by M. H. Soars
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Owen replies in a low, almost restrained tone.
The light turns green and we’re on the move again.
* * *
Owen
Not peeking at Kimberly changing in my backseat is one the hardest things I’ve had to do tonight. The other one was not kissing her when we were dancing, or when I had her pressed against my body in the parking lot. I’m free and there’s nothing keeping me from following my urges—the old Owen would have made a move by now—but for some reason, I want Kimberly to be one hundred percent on board with the idea. Sure, I know she’s attracted to me, but I also know something is holding her back. And I need her to want more than just a hook up. Shit, I must be losing my mind.
I try to concentrate on the task at hand. A light drizzle has started to fall, making it much harder to follow Big Joe’s car at a safe distance. I’m lucky I drive a generic silver Honda Civic, not something flashy like Alex’s car. That’s probably the reason he’s not driving his tonight.
I expect the duo to take the express way right away, but they remain in the city. Five minutes later, Big Joe pulls into a gas station. I can’t help thinking that’s poor planning on Big Joe’s part. Shouldn’t he have the car loaded and ready to go? I have no choice but to follow them in, but I park my car far away from the fluorescent lights. Big Joe gets out to put gas in his car and a second later, Alex follows suit, cell phone glued to his ear. He glances left and right, before striding toward the store. He veers to the back of the building, though. Interesting.
“Stay here,” I tell Kimberly.
“Where are you going?”
“To get intel.”
“You’re going to get caught,” Kimberly hisses.
“No, I’m not.”
I get out before she can argue further. I pull my hoodie up and jog across the parking lot, going in the direction Alex disappeared to. I keep my body flush against the building wall as I approach the corner. I stop moving when I’m able to hear Alex loud and clear.
“You’re joking, right?” he says angrily. “What kind of bullshit is that? I’m ready to do the exchange tonight.”
There’s a pause and then he continues. “The goods are already on route.” Another pause. “Well, I guess I’ll be spending the night in San Diego then. Fucking fantastic.”
I wait a little longer and then Alex speaks again. “Romeo? We have a problem. The buyer won’t be ready tonight, something about losing a tail on his ass. We’ll have to park the merchandise and wait until tomorrow to make the exchange.”
Oh, shit. Kimberly is not going to like that.
“I’m on my way. Text me the address.”
I hear Alex’s footsteps coming my way, so I quickly hide behind the dumpster, just in time before he rounds the corner. I wait until he’s far away enough to get out of my hiding spot and I jog back to my car. My jacket is damp now, but it was worth the information I got.
“Did you learn anything?” Kimberly asks as soon as I slide inside.
“His buyer is not ready, but the stolen goods are already on the way to San Diego. Alex is going to spend the night there.”
“Shit. What are we going to do?”
“I guess we have to spend the night in San Diego, too.”
Kimberly frowns at me and bites her lower lip. “Why would Alex go out in the rain to make that call?”
“I have no clue. Maybe he doesn’t trust Big Joe completely yet or he’s just being paranoid.”
“They’re leaving.” Kimberly points ahead.
Following them on the express way is much easier and I begin to relax, in part anyway. I’m still too aware of Kimberly’s presence next to me, my mind is too in tune with every single move she makes. The radio is on, but the sound is low, the music is more like background noise. Until Kimberly decides to turn the volume up, and Madonna’s voice comes through the speaker, singing about how time goes by so slowly.
“My, my, what do we have here?” Kimberly mocks me.
“Shut up. That’s a top forty station. I was listening to Fall Out Boy before.”
“Sure.”
I bat her hand away and change it to the CD player. The familiar guitar rift of Here We Go by Dispatch fills the car and all is right with the world again.
“What’s this?” she asks.
I chance a glance at her. “You don’t know Dispatch?”
“Never heard of them.”
“That’s a tragedy. No worries. Owen is here to save the day.”
Kimberly scrunches up her nose. “How about we put the radio back on?”
“Nu-uh. Driver picks the music.”
“Since when?”
“Uh, since always?”
She makes a disgruntled sound and leans back against the seat, arms crossed in front of her chest. “Fine.”
Am I going to be disappointed if Kimberly doesn’t like my favorite band? A bit. But after the second track, she’s no longer pouting, and her fingers are drumming against her thigh to the beat of the song.
Alex doesn’t make any more surprise pit stops and we follow him all the way to San Diego without any problems, keeping a safe distance between our cars.
When Big Joe’s car pulls into a Motel 8’s parking lot just outside of San Diego, I circle back and wait until Alex and his companion are out of the car, then I park between two trucks and wait. Five minutes later, they leave the motel’s reception area with keys in hands and disappear inside their respective rooms.
“I can’t believe Alex is staying here,” I say.
“He’s probably trying to keep a low profile or he has run out of cash.”
“I’m gonna go in and get us a room. Try to stay out of trouble.”
Chapter 20
Kimberly
I wait impatiently inside Owen’s car. I don’t like idleness, it makes me feel antsy. Action could be my middle name. After ten minutes, Owen returns and I get out of the car to meet him. My long blonde hair is pulled back and I’m wearing a black wool hat. It’s not exactly super cold, but I don’t want my light hair to stand out. The air is chilly and moist, and the smell of wet grass fills my nose. It’s one of my favorite scents in the world, but tonight, I can hardly appreciate it. At least the rain has stopped.
“We’re in the room two doors down from them.” Owen gets his backpack from the car and pulls my duffel bag from my hands.
“We?”
“Yes, we. What’s the matter, Kimmy? Are you afraid to spend the night with me?”
“Of course not.” Lie. I’m terrified. Not of him, but of this crazy person he turns me into.
He strides in the building’s direction and I jog to keep up with him. The motel room is not as bad as I thought it would be, but the smell of old cigarettes is sharp.
“They didn’t have non-smoking rooms?”
Owen drops my duffel bag next to one of the twin beds and sits on the other. “I didn’t even think about asking for one. I just wanted a room close enough to Alex’s.”
I suppose Owen’s line of thinking makes sense. I will have to endure the smell, then. I glance around, trying not to cringe too much as I inspect our quarters for the night. The walls are painted a depressing shade of grey that probably hides most of the dirt. The carpet is dingy and worn. No walking barefoot tonight.
I glance at my bed. The comforter and pillows look clean enough. I’m glad I brought my warm sweatpants and a long sleeved top. Less contact between my skin and those sheets. I’m not a phobic, but once I saw a documentary about the types of bugs you can find in hotels sheets and it’s hard for me not to think about that right now.
Owen begins to bounce up and down on his bed, bringing my attention to him. The mattress creeks loudly and I can only imagine the types of disgusting creatures he’s disturbing.
“Not bad,” he says.
“Not bad? Your standards are pretty low. Well, I guess I already knew that.”
I walk toward the window and pull the curtain to the side. Big Joe’s car is still in the same spot. Good. We should take turns keeping an eye on it. I’m about to say that to Owen when he speaks again.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I turn around and find his brows scrunched together and his jaw tense.
“Let me give you a hint, it starts with L and ends with bitch.”
He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and smirks at me. But his gaze remains hard. “It sounds like you’re jealous.”
I roll my eyes and bend down to get my duffle bag from the floor. “Please.”
I decide to go inspect the bathroom and change into more comfortable clothes. The sooner we go to sleep, the sooner tomorrow will come.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not sleeping in my jeans.” I look over my shoulder and wish I hadn’t. Owen has removed his bow tie and opened the first two buttons of his shirt. He still has his tux jacket on and something in my belly uncoils. My heart leaps and crashes against my ribcage in its attempt to flee the confines of my chest. Heat spreads to my cheeks and I scurry to the bathroom, running away like a scared mouse. I lean against the closed door, resting my head against the solid surface and looking at up the popcorn ceiling. Focus on the task at hand, Kimberly. Focus.
The all-white bathroom is surprisingly clean, but the strong smell of ammonia makes my nose itch. At least I know most of the bacteria are dead. What a solace. I take off my sweater and bra, and put my shirt on. The cotton is nice and soft, but not as I thick as I would have preferred. If I squint hard enough, I can see my nipples. Shit. I think I’ll have to keep my sweater on until I’m under the covers. I remove my shoes and jeans next, and then the stupid wool hat that makes my head seem twice as big. I was never a hat girl. I let my hair loose, brushing it with my fingers. I stop mid stroke when I realize what I’m doing. I’m preening for Owen.
I reach for my sweatpants on the bathroom counter when I feel something tickle the top of my foot. I look down and find a big nasty mouse sniffing my skin. I yell and jump on counter, pulling my legs up in horror. The furry thing scurries away, but not before Owen bursts through the door, a look of pure determination in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
I point a shaky finger at the rodent. “That.”
The disgusting pest disappears behind the toilet seat. Owen bends down to peer at the back of it, and then he turns to me. “It’s gone. There’s a tiny hole in the wall.”
“That was gross.”
Once my horror subsides, I realize I’m half naked and Owen is standing in front of me, crowding the small space. I feel hot all of a sudden. Too hot. I jump off of the counter and Owen’s gaze lowers to my naked legs.
“I’m good now, thank you. You can leave.”
He takes a couple of steps forward, closing the distance between us. “I don’t know. Maybe I should stay and make sure Jerry doesn’t come back.”
“Ha-ha. Very funny.”
“What’s the matter, Kimmy? Do I make you uncomfortable?”
I cross my arms and glare at him. “No. You don’t affect me at all, Owen.”
He gives me a knowing smile. “Liar. It’s your loss, anyway. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
Without waiting for Owen to leave, I put my pants on, just to prove a point. I don’t care that he’s watching me with heavy lidded eyes. I don’t. I walk past him and back into our shared room.
“You’re probably all bark and no bite,” I say.
Faster than I can blink, Owen grabs my arm and spins me around, pinning me against the wall with his body. My pulse skyrockets.
“Is that a challenge, Kimberly? Because I’m more than willing to prove you wrong.”
His mouth is a mere inch from mine, his hot breath caresses my flushed skin. What have I done? I can’t think straight with his body pressed against mine like that. He’s all muscle and strength and my fingers itch to feel the heat of his hard edges. I want to know what his lips taste like. But I would be trading my sanity in exchange, my control. I can’t do that. My wit is my strength.
“Let go of me, Owen.”
“Is that what you really want?” He leans even closer, almost brushing his lips against mine. “I’m having a hard time believing you don’t want me to kiss you right now.”
“I don’t,” I whisper.
“Liar.”
He claims my mouth, cutting off my response. His tongue is fierce and demanding, taking away every objection I have. There’s no resistance on my part, I let Owen take control. My hands are on his shoulders, clutching him as I fight to keep my head above water. My brain is on overload, trying to process all the feelings bouncing around in my head. Too soon, Owen steps back, abruptly ending the kiss and leaving me bereft.
“That was just a sample, Kimmy.”
“What?” I ask stupidly, my brain still foggy with lust.
He walks backward, a grin of victory on his lips. “I don’t usually have to steal kisses, but I made an exception for you. Next time, you’ll have to ask for it.”
Slowly, my mind settles down, and I recover the ability to think straight. I remember how infuriating and cocky Owen is. His arrogance is the wake-up call I needed.
“Never going to happen.”
“We’ll see about that.”
He smiles and my resolution to keep him at arm’s length waivers. I want him holding me, kissing me again. Not even the deep breaths I take help me control my erratic heartbeat.
Owen grabs a hoodie from his backpack and puts it on. That’s when I notice he has changed into casual clothes, jeans and a dark gray sweater. He heads for the door.
“Where are you going?” I take a step in his direction.
“Getting something to eat across the street. I’ll be right back.”
And just like that, he’s gone.
Chapter 21
Kimberly
I sit on my bed and turn the TV on, but the only thing showing is a picture of Owen. Yeah, I’m using Roxette references now. That’s how far into the rabbit hole I’ve gone. My mind keeps replaying that kiss, my body still tingles all over. Cursing to myself, I grab my phone and send a text message to Larissa, updating her on my whereabouts. She’s covering for me and I don’t want her to freak out when I don’t come home. Her reply is swift. “Be careful.”
I lean my head back and close my eyes, the magnitude and danger of what we’re doing finally hitting me. This is crazy. Alex is probably dealing with real criminals, we could get hurt. I hate that I involved Owen in this. Suddenly, everything is just too much. I become overwhelmed with the task at hand, with my conflicted feelings, with guilt. I begin to cry, loud, angry sobs rack my body and I can’t stop. I’m glad that Owen is not here to witness my break down. How embarrassing would that be? I haven’t had a panic attack in years, not since I played Wendy in a third grade play, and couldn’t remember any of my lines five minutes before the show was supposed to start.
The door flies open and my heart almost leaps out of my chest. Owen comes in, out of breath. I don’t have time to dry off the tears and he sees them.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.” I turn away and wipe my face.
“Bullshit. You’re crying.”
“I said it’s nothing. Why are you back so soon? You left like two minutes ago.”
“Alex is on the move.”
I jump out of bed. “What?”
“I overhead him and Big Joe talking. It seems his contact is ready to make the exchange tonight after all. We gotta go.”
I grab my things and I’m out of the door in less than a minute. Action, that’s exactly what I need. Ad
renaline makes me forget my anxiety. Owen takes the lead, looking left and right to make sure the coast is clear. We see the tailgate of Big Joe’s car ahead and we run to catch up. Owen revs up the engine and peels out of the parking lot without regards for stealth. Big Joe’s car has already turned into the street so I doubt they noticed us.
We follow Alex for about twenty minutes and I look out the window, trying to see where we’re going. It’s dark, but even so I can tell we’re not in a very savory part of town. The buildings are older, and the few people on the street seem to be in a hurry to get inside.
The car ahead slows down, until it parks in front of a deserted public park. Owen turns right before they can spot us, parking the car in the adjacent street. We hurry on foot, not knowing where Alex plans to go from here. It would suck ass if we lost sight of him now. The professional camera I borrowed from the paper bounces against my hips. I pull the strap over my neck and hold the camera with my hands. This is how I plan to get proof of Lorenzo’s innocence, recording Alex during the act.
We spot the douchebag straight head, by a set of swings that have seen better days. It saddens me to see the state this playground is in. Graffiti covers almost every single surface, and most of the toys around us are rusty or broken.
Owen and I hide behind a cluster of bushes and I get my camera ready. I set it to video and wait.
Alex, Big Joe, and the guy who stole my laptop, stand in front of a group of four thugs, all dressed in leather jackets with mean-looking expressions. A shiver runs down my spine. I see one has a gun tucked inside his pants.
“The computers are in the van.” Alex throws a key to one of the guys in front of him.
He picks it up and hands it over to his companion, without taking his eyes off of Alex. “Tobias, go check it out.”
Tobias leaves and the numbers are now even. “May I ask how a preppy boy like yourself managed to steal all those computers from your school and not get caught?”
Alex laughs. “I have my ways. Let’s just say I know a guy who can make pretty convincing security footage.”