this means, right?” he asked. “You’re at my mercy.” He grinned, and she sighed. One hundred thousand sperm and he’d been the fastest.
“Come on,” he said. “That was funny.”
“Why are you out here?”
He shrugged. “On my way home from work.”
“Isn’t this way out of the way?”
Another shrug, and he stared out his windshield. “Sometimes I like to be alone, to hear myself think.”
More like he’d gone somewhere remote to get high. But he didn’t look buzzed.
“You getting in?” he asked. “Us outcasts need to stick together.”
“Outcasts?” She shook her head. “You’re not an outcast.”
“Misfits, then.” Something came and went in his eyes when he said this, but she couldn’t read him. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” she said, softening. Because she did know. Exactly.
He had a duffle bag on the passenger seat, which he took and stuffed behind them instead. Then he patted the passenger seat.
He was Jamie’s brother. And Jamie was Tucker’s friend, and Tucker was Lance’s brother—but six degrees from trouble was still trouble, and she’d been trying so damn hard to stay out of trouble. But she was cold now, and getting even colder. Sawyer would hate this, but she couldn’t help the extenuating circumstances.
“Come on, sweet thing. I’ve got somewhere I’ve gotta be.”
Guilt didn’t begin to cover how she felt about getting into his truck, but she did it anyway. She glanced over her shoulder and saw his open duffle bag.
She thought she caught sight of ziplock baggies stuffed with—
Todd reached back and shoved the duffle bag farther down so she couldn’t see into it. “You’re going to owe me,” he said, shoving the truck into gear and speeding back onto the highway, flashing her a grin. “Big.”
She straightened and looked at him. Was he carrying drugs? She hadn’t gotten a close enough look, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask him while they were out in the middle of nowhere. Besides, she could admit that she hadn’t gotten a good enough look to accuse him of anything. “I’ll pay for gas.”
“Not the kind of payment I was banking on.”
“Shut up and drive, Todd.”
He grinned again. Ignoring him, she huddled into herself for warmth, staring out the window. Clouds sifted through the trees like wood smoke, distracting her for a while. Out here, the growth was extravagantly thick with spruce and hemlock. Moist air rode in from off the coast, something her lungs liked but made her even more cold.
Twenty minutes later, she sat up straight. “Pull over.”
“Yeah, baby,” Todd said, and braked.
“Not for that! Lucille has a flat.”
“Hell no,” Todd said. “I’m not helping that old bat. She’s always calling the damn cops on me.”
“We can’t just leave her there.”
“Hell, yeah, we can.”
“Todd, goddammit, pull over!”
Todd shook his head and slammed on the brakes as he pulled onto the shoulder. Dirt rose. “I’m not changing her tire. She told Kelly Armstrong I was a menace to society, and her husband, Manny, fired me. Cost me three weeks of work.”
“We can’t just leave her out here. It’s chilly, and she looks cold. I’ll help her myself.” Chloe swung out of the truck.
“I’m not waiting,” Todd warned, revving his truck. “I’m late.”
“Then don’t wait.” She slammed the door, not surprised when he peeled out and was gone, leaving her literally in his dust. “Idiot.”
Just as she walked toward Lucille, another truck pulled up.
Sawyer Thompson ambled out of his truck, then stood there in low-slung Levi’s and a soft-looking, thin black sweater over a black T-shirt, eyes hidden behind dark, reflective sunglasses.
Off duty, Chloe thought as a violent shiver racked her.
“My white knight,” Lucille said, dusting off her hands. “I called him a few minutes ago.”
* * *
When Sawyer walked up to Lucille’s little Prius, the older woman was giving the flat a kick.
“Come on,” he said. “That was funny.”
“Why are you out here?”
He shrugged. “On my way home from work.”
“Isn’t this way out of the way?”
Another shrug, and he stared out his windshield. “Sometimes I like to be alone, to hear myself think.”
More like he’d gone somewhere remote to get high. But he didn’t look buzzed.
“You getting in?” he asked. “Us outcasts need to stick together.”
“Outcasts?” She shook her head. “You’re not an outcast.”
“Misfits, then.” Something came and went in his eyes when he said this, but she couldn’t read him. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” she said, softening. Because she did know. Exactly.
He had a duffle bag on the passenger seat, which he took and stuffed behind them instead. Then he patted the passenger seat.
He was Jamie’s brother. And Jamie was Tucker’s friend, and Tucker was Lance’s brother—but six degrees from trouble was still trouble, and she’d been trying so damn hard to stay out of trouble. But she was cold now, and getting even colder. Sawyer would hate this, but she couldn’t help the extenuating circumstances.
“Come on, sweet thing. I’ve got somewhere I’ve gotta be.”
Guilt didn’t begin to cover how she felt about getting into his truck, but she did it anyway. She glanced over her shoulder and saw his open duffle bag.
She thought she caught sight of ziplock baggies stuffed with—
Todd reached back and shoved the duffle bag farther down so she couldn’t see into it. “You’re going to owe me,” he said, shoving the truck into gear and speeding back onto the highway, flashing her a grin. “Big.”
She straightened and looked at him. Was he carrying drugs? She hadn’t gotten a close enough look, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ask him while they were out in the middle of nowhere. Besides, she could admit that she hadn’t gotten a good enough look to accuse him of anything. “I’ll pay for gas.”
“Not the kind of payment I was banking on.”
“Shut up and drive, Todd.”
He grinned again. Ignoring him, she huddled into herself for warmth, staring out the window. Clouds sifted through the trees like wood smoke, distracting her for a while. Out here, the growth was extravagantly thick with spruce and hemlock. Moist air rode in from off the coast, something her lungs liked but made her even more cold.
Twenty minutes later, she sat up straight. “Pull over.”
“Yeah, baby,” Todd said, and braked.
“Not for that! Lucille has a flat.”
“Hell no,” Todd said. “I’m not helping that old bat. She’s always calling the damn cops on me.”
“We can’t just leave her there.”
“Hell, yeah, we can.”
“Todd, goddammit, pull over!”
Todd shook his head and slammed on the brakes as he pulled onto the shoulder. Dirt rose. “I’m not changing her tire. She told Kelly Armstrong I was a menace to society, and her husband, Manny, fired me. Cost me three weeks of work.”
“We can’t just leave her out here. It’s chilly, and she looks cold. I’ll help her myself.” Chloe swung out of the truck.
“I’m not waiting,” Todd warned, revving his truck. “I’m late.”
“Then don’t wait.” She slammed the door, not surprised when he peeled out and was gone, leaving her literally in his dust. “Idiot.”
Just as she walked toward Lucille, another truck pulled up.
Sawyer Thompson ambled out of his truck, then stood there in low-slung Levi’s and a soft-looking, thin black sweater over a black T-shirt, eyes hidden behind dark, reflective sunglasses.
Off duty, Chloe thought as a violent shiver racked her.
“My white knight,” Lucille said, dusting off her hands. “I called him a few minutes ago.”
* * *
When Sawyer walked up to Lucille’s little Prius, the older woman was giving the flat a kick.
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