AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wasn’t killing anyone. Was there really any harm in encouraging him to take care of his kids? Years of ripped clothes and ill-fitting shoes dogged my memories, and some other part of me kicked in.
“Yes.” The lie flowed off my tongue, as if I were a polished con artist. It used to be that I’d trip over an untruth, my cheeks flaming with every attempt. Not this time.
“Iknewyou looked familiar.” He was grinning, big almond eyes opening as he stepped closer. He took me into a hug. Cookie nodded, looking like she wanted to jump up and down after her favorite team had scored a goal.
“I’m so sorry about your separation from Sabrina. I know you really cared about her,” I said, every word flowing out naturally. I had no idea who Sabrina was, and yet I sounded believable even to my ears.
He stepped back a little, a hand still resting on my arm. “Thank you. It was a tough breakup. I never thought I’d ever divorce her.”
“It happens, but I’m sure you two will work out what’s best for the children.”
Instead of looking at me like I was prying, or worse, telling me to mind my own business, he nodded. He stared at me like I were his best friend.
“It’s been pretty ugly, but I do want what’s best for the kids,” he said, as if I’d fed him the line. I guess I had.
“I know you’re a generous soul and you want to help them as much as you can. I’d expect nothing less from you.” Even as I said it, I could almost picture Sabrina and his children. Of course, I’d always had a vivid imagination, so it wasn’t surprising I’d conjure up a mental image.
He smiled softly, his eyes warming as he held my hand with both of his. “You know, I really do want to help them, including her.”
“She is the mother of your children. Of course you do,” I said. Was that it? Was this done? Had I tinkered someone?
Cookie held her hand up to her ear, like she was talking on the phone. She mouthed,Call his lawyer.
“You know, I bet you’d feel so much better if you called your lawyer tonight—now, even—and tell him that.” Some instinct in me infused urgency into my voice. “I think you should go outside, where it’s quieter, and call this second.”
He was looking at me like he was a child. “I’m going to do it.”
He didn’t even say goodbye as he walked away and beelined it right out the back door.
Cookie inched closer. She looked me up and down in a sort of analytical manner, before squinting as she examined my face.“How did you do that? I thought you sucked. You came up with zero aptitude,” she said.
I’d been insulted enough to know when someone was intentionally trying to hurt my feelings. She was honest-to-goodness stunned. Cookie’s way of communicating wasn’t really smooth. It was closer to getting hit with a boulder.
“I don’t know. What exactly just happened?”
“You tinkered. That’s what. And not only that, you were brilliant.” She grabbed me and pulled me after her toward the exit.
“Cookie, we really have to work on this dragging thing,” I said.
She stopped and looked down at where she’d latched on to my arm. “Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I don’t know why I do it.”
Maybe Cookie wasn’t that bad. I could grow to like her. I didn’t plan on being around long enough to, but I could.
“I gotta get you back, and now,” she said. “Kaden is going to want to know about this.”
“Wait, I don’t think we should share this. It was a fluke at best.”
“Are you kidding? I have to tell him.” She latched back on to me. Yeah, she was definitely not likable, and she was going to blow up my life even worse. I was supposed to be bad,horrible, in fact. Who was going to help me leave if I was an asset to them?
If Cookie’s driving had been bad on our way to the job, it was even worse on the return. By the time we’d pulled up to the bridge, my stomach felt like it had gone through a cement mixer. It felt so wonderful to be on solid ground again and out of that deathtrap.
Cookie left the car on the side of the bridge and yelled to the toll guy, “Hey, Hank, I need an opening.”
He smiled and yelled back, “Of course. Right away.”
I didn’t even care that the guy obviously had been giving me a hard time. Solid ground was making me too happy to be mad.
“How bad you bomb?” Dice asked as we walked into the outpost.
