Metaltown by Kristen Simmons Page B

another step forward.
    She backed into the wall, her face drawn with worry. “You should know I have a weapon.”
    â€œThree guesses where you stashed it.”
    Her cheeks turned bright red, the same color as her snug little jacket. One hand shot behind her back.
    â€œEasy,” he said, realizing he’d scared her. “I surrender.” He raised his hands over his head to prove it.
    She was shivering, trying to hide her chattering teeth, but the breath was clouding in front of her face. Not the smartest move, dressing so thin, but he’d made mistakes when he’d come here too. If not for Ty setting him straight, he wouldn’t have lasted a week.
    He wondered if she had anyone setting her straight. Not from the sounds of it. Definitely not from the looks of it.
    â€œHere.” He took off his scarf and offered it to her, more than a little regretful when the cold air gripped his throat.
    â€œOh. I couldn’t.”
    â€œDon’t want to freeze to death. Besides, you can give it back next time you see me.”
    She didn’t laugh. That was promising.
    Her prissy little nose crinkled up, but she took it, and folded it around her neck. He liked the way it clashed with her outfit. Soon enough, Metaltown would work its way into her clothes, and her pretty skin, and that scarf would blend right in.
    It was kind of a shame, when he thought about it.
    â€œI’m a little lost,” she admitted after a moment.
    â€œYou don’t say.”
    Her eyes narrowed, and now she took a step toward him. “You don’t need to make fun of me,” she said. “I haven’t done anything to deserve it. I’ve got things to do, and I don’t have time to play games.”
    â€œIs that what we’re doing?” he asked, amused at her scolding. “Playing a game?”
    Her lips parted slightly, and his gaze lowered there and stuck. Then he looked up, hoping she hadn’t noticed, and jammed his hands into his pockets.
    â€œMiss Hampton!”
    A big man in a suit barreled into the alley, a line of sweat dripping from his black hair down his jaw. As his gaze moved from Lena to Colin, he bared his teeth.
    â€œFinally,” Lena muttered.
    Colin staggered back quickly.
    â€œ Hampton? ” he managed.
    â€œMiss Hampton, the car is waiting across the street.”
    Lena nodded, eyes flicking between the two of them.
    â€œHampton?” Colin said again. Then he began to laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    So much for both of them having the same sad Bakerstown story.
    â€œIs this boy harassing you?” The man glared at Colin.
    â€œI suppose that depends on your definition of harassment,” said Lena, clearly more comfortable in the other man’s presence. Colin choked a little, and she waved a hand. “We barely spoke, Aja.”
    Barely spoke? It became immediately clear that she didn’t want to be seen associating with him, and he nearly laughed at the irony of it.
    She looked at him a second longer, as though expecting him to say something more, but what was he going to say to a Hampton? What was a Hampton even doing out here? They had middlemen like Minnick to run their factories. There was no reason for them to cross the beltway.
    â€œWell … good-bye,” she finally said, shoving her hand out so quickly he flinched. Tentatively, he shook it. Again. And when he squeezed her fingers, just a little, she jerked away.
    â€œGood-bye,” she said again.
    â€œBye.” He tipped his head forward, and she huffed, like he’d done it to annoy her.
    With her servant clearing the way, she marched back into the crowded street, leaving Colin, bewildered, in the alley.
    *   *   *
    On his way to work, Colin stopped at the smoke shack outside the employee entrance of the Stamping Mill. The night crew was just about to get off, and there was still a half-hour before he had to report for his