by Leddy Harper
And he did.
Except, after his death, it was like half the guys had no more accountability. They didn’t see me as someone they had to answer to—I was a troubled kid, same as them. So the second they realized they could return to the life they had, making more money peddling drugs than they did fixing cars, they were out. All I did was try to rein them back in.
“So what do ya say?” He raised his brows in question. “Wanna go see what we can find to replace your four-four-two?”
I didn’t have any desire to replace my car. I only wanted to find it. And his suggestion of finding a new one gave me an idea. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”
After weeks of searching for cars matching the description of mine that had been sold in the last five years all over the United States, I finally gave up. That didn’t mean she hadn’t sold it, just that she hadn’t listed it online. Which didn’t surprise me—she’d stolen it and didn’t have the title or a way to get it. I’d done everything I could think of to find her on social media, yet even that was a dead end. She couldn’t have vanished, so I wouldn’t quit looking until I found her.
In the meantime, I decided to bury myself in work at the shop and try to prove to the new guys that I wasn’t a monster. Unfortunately, that meant I had to hear stories of their conquests—which were either overindulged or the girls in this town had gotten easier. They were already easy, so I wasn’t aware that was even possible. Most of their claims were pretty farfetched, so I only listened to bits and pieces, just enough to comment and make it appear that I cared who they stuck their dick into.
That all changed late on a Wednesday morning, about three months after I was released from prison, when Bennett got started on the tale of his evening. “So, there I was, driving home last night after I left here, and this cute little thing was stranded on the side of the road in a Rosemary’s Diner uniform. Of course, I stopped to help her out. She thanked me by sucking me off right there in her car. Hottest fucking thing of my life.”
“Did you at least get her name first?” one of the other guys asked.
“Sure did. Maggie.”
Bennett and Wes continued to talk, but I couldn’t hear any of it past the ringing in my ears. I came around the car I was working on and stood in front of him. And based on the way he gawked at me, I could tell whatever angered expression I wore must’ve scared him.
“Back up…you said her name was Maggie?” I wasn’t foolish enough to believe only one person in the world had that name, but there was no way I’d jump to the assumption it wasn’t her before I could find out for sure.
“Uh, yeah. Why? She a friend of yours?”
“What does she look like?”
“Brown hair, blue eyes. Normal.” He shook his head. “I don’t know, man. She was a girl, and she was a pro with her mouth.”
I was conflicted. Part of me burned with the desire to knock his front teeth out for speaking about her like that. The other part of me remembered that she wasn’t the same person I’d thought she was, and considering how willing she had been four years ago, there was a chance I’d pegged her wrong from the very beginning. There was also the chance he had met some other Maggie with blue eyes and a wicked mouth.
“She works at Rosemary’s, just off the highway in Billings. I drove past it on my way here about an hour ago and her car was in the parking lot. If you want to go give her a test drive…be my guest.”
“What kind of car does she drive?”
“Older model Honda. White. Donut on the rear driver’s side. Why?”
“Just wanna make sure I got the right girl.”
“Wait,” he called out in a panic. “What are you gonna do to her?”
I smiled and said, “Get my dick wet, what do you think?”
Jarrod was in my office with his girl, Jess. I’d met her several times, and I doubted I’d ever get used to seeing her here. She was normal—in this town, around this group of guys, “normal” was extraordinary. I still couldn’t figure out what she was doing with someone like us, or why she’d have his baby. That was between them. And late at night when I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, it made me think of the best two days of my life—while I prayed I wouldn’t remember them when I woke up.
I walked in, interrupting their light conversation, and asked Jarrod if he wouldn’t mind finishing the brakes on the car in my bay. I could’ve finished them myself, but I wasn’t about to chance missing her if it had, in fact, been my Maggie.
“Yeah. Everything okay?”
“I’m sure it’ll all be great. I just have to check on something real fast.”
He nodded, and then I headed out to where we parked our cars. Considering I hadn’t found anything else to replace my Olds—nothing could replace it—Jarrod allowed me to use his truck until I got something of my own. I figured he would’ve asked for it back by now, but he never did.
I climbed behind the steering wheel and drove off toward the highway.
I had no idea where this diner was, yet it couldn’t have been too difficult to find it. All the towns around here were small and rural, not many roads to get lost on. I’d been to Billings a few times in the past—not many, since it was where the “good” people lived, and guys like me belonged in Fleetwood—so I shouldn’t have had any issues finding the place.
Sure enough, as soon as I made it about a mile down Blundsford Road, just off the highway, Rosemary’s Diner sat on the right. I pulled in and spotted the older model, white Honda Accord. And just as Ben had described, a spare tire adorned the driver’s side.
Still, that didn’t mean shit. Just because he’d described a car in the parking lot didn’t mean it belonged to Maggie. And even though I could’ve gone inside to find out for myself, I had a better idea. I took the lockout tool from the truck and let myself into the car just long enough to find something with a name on it. In the glove box, I found an insurance card, and the name on the front hit me harder than a sledgehammer.
Maggie Abrams.
My hands shook as I closed the compartment and stuffed the card into my pocket. Once I was back in the truck, I had to give myself a moment to calm down, needing to catch my breath before I made the next move—whatever that would be. It didn’t matter that I had suspected it was her; seeing the proof set me off. The chance that it wasn’t the same person I’d been looking for had been enough to keep me from coming up with an actual plan. And now that I was here, and it was, in fact, her…I didn’t have a clue what to do.
Using my phone, I pulled up the number to the diner, and then pressed the call button.
Maggie
“Hey, Maggie,” Diana yelled from behind the counter. “Someone just called and said your lights are on.”
That caught my attention. I came out of the breakroom with my apron in my hand and my purse on my shoulder, beyond ready to leave after a long shift. “What?”
She rolled her eyes, as if she couldn’t believe I had possibly misunderstood her. “A guy called, said he was in the parking lot and noticed your headlights were on.”
“Who was he? And how would he know it’s my car?”
“I didn’t ask, sugar. Phone rang, I answered, and all he said was, it’s a white Honda in the side lot and it had its lights on. You’re the only one who works here that drives one, so I’m assuming it’s yours.”
I groaned and headed for the exit in the kitchen. I’d been here since six thirty, which meant they’d been on all morning. This was the last thing I needed after getting a flat yesterday on my way home. More than likely, I’d need a new battery. I already owed my uncle enough money—I didn’t need to add more to it.
With my keys in my hand, I headed outside toward my car. The first thing I noticed was that my lights weren’t on. The second was that there wasn’t another Honda in the lot, much less another white car, which meant my battery had completely died. I stuck my key in the door to unlock it and had just pulled on the handle to open it when someone approached me from behind.
“
Did you finally give up your life of crime? Or is this another way for you to look desperate enough to take advantage of some other poor guy willing to help?” There was no mistaking that voice. I’d heard it in my sleep every night for the last four years.
I spun around so fast my ponytail whipped across my cheek. My purse slipped off my shoulder and hit the ground with a thud, my apron following it soundlessly. With my back against the car door, I fought to calm my racing heart and catch my breath—which was futile as soon as I saw his face and the anger that lined it.
We’d spent two days together, years ago, and I didn’t have a picture to remember him by—other than the image of him I’d kept in my memories. Regardless, the man in front of me was a very different version of the one I called to mind anytime I needed him.
His hair was shorter, resembling more of a military cut than the slightly longer locks I used to dream of running my fingers through. Then there were his eyes. Once upon a time, I’d described them as haunted. Now, they were darker, more disturbed, and the way he pierced me with his stare, I couldn’t feel anything other than the hate pouring out of them. And somehow, though I had never believed it were possible, he was bigger. Stronger. His shoulders broader, arms thicker, chest wider. I could only imagine that he’d spent every minute of every day lifting weights.
He’d gone from stone to steel.
A sinister grin curled his full lips, the same ones I dreamed about every night. “What? Surprised to see me? Well, make that two of us.”
I shook my head, hoping to break out of the spell his gritty voice had me under. But it didn’t work. I couldn’t speak, and with my mind all over the place, I wasn’t even able to form a complete thought.
“Where’s my car, Maggie?”
His angered question startled me, struck me deep in the chest like a dagger, ready to rip me apart at the slightest movement. Then, after replaying his words many times in my head, I was brought back to reality.
“It’s…it’s in Florida.”
“Oh, yeah? Where?”
“My, um…my grandfather’s house.”
He barked out an incredulous laugh, causing me to jump at the sound and then practically weep at the animosity it carried. “You think I’m fucking stupid, Maggie? Is that it? You told me he was old, and he didn’t have much time left…and now you expect me to believe that my car, the one you stole from me, is at his house? Did he have a miraculous recovery?”
“No.” I fought against the tears stabbing my eyes. “He died years ago.”
“Yet my car is still there…right.”
“It is!” I understood his reasons for hating me, and I even got why he wouldn’t believe me now. However, that didn’t stop me from reacting, from finding my voice and letting it be heard. “It’s in the shed behind the house. Or…that’s where I left it.”
Talon licked his lips and stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his grease-stained, blue pants. Ink lined the parts of his arms beneath the sleeves of his grey shirt, and if I only looked at the art that riddled his skin, not the anger that marred his face, I could find peace and breathe a little easier. But I couldn’t ignore the rest of him. When he pulled his shoulders back, he reminded me of a brick wall. Hard and wide. Solid. It was enough to scare me. No matter how badly I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him I was sorry, tell him everything…I couldn’t. Because the sight of him had my heart in my throat, my chest filled with remorse, and my stomach tied in knots.
“Fine. Then take me there.”
I glanced behind him to the diner, noticing we were the only two in the parking lot. And suddenly, fear embedded every ounce of me. It was ironic because the first time I’d met him, when I should’ve been scared, I wasn’t. I’d spent two days with him, gave him my body, trusted him. And now, after all that, I was petrified of the man in front of me.
“I can’t just leave, Talon. I’ll give you the address and you can go get it.”
“Yeah…see, that’s not gonna work for me. For all I know, you’ll give me some bogus address, and by the time I realize it, you’ll be gone again. Or maybe you do give me the right one, but my car won’t be there. If you think I’m gonna trust you to be honest with me after what you’ve done, you should think again.”
Fighting was pointless; he was right. He had no reason to believe me or trust that I wouldn’t betray him. After all, I’d done just that the last time we saw each other. And there was nothing I could do to make it right. Not now. Not after all this time.
“Okay, fine. When do you wanna go?”
“Now.”
I shook my head, a humorless laugh blowing past the disbelieving smile on my lips. “I can’t leave right now. I have work.”
“When does your shift end?”
“Well, technically I’m off, but I’m scheduled for the next three days.”
“I don’t care. Go inside and tell them you’ll be gone until next week. Call your boss. I don’t give a shit what you do. Figure it out. You stole my car. What happens to you and your job is not my problem.”
“Talon…” It was nothing more than a whispered plea—a wasted plea. “Let me see about taking a couple days off next week, and we can go then.”
“You’re a fucking fool if you think I’m gonna give you a chance to disappear again.”
“Where do you think I’ll go, Talon? I live here. I work here. You think I’m just gonna run away from my entire life just to stick it to you?”
“I’m not sure what you’re capable of. And I’m not in the mood to find out.” He took one step toward me, leaving maybe a foot between us. “Be here in the morning. Have a bag packed because I’m not stopping to buy you anything at Walmart. Got it? Oh…and, Maggie? Don’t make me have to come after you.”
I stood, utterly speechless, and watched him stalk away. I didn’t move as he opened the door to a green truck. My heart hammered against my chest while I watched him climb behind the steering wheel, and then stopped beating altogether when he drove out of the parking lot without once turning to look at me. And I continued to stand idle next to my car, desperately trying to absorb what had just happened.
I knew he’d be pissed. Hell, I had figured that the night I drove off in his car. So I shouldn’t have been so surprised now. Yet standing here alone, under the bright sun, long after his taillights disappeared, my mouth hung open and my heart ached. I’d held onto the fantasy that we’d run into each other again, and he’d be excited to see me. That what we’d shared over those two days was real, overpowering any anger and resentment he might’ve had. I’d spent many nights dreaming about being with him again, feeling his lips on mine just one more time. In those delusions, he was happy to see me. He’d let me explain why I had left and then rescued me from the nightmare I’d been in since the last time we saw each other.
That wasn’t what happened.
Not even close.
And in the end, it only made me lonelier, even more destroyed than before. I’d spent years clinging onto that fantasy, and now, I had nothing left to grab onto. I’d lost everything, and he was too worried about his damn car to see the truth.
After picking up my purse and apron, I slid behind the steering wheel and sat for a moment, letting the heat of the sun ward off the chill in the air. And once I managed to find the strength, I stuck the key in the ignition and started the engine. That was when I remembered the call about my lights. I should’ve been happy that I didn’t have to contend with a dead battery. Although, now I was left to worry about Talon, and how I could get out of going with him to Florida. Because realistically, there was no way I could leave town without getting caught.
The sun barely peeked through the blinds when I awoke to a thunderous bang coming from the front door. It startled me until I was out of bed, on my feet with my heart beating frantically against my ribcage. When it happened again, I quickly raced down the hall, taking a quick peek into my roommate’s bedroom. Empty, but that didn’t surprise me—she spent more time at her bo
yfriend’s house than she did here. I figured she’d locked herself out, and this was her way of waking me up.
I flipped the lock and threw the door open, a smart-ass comment on the tip of my tongue. But I quickly swallowed it when I realized the person in front of me was not Willow. It wasn’t even a female. He was an angry man with pursed lips and fiery eyes.
“I warned you, princess.” He stepped forward and crashed into me, pushing his way into the apartment. And for the first time since I’d moved in with Willow, I wished she were here. “I told you what would happen if I had to track you down.”
Talon
I waited almost half an hour for Maggie to show up at the diner. Granted, I didn’t tell her what time to be here, so I couldn’t necessarily be pissed, but that didn’t change the fact that I was. I gave her until close to eight before I left and followed the GPS directions to her house. I hadn’t planned to need her address when I’d swiped her insurance card the day before—only now, I found it useful and nearly patted myself on the back for taking it.
The echo that resounded when I slammed the side of my fist against her front door gave me pause, making me second-guess myself. I had no idea if she lived alone or was shacking up with someone, and I knew beating down her front door wouldn’t help my situation.
When no one answered, I tried again—much lighter this time. Still, it remained unanswered. I peered over my shoulder to the parking lot, verifying that her Honda was there. That didn’t mean anything, though. After everything that had happened, she’d more than likely stolen someone else’s car and taken off. I mean, she’d done it before. It wasn’t a far stretch to assume she’d do it again.
I twisted the knob and found it unlocked, which was a risky move. Just my luck, I’d wind up in jail again—this time, for breaking and entering. So I pushed open the door just enough to peek inside. It was dark and quiet, yet when I closed my eyes, the sound of someone sniffling caught my attention.