by A. W. Cross
“This isn’t a good idea,” she said. “I need to go.”
I watched as she tried to figure out a way to stand up from the crate. If she came straight up she’d be right next to my chest, but if she tried to step off to the side she’d run into the stool I’d let roll away when I went to fetch her water. I had to bite back a laugh.
“Move!”
“Believe me, I’d love to let you run off, but you really aren’t safe. I wasn’t kidding when I said I knew guys like the one following you.” Someone worse than that sent me to your house last night.
“My dad will sue you if you don’t let me go.”
Was that her deal? Any hint of trouble, and she’d pull out her pampered princess card?
“I’m well aware of who your father is.” Why couldn’t she be the kind hearted type of rich girl? Or at least the kind who wanted to get back at dear ol’ daddy by dating a poor mechanic.
“Did you have those guys herd me here? Is this part of your plan?”
I chuckled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You came into my shop on your own.” I leaned forward again. The light hit her eyes just right, making gold flecks sparkle inside the brown. “You must have been drawn to me.” I winked and stepped to the side to grab my stool.
Sitting back in front of the bike, I started replacing the clutch cable again. After a couple minutes, I peeked over to Stella because she hadn’t moved. She wrung her hands together around the vase. What she wasn’t doing was leaving.
“Do you ever clean this place?”
I grinned. “Feel free since you’re just sitting there doing nothing.”
She scoffed. I bet she’d never even made her own bed before. She stood and peered through the bookshelf, trying to look out the front window.
“I would wait a while longer. Especially if there was more than one.”
“How did you know that?” She snapped her head toward me before she plopped back down on the crate.
“You asked if I had ‘those guys’ herd you here. I figured plural meant more than one. Of course, I’m just a lowly mechanic and might not understand English real good.”
I caught the eye roll and a slight grin if I wasn’t mistaken.
“I’m sorry, by the way.”
Her eyes turned toward me. “Why did you do it?”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
“That’s what people say to blame others for their problems.”
“Interesting philosophy. If I recall, you thought I was doing it to score drugs, too. It’s nice for you that everything has such solid answers.” She seemed put together, but the way she held onto that vase like some kind of teddy-bear, made me wonder about her stability. It was weird that the rose didn’t fall out or have any water.
“So . . .” She hesitated, and I caught her stare. “Explain yourself then.”
At least she wasn’t one of those girls who babbled on and on and couldn’t shut up. “The reason I know that man after you was a hitman is because I’ve grown up around bad people. It’s expected that if you need a favor, you do a favor. Nothing in my life is a neat little decision like it is for you.”
“You don’t know anything about me.” She muttered and stood again. This time, she turned and started fiddling with the tools on the bench behind me.
I rolled away from the bike just in time to see her pick up the acetylene torch. It wasn’t turned on, but I didn’t need her playing with it. I grabbed onto it and took it out of her hands.
“It’s better if you don’t touch anything. We don’t want you to get hurt and have to send Daddy after me. Though, I’ve heard he isn’t home just now.”
She flattened her lips into a thin line and looked like an angry kitten. I turned away—I needed to keep my distance.
“He is home, and he’s not a criminal.”
“That’s good. It makes life easier, I’ve heard.”
The alarm on my phone went off, letting me know it was quitting time. It also meant I had thirty minutes to be upstairs and get online to remind Pete to take his meds.
“I should go.” Stella brushed her hand on her thigh and left a dark smudge. While I would have loved to let her know, she seemed genuinely scared.
“There isn’t a turn off the highway for about five miles. No matter where you’re going, it’ll be easy to watch for you.” I sighed. “I have to lock up and then I have to do something upstairs. Why don’t you come up and wait there for a while longer? I promise you’ll be safe.”
I could see her hesitation, and I couldn’t blame her. She was faced with getting chased down by a hitman if she left or following the guy that broke into her house.
“Can I use your phone? I left mine in my car.”
I used a clean towel and wiped down my phone before I handed it to her. I hadn’t thought about that option either. While she made her call, I turned off the air compressor and locked up the front. When I finished, she handed back my phone. I hadn’t heard her speak to anyone and eyed her suspiciously.
“No one answered.” She tapped her fingers against the glass vase, but the rose didn’t move. There was definitely something odd about that.
“No problem. I can make dinner while you wait. Maybe they’ll answer later.” The look on her face made me want to pull her into a hug, but then she curled her lip and the feeling went away.
I pushed open the back door and held it for her to go through first. “Shall we?”
She had to brush by me, and tingles prickled my arm like nettles. This girl was out of my league, and a snob, but something about her made me want to help. After I locked the door, I gestured to the stairs that ran up the side of the building from the outside. I knew she’d probably throw a fit, but they were the only way to my apartment.
“That’s where you live?”
She sounded so prissy I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she saw my place.
11
Stella
He was a thief and worked for dangerous people, yet I headed up the rickety metal staircase, anyway. What had happened to my simple life?
When we walked into his apartment, it was beyond anything I could have expected. The shop down below was old and dumpy. I expected the upstairs to be the same, but it was a loft-like space with an open floor plan. On top of that, it was impeccably clean. I stepped further into the space.
There was a kitchen off to the right that had two long counters against perpendicular walls and an island standing in the center. Between where we stood at the entry and the kitchen was a dining table, and off to the left was the entertaining area. The furniture was used, but well cared for and all followed a carefully curated plan. Along the far wall, directly across from the kitchen, was an enormous television. It was definitely a defining element in the room.
“So, you like TV,” I said.
“Not what you were expecting, I’m guessing.” There were those dimples again. I needed to be much more careful.
Ben had been considerate and helpful, despite how snobbish I’d acted. I needed to keep remembering him in a ski mask, though I knew full well that not everyone was who they appeared all the time. “No. I mean . . . it’s really nice.” Great job. Well done.
“I didn’t know this space was up here when I took the job. I work for an old buddy of my dad’s who’s ready to retire but doesn’t want to admit it. He let me crash here once, and I asked if I could rent the space. It was a mess, so he told me to do what I wanted, and he didn’t need any money.” Ben shrugged. “I’ve worked on it myself in the evenings.”
“You did all of this?” Okay, that was genuine. Keeping track of myself so I didn’t go crazy would probably kill me as much as any hitman.
Ben squeezed by me, and I followed him to the kitchen. He started pulling out an espresso machine, and a whimper escaped my throat. “Would you like some coffee? I could use a cup.”
Add that to the day’s embarrassment totals. “Very much.”
I studied the apartment more
closely as he worked the machine. It was so much more sophisticated than I would have ever believed. I set the vase down on the island and then didn’t know what to do with my hands. When he handed me the coffee cup, complete with a foam design on the top, I shook my head. “Thank you.”
The silence thickened through the air as we both sipped our drinks. He was a great barista.
“That’s the biggest TV I think I’ve ever seen.”
Ben laughed. “I play video games online with my little brother. He’s sick and doesn’t get out much. I like to play with him to know who he’s talking with. Helps him stay away from a bad crowd.”
I stared at him. None of what I just learned about this guy made sense. It didn’t seem possible he was the same person who came in my house to rob me.
He met my gaze until I looked away.
“Do you want to sit? I need to make sure Pete takes his meds.”
I looked around for a pet, and Ben chuckled.
“Pete’s my brother.”
I smiled and flicked my brows.
We’d just settled in on opposite sides of his sofa when the handle of his door jiggled. I jumped to my feet and knocked against the coffee table, sloshing some of my drink out the sides from where I’d set it down.
“Ben? Why’s the deadbolt latched? Are you all right?” a female voice screeched from the other side of the door.
With a groan, Ben glanced at me, then sighed. “It’s all right. I know who it is. She’s safe—so to speak.” He’d mumbled the last words as he strode to the door.
Practically as soon as he’d twisted the lock, the door flew open and a girl about my age stomped through, bumping Ben out of the way.
“What are you doing—” She stopped mid-sentence and stared at me. Her expression turned cold.
I arched a brow and smiled. For some reason, I felt the need to meet her challenge.
“Who are you?” the new girl asked me.
“Ben’s new friend. Who are you?” I used my best social media smile and even twisted a little to keep one leg bent for a proper pose.
She spun to face Ben, who seemed as uncomfortable as a child at church. Without a word, she slammed her hand onto her hip and tapped her toe. Too thin, extra long fake nails, a short denim skirt, and a tight scoop necked t-shirt. Her bottle-blonde hair was cut at an angle that was popular three years ago. It caught me slightly off guard how quickly I gathered so much data. I decided in the blink of an eye she was either a waitress or a hairdresser, probably had meager financial means, and believed she owned Ben.
I didn’t like her and had no doubt she felt the same toward me. It was universal girl behavior, no matter how hard we tried to deny it. I’d witnessed and participated in it far too many times to believe it wasn’t real. It was as real as faeries and monster shifters that howl through the night.
“I’m helping her out. She had some car trouble.” Ben said. I chuffed, and he shot me a look that worried I wouldn’t play along. Oh, I would—if I could.
“You saw my car out there right? The powder blue classic? It’s making an awful noise, and I’m sure Ben knows how to take care of it.” Hmm. I guess if I wanted to be catty and superficial, I could say all that I wanted.
She glared at me and clamped her lips down tight.
“Carly, it’s all good. We’re just taking a break, talking. You can join us if you want.”
Wow, he was uncomfortable. I also wondered if maybe I’d guessed wrong. From the way he’d walked to the door, it had seemed as though he wasn’t excited about who it was. When this girl came in, I assumed it might be an old hook-up. If this was a current girlfriend, then she had a right to be upset, though I was finding it hard to care about that.
“Benny, I need to talk to you in private.” She ran her dragon-nailed fingers along his chest as she fake pouted.
“She’s no one. I’m just helping her out with a problem. She’ll be gone in no time,” he said. He’d tried to speak low enough that only she heard, but the room wasn’t that big.
Before I realized what I was doing, I strolled up to them. “I thought I was doing you the favor, Benny.”
That did him in. Stuck between the two of us like a mouse between two cats, he threw up his hands. “Listen, you two need to chill out. Stella, this is Carly. Carly, Stella. Now let’s sit and have a civil conversation, or . . .”
He let his words trail off, as neither of us budged.
12
Stella
Carly and I stood immobile with our arms crossed. Neither willing to give an inch of ground from Ben’s front door.
“How about I make something to eat? Carly, you can tell me what you need to say, and we can all get to know each other.” He glanced between the two of us.
“I’m not hungry, and I should be going,” I said.
“That’s probably best,” Carly said with a fake grin.
I’d dealt with her kind plenty of times before. The girl who decides she’s the perfect match to the guy who’s too nice to tell her off. She could pester Ben all she wanted for all I cared—I just didn’t like her.
“Actually, maybe I am hungry.” I smiled back.
Ben inhaled and shook his head. “Let’s head to the kitchen. What did you need to tell me, Carly?”
“I said I needed to tell you in private,” she whined.
We all ambled to the island, Carly and I taking seats while Ben gathered some supplies from the fridge and cupboards. I noticed her eyeing my rose, and I slid it out of her reach.
“Just say it.” He sounded annoyed and ready to move on from her antics. “I still need to check in with Pete, also.”
She sighed. “That’s what I’m here about. I have Pete’s medicine. Your mom wanted to make sure you gave it to him tonight personally.”
Ben hesitated as he put a pan on the stove. I watched the way he closed his eyes a half second and twisted his mouth as if he’d tasted something sour. “My dad is there?”
“He wasn’t when I stopped by, but I got the impression she was trying to get you to come over, and we all know how you are.”
“Yeah, I know. I need to speak to him, though. Something didn’t go as planned last night.” He darted a glance at me. “He’ll want to discuss it.”
“Your mom seemed real nervous. Is she going to be all right if you wait until later?”
I scrunched my brows. What was Carly saying? Would Ben’s dad hurt his mom if he didn’t go right away? “You don’t have to stay because of me.”
“No, it’s fine. My mom is just . . . anxious. There’s nothing to worry about.” He gave a pointed stare to Carly with an arched brow. “I’ll make sure Pete gets his meds. Did you bring them?”
She shrugged and dug through her large purse as she answered. “If you say so, but you know it’s not good to make Iron wait.” Finding three small bottles, she plopped them onto the tiles.
“Who’s Iron?” I asked.
“That’s my dad. Everyone in the club earns a nickname.”
Ben huffed as he started cutting some vegetables and changed the subject. “You two okay with stir-fry? I’ve been wanting some and bought way too many veggies to eat on my own.”
“Sounds delicious,” I said rising from my seat to go grab my espresso. “So you play video games, fix motorcycles, and cook.”
When I returned to the island, Carly had turned sour once more. Ben grinned as he kept his focus on the food.
“You’d be great as one of those TV chefs. Everyone would watch you,” Carly said in a sing-song voice that grated on my nerves.
Ugh. “I know I would,” I cooed. Double ugh.
Before we could make any more awkwardness fill the space, someone knocked on Ben’s door.
He and I met stares. “You get a lot of company.” I stood and scooted to the end of the island where I could duck out of sight if need be.
“Yeah, not usually,” he mumbled. “Come around here and help chop these, will ya?” He held the knife out to me. I’d never cooked a t
hing before and didn’t know why he would ask until I saw him glance at the blade and then back to me. Oh. I understood his meaning and took the knife.
I moved into his position and tried to figure out how to cut the bell pepper he’d set onto the cutting board. My fingers stayed in place, however, as I watched him walk around the corner. There was only one room walled off from the open floor plan, and I figured that had to be his bedroom and en suite. From where I stood behind the island, it hid me from the door.
This guy was smart. Whoever it was couldn’t see me, and I had a weapon, not that I could use it. I’d probably just end up stabbing myself. Yet, I also couldn’t help but wonder why he’d help me so much. Was he just trying to keep me from identifying him as the thief? It didn’t seem like it.
I heard the door open. “Can I help you?” Ben asked.
I froze and held my breath.
“I was told I might find someone here.” It was a sultry woman’s voice. Sophia! How had she found me? I was about to rush to the door when Carly jumped from her seat and hurried over to the others.
“Sophie! Hey, what are you doing here? Let her in, Ben. She’s a friend of mine.”
What?
“I stopped by your house, and your mom said you might be here. I hope you don’t mind, and I’m not interrupting anything.” Her playful implication made my stomach turn, as did the entirely false persona.
I had frozen in place so when the others walked into view the knife was in the air and pointed in their direction. Ben held his hands up and shrugged at me from behind the two women. Clearly unaware of the danger he’d just invited into his home.
My mother smiled at me.
“Who is this? I figured you two would be alone?” Sophia patted Carly’s shoulder and pretended not to know me.
I shook my head. What game was she playing?
“This is Stella.” Ben came around the island and took the knife from me. “Haven’t done much cooking before?” he asked with a chuckle.