by Holly Hood
“Okay.” I teeter between going to my car and saying something else so I can keep talking to him. He nods, tossing his cigarette into the street.
“Do you want to get lunch?” My cheeks immediately heat up.
He rubs the back of his neck looking around as if someone is about to jump out and tell him he’s under arrest. “I guess it’s the least you could do considering.”
I shake my head; he seems to never let up on picking on me.
Fourteen
“They have the best burgers,” I announce, once I pull in front of the little burger shack Ryker introduced me to at the edge of town. It really is amazing and I hope Nash enjoys it as much as I did the first time I was taken here.
He undoes his seat belt and stares out the window at the place. It doesn’t look like much. And the first time I looked at it I thought it was out of business actually.
“Good to know,” he says and with that he climbs out of my car, because I offered to drive instead of hopping on the back of his bike again.
I hurry out of my door and meet him on the sidewalk. “You like hamburgers right?” He looks like a guy who likes hamburgers.
I hope he does because the thought of this whole encounter turning into a horrible mess freaks me out. This is the first time I will be able to really figure him out outside of a bar.
“I think everybody likes hamburgers.” He opens the door, letting two little old ladies out. They give him a polite smile and he offers them the same stoic impression he gives just about everybody he comes across.
I’ve been lucky enough to witness some of his smiles—and grins and each one was glorious.
He lets me go in first and follows after me. “Where do you want to sit?” I turn, hair brushing against him, he’s that close. He looks down on me and shrugs.
So I take charge and find a space nestled in the back right next to the window.
The waitress comes over and we both order the exact same thing—a hamburger with everything and crinkle cut French fries.
Every few minutes the cook calls out an order and the man a few seats away coughs and shakes the paper in his hands. “Do all of you live there?”
He lifts his glass of ice water and takes a drink before he gives an answer. “I moved my dad in last year when he got sick. The other guys just sort of come and go.”
He looks at me. I touch my face biting down on my lip. “I live with my friend Sophie…well sort of. I used to live with my parents but I left one day and just never came back.”
He nudges his place mat and looks away. He’s not really giving me much to work with.
I clear my throat and try again to create a back and forth conversation. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
A shake of the head is all he offers.
“An only child…I thought…”
He shakes his head. “Like I said, brothers because of circumstance. My dad has run into a lot of trouble his whole life. Which put me in the hands of a lot of different people while he was taking care of things.”
“Like foster homes?” I couldn’t imagine.
“No. He’d never do that, just family members or friends of the family. Whoever could take me.” He raises eyebrow, blue eyes staring me down. “What about you?”
“I have a brother. He’s older than me.”
“Are you close with your dad?” I ask, it would make sense if he is willing to find a way to pay for his medical expenses.
“I like to think we have come to an understanding over the years.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I didn’t always get along with him.” He rests his arms on the table looking out the window. “But as I get older, I don’t see him like I once did.”
I wonder what he means by that.
The waitress comes back with our food. She sets the plates in front of us and refills my iced tea before leaving us alone again. I shake the ketchup bottle and cover my fries handing it over to him.
He squirts ketchup on the side of his fries and sets it in the middle of the table. “Thanks again for getting the sale done so fast.”
I wave a hand, dismissing his kind words. “Jackson is the one who did everything. I just ran around delivering paperwork. But you are welcome.”
“Why aren’t you in college?” He gives me a look. “You got to be at that age where you’re trying to snag your ideal career.”
“I was in college. I wanted to be a lawyer but I dropped out and started working for Jackson at his homeless shelter.” I take a bite of my hamburger and chew thoughtfully. “And then I discovered other things that changed everything I had plans for.”
I stop talking when I realize what I am getting into involves him more than he would ever know.
“Like what?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know, just discovered that what I thought was important isn’t anymore.” I look down at my food. “What about you, why aren’t you in school bettering yourself?”
“There is nothing I can learn in college that I haven’t already learned in life.”
I can’t argue with him. “So then what do you do?”
“I don’t think you want to know that,” he says.
“If I didn’t want to know I wouldn’t have asked you,” I tell him. I tilt my head. “Besides how bad could it be?”
“Depends on what your idea of bad is.”
I swallow, slowly starting to lose my appetite. “I don’t think you would be stupid enough to tell me you’re some kind of criminal.”
“Maybe I trust you,” he raises an eyebrow and brings a French fry to his lips. He says, “Or maybe there is nothing in the world that scares me.”
We lock eyes and I don’t know what to say. I can’t tell if he is pulling my leg or being serious. He wins, I look away. “You don’t even know me. And in the beginning you accused me of being a liar like every five minutes.”
“Then don’t be one,” he says.
“I’m not a liar. I’m probably the most honest person you know actually.” It’s not far from the truth, most days, I stick to honesty is the best policy.
He leans back in his chair. “Tell me one honest thing about you.” He waits.
I purse my lips.
“One thing that would prove me wrong.”
I poke at the salt and pepper shakers. “A few months ago I found out that my parents weren’t who I thought they were.” I look back up at him. He’s waiting for more. “My mother isn’t my mother. And they never told me.”
“Shit.” He runs a hand down the back of his neck. “I didn’t expect that to come out of your mouth. That’s really fucked up.”
I nod. “I thought so too.”
He leans in. “When I was sixteen I found this box of court documents and photos. And I learned the real reason why my dad was always gone.”
Because your dad killed my real mother. “Why?”
“Let’s just say some really horrible accusations that could have put him behind bars for a long time. And he never told me. I don’t think he ever would have if I didn’t find that box.” He shrugs. “I guess we both have some fucked up parents.”
Now he’s the one not being honest. But I can’t really call him out without letting him in on my own secret.
“I guess some things they think we are better off not knowing,” I tell him. “Did you ever look into it? I know if it was my dad I would have did some research.”
He shakes his head. “Of course I did. That’s how I know that you’re lying.”
My hearts comes to a stop in my chest. I sit up. Not sure if I should run or stay where I am.
“You feel like opening up now?” He crosses his arms, looking around the diner. “Or are we going to continue to play this game?”
“A few months ago I found out that my father had a child with another woman and that child was me,” I admit. “If you know everything you say you know, you can understand why I didn’t tell you.”
“You were trying to
dig up dirt on my family. That’s why you were outside of the bar that night.”
I slide out of the booth. I am not in the mood for this. “I’ll take you home.”
He throws money down on the table and follows me out the door. “You mean after all that you did, you don’t want to ask me anything?”
I open my door, roll my eyes and climb in. “I see we are back to smug.”
“What can I say? When some random chick shows up out of nowhere, I tend to get a bit paranoid.”
I start up the car. “And do you always make out with random girls that you think are trying to dig up your past?” I back out of my parking spot and throw on my blinker. “Because that was rather stupid on your part.”
He laughs at me. “Stupid on your part too.”
“Well I guess we are both stupid,” I sigh. “Forget any of this ever happened and I will just leave it alone.”
Neither one of us say anything as I hurry across town back to his place. There’s not a lot to say.
“Whatever you think you know you don’t,” he tells me when I pull in front of his house.
I put the car in park and study my hands gripping the steering wheel. “That’s the problem. I don’t know anything about my mother. That’s what I was trying to find out.”
I wait for him to get out but he doesn’t. “He’s not the person I thought he was. But he’s not a killer.”
I don’t offer him any response. I just want him to leave me alone. None of this has turned out the way that I wanted it to. Now he knows everything and I don’t feel any better because of it.
Fifteen
Whatever it is I thought I felt I didn’t.
Nash is a giant asshole that never had any intentions on being anything other than that.
“What’s going on behind those brown eyes?” Jackson asks, climbing in on his side of the bed. He runs his nose against mine. “Good morning.”
I stroke his face with my fingers. “Morning.”
We share a sweet kiss before I give him an answer. “And as for what I am thinking…I was just thinking about how amazing it will be spending the entire day in bed with you.”
A hint of a smile plays on his perfect lips. “That’s the best thing I heard all week.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” We kiss again and his teeth graze my jaw. I slowly start to forget what I was even talking about when he’s touching me the way that he is.
“Work. Isn’t that always the issue?”
I close my eyes, letting him run his knuckles across my cheek. If he wants to tell me he can and if he would rather touch me for the rest of eternity I am all right with that too.
“One of the projects has run into a little bit of a snag. Nothing we can’t figure out. I’m sure there is a bunch of legal mumbo that they will be able to sling at them before they go back on their decision to sell,” he sighs, proving he isn’t that confident. “The bad part, my father was looking forward to getting his hands on this property.”
“What project?” My hands are in his hair.
“That warehouse. It seems the owner has regrets now.” He shrugs but I know exactly what he is talking about.
“And what if he does go back on it?”
Jackson leans back on his pillows and sighs. “My father will have another reason to bitch about everything I screw up with this company. Nothing I haven’t heard before.”
I frown. “That’s not going to happen.”
“I don’t want you getting involved.”
“I’ve been involved. Why does it matter now?”
“It matters now because I know who I am dealing with. And I’ve never wanted you getting involved with anyone connected to the 8th sin.”
I sigh. It makes sense that Jackson didn’t realize who he was sending me off to see. But that doesn’t change the fact that he isn’t in charge of what I do. And by now I would like to think he knows that.
“I think he would be more willing to open up to me than you. But if you want to try and fail then by all means.” I watch him mull over the options. And I know it’s only a matter of time before he gives me what I want.
He leans in, and I accept his lips. And when he breaks away he says. “Promise me you will be careful.”
“Always.” I close my eyes. He kisses me again.
***
I know where to find Nash. He’s not too hard to figure out.
He’s sitting at the end of the bar nursing a beer and watching ufc on the flat screen hanging on the wall.
I drop my purse on the counter and take the spot next to him. “I’ll have what he’s having.”
The bartender gives a short nod and works on my drink leaving us alone.
“I was pretty sure I wasn’t ever going to run into the likes of Savy Arnold ever again.” He looks at me for barely a second before lifting his beer and taking another drink of it. “I didn’t take you for a beer girl.”
I smile at the bartender and accept my drink. I’m not here to discuss what I like to drink. I’m here for one thing. “Let’s cut the bullshit. You and I both know I don’t want to be anywhere near you.”
He moves in—literally taking the seat next to me, invading my space. “You could have fooled me.”
I avoid his stare. “You are going back on Jackson’s offer and I came here to find out why.”
“Did you now?”
I swallow the stale beer and look at him. I raise an eyebrow. “That’s what I said. So why don’t you tell me why you no longer want to do the deal.”
“I didn’t feel it was in my best interest. And I got another offer,” he says, focusing on the television and not me anymore.
“You took his money. You can’t go back on the deal.” I sigh. “Does this have to do with your father?”
He shakes his head. “Nope. This has to do with something far bigger. And the fact that you think I am afraid of upsetting my father frankly pisses me off.” He stands up.
I scoff. “You are not leaving.”
He nods, taking one last swig of his beer. “Oh, I am.” He slaps a hand down on the bar. “She’ll cover my tab, Bill.” He winks, taking off for the door.
I can’t believe this smug bastard. Bill drops his tab in front of me. “You have got to be kidding me. Who drinks this much?” I dig through my purse and hand over several bills and take off for the door not even waiting for my change, if there even was any.
He’s not gone like I imagined he would be. He’s standing by his bike. And it takes everything in me not to walk up to it and kick it over.
“Why would you do that?” I raise an eyebrow, waiting for him to say anything. “Why are you so…” I don’t even have a word for what he is.
“If flaking on a deal with your boss is what it takes to get you crawling back than by all means.” He throws a leg over his bike. “I’ll agree to the terms as soon as you agree to mine.”
I cross my arms. “This is not how negotiating works. Do you really think I am going to fold because you don’t want to make a deal with Jackson?”
He nods. “I absolutely do. Because after a little digging, I know that he is not only your boss but the guy you’re fucking.”
I can feel my eyes ready to jump from my skull. I slap him in the arm. “Shut your mouth. Why is any of this your business?”
“Because I have something to prove,” he insists. “So what will it be?”
“Fine.” He gets off his bike.
Before we can entertain his scheme I’m shoved out of the way.
“Funny seeing you here,” the culprit says. He pushes Nash against the wall. “You didn’t really think bouncing from one bar to another was going to keep me off your tail did you?”
“I just didn’t care,” Nash says back, getting a meaty forearm to his throat. The man presses him into the wall.
“That’s not what I want to hear.”
I can’t believe what I am witnessing. The sight of a gun pressed against Nash’s face. I just want to run away. B
ut I can’t think about doing that because I can’t breathe.
“Well, what can I say? I don’t aim to please you.” Nash smirks, making him even angrier.
I grab the guy by the arm and beg him to stop what he is doing. “Please don’t hurt him.”
He looks down at me. “Who are you?”
“Savy. Whatever he did, we can fix it,” I promise and I don’t even know what it is he did. I just know that any answer is better than what Nash is giving him.
He lets go of Nash. “Is that right?”
Nash pushes me out of the way. “Fuck you. Get the fuck out of here.”
He smirks, putting the gun back in his pants pocket. “You don’t know the first thing about this guy. But I like that you want to help him.” He looks at Nash. “She just saved your life.”
I fall back against the bar and try to catch my breath. I am so glad he is leaving and not splattering Nash’s brains all over the side of this bar.
Sixteen
“What are we doing here?” I ask as I shut my door and look up at the warehouse off in the distance.
Nash rummages through the pockets of his jeans until he finds a set of keys and unlocks the door. “I’ll explain everything inside.”
I really don’t want to go back inside the warehouse. But if I am going to get him to agree to sell this will help move things along I am sure of it.
And judging from the last time he was out in the open, I think having walls around him makes thing a little safer.
He shuts the door once I’m inside. The place is empty. There’s nothing left but an old rusty shell of what once was. I don’t really see the appeal in the property other than to demolish it and build something nicer in it’s place.
“You wanted the truth. I’m about to give that to you,” he informs me. He starts up the long flight of metal stairs and I follow him because I don’t want to be alone in here.
Once we reach the top he takes hold of the railing and stares down below. “This place was very important to us at one time. A lot of shit went down in here.”
“I don’t think I should be hearing this.” I look away.
“The only way to make you understand is to tell you.”
