – but I had noticed he had been slipping out of Jay’s circle of friends over the last few months. He was a good mechanic and he fit in well here. Usually, I didn’t mind his cocky attitude but today he had annoyed me.

  “It’s both isn’t it?” he muttered. I finally looked at him and he seemed to shrink. He ran a hand over his hair. “Sorry Aaron, I thought she was fair game, you don’t seem to – well, you know – gel. Then when she ordered your lunch, I thought I would just double check.”

  I straightened up and waited for him to continue. He visibly gulped. “So, I just asked if she would be with you later, you know since she is living with you. It was obvious she didn’t know what the Warehouse was and I knew then that I’d fucked up.”

  “Why does she think it is a nightclub?”

  “She does?” I nodded once and he shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe she just assumed, I mean if you don’t know then I suppose it makes sense.” He shrugged again.

  “She isn’t fair game, stay away from her. Make sure she knows that there is no nightclub but do not tell her what it is. Make sure the others know – Lela isn’t available. Got it?”

  He was nodding vigorously. “Yeah, most definitely, I’m sorry, I’ll make sure everyone knows.” He stood there. I waited. He fidgeted again. “Um…so…can I go back to work?”

  I nodded once and the speed with which he left me would have been amusing – if I had felt like laughing. She was causing havoc – even doing something as harmless as ordering lunch had become a disaster. I decided to count to ten. My mom did it when we were younger when she was trying not to lose her temper; she would always count to ten, then she would look at me and immediately start counting to twenty.

  It never worked, she always ended up losing it and as I got older, I would suggest she try a hundred. That just led to me being instantly grounded. We eventually ended up with the mutual agreement – while she was counting, I would just go to my room. I would then wait however long I felt like and then I would climb out the window and be on my merry way. In the beginning the hard part had been popping off the screen from the window but once that had been done, it was merely a waiting game.

  I had counted to ten and I had less than any idea why my mom ever thought that would work. I was more pissed than I was before. Counting gave me the opportunity to think of nothing but what was pissing me off. Shaking my head, I resumed my work trying to push Lela to the back of my head. I hadn’t much more to do before I was heading back into the main area. Trey’s head was down as he worked on a car. I cast a quick glance at my staff and all of them seemed overly enthusiastic and full of concentration in their work. I snorted in disgust. Even Jim was avoiding eye contact.

  I headed to the office. Lela was sitting on the counter, still nibbling the sandwich – it looked worse than earlier. Limper. She looked up and caught my stare and immediately looked away. I walked in and was relieved it was free of customers. I closed the door behind me. Lela frowned and put the sandwich down.

  “For fuck sake, eat it or chuck it but for the love of God, stop playing with it,” I snapped at her. Defiantly she lifted it and took a huge bite. I fought my grin as I watched her struggle to chew, my bait had worked again.

  “So, did Trey clear up the misunderstanding?” She rolled her eyes at me as she struggled to chew and answer. “There is no nightclub. You understand?” Defiance met me. “You are not going to hook up with any of my guys. Understand?” Her eyes narrowed. “You are here to work, keep your mouth and your legs shut.”

  Lela choked on her sandwich. I watched as she fought to recover, her wide panicking eyes not moving me to go help her – I struggled to hold back laughing. Her eyes were streaming from coughing and spluttering, yet still gasping she tried to speak. I stepped up to the counter – the fury in her eyes was intoxicating, but I needed to ignore it.

  “Do we understand one another?” I asked her softly.

  “No! Who the hell do you think you are?” She came storming around the counter and marched up to me. I half turned to look at her. Lela poked my chest with her finger, her voice was raspy from coughing. “I do not answer to you, I am not one of your mindless minions. You absolute pig. I hate you. I can’t believe these guys are nice to you, because you are despicable! A despicable pig.”

  I caught her finger before she stabbed me in the chest with it again. I twisted it slightly and she gasped. I knew I wasn’t really hurting her. “Stop.”

  The soft command made her take a breath. Before she could open her mouth to let the next tirade out, I placed a hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened in disbelief and fury. She tried to jerk her head away, but I cupped the back of her head with my other hand. Immobile, I held her close.

  “I said stop.” I felt her stiffen. She was still fighting me. “Lela, I won’t warn you again.” I looked down at her and she glared right back at me. “Now, stop spitting your venom at me. I am doing this for you.” She rolled her eyes at me and the smirk escaped me before I could stop it. God, she had fire. “Trey is one of the biggest male sluts I have ever met. He will use you and leave you – probably in the same night. You’re just a notch.” Her resistance faded a little and I kept eye contact with her. “There isn’t a guy who works for me that you want to be involved with. None of those guys are your answer to get away from me.” Her eyes narrowed again. “Almost half of them have girlfriends, the others have wives, the ones who have neither have no one for a reason.” Her shoulders slumped a little and her eyes flicked away from me. I took my hand away from her mouth. She instantly licked her lips and I was tempted to cover her mouth again, but not with my hand.

  I took a step back and watched her. “I run another business some nights, it is not a nightclub.” Her eyes flicked back to me. “I wouldn’t let you anywhere near a nightclub Lela, but trust me, the Warehouse isn’t a nightclub, ok?” She went to protest I crossed my arms over my chest. “Your stepfather told me to keep you away from that scene. I am doing what I was paid to do.”

  “He’s not my stepfather,” Lela spat out.

  “Ok, I’m pretty sure he is, since he married your mom, but hey, doesn’t mean you have to call him daddy.” I shrugged. The glare was levelled at me again.

  “Why should I trust you?” she asked me softly.

  I actually laughed. “Seriously babe? Have I told you anything but the truth so far?”

  “You’re still a bastard.” I watched her walk around the counter and get back on the seat.

  “I know.” I grinned as I turned to go back into the garage. “You’re welcome by the way.”

  “For what? Saving my virtue?” Lela’s snarky respons
e stalled my steps. I looked over my shoulder at her. Her glare was defiant.

  “Fine. Do what – or who – ever you want. Keep it out of my house and away from my work.” I walked away and closed the door behind me. The thump resonated against the door. I hesitated and stopped myself from going back in and throttling her.

  I walked over to the bench I had left my jacket on earlier. I glanced at Jim. “I’m out before I kill her.” I walked out and over the yard, pulling out my cigarettes as I headed to the truck.

  “Aaron!” I heard her screeching behind me, obviously protesting about me leaving. In an act of pure childishness, I flipped her the finger over my shoulder as I left her behind.

  I was in the office at the gym when my phone rang. The number was unknown, so I ignored it. If it was important, they would leave a message.

  Shadow had been at the gym when I got here, he took one look at me, heard me utter her name and had left me alone. I had spent some one on one time with a punching bag and was still pissed off. How was she in my head like this? Was it four days?

  How was it only four days?

  I kicked the corner of the desk as I glared at the floor. I needed to stop this, but the thought of her with Trey was making my blood boil. Why? She was scrawny. She was annoying. God, she was so annoying!

  The phone rang again. Unknown. Pissed off, I snatched it up. “What?”

  “May I speak with Aaron Jonson please?” the male voice asked.

  “Speaking.”

  “Aaron. This is Daniel Morgan.” I felt my eyes widen in surprise. Her dad? “I believe my daughter is living with you for the time her mother is away.”

  “That’s right.”

  “It is also my understanding that her mother’s husband is paying you for the trouble?”

  “And how would you know that?” I asked him softly.

  “My daughter phoned me this afternoon. I was in a meeting.” He sounded pissed off at that. What was he pissed off at? The fact that his daughter called him. Or that she called him when he was in a meeting? I already didn’t like this guy; he wasn’t helping his case with this call.