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“You’ll go back to jail,” she said.
“Probably.”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “You could have just called Mateo from the start, let the cops handle all this. Why drive all the way here when you clearly want nothing to do with me anymore?”
If only she had a clue. But I’d go to my grave before my wayward ass brought her down. “Let’s just worry about getting out of here before they come back.”
I followed her to the car rental return near the airport and waited while she dropped off the little sedan. When she finally slid into the Bel Air and buckled up, it was well into the afternoon.
I glanced over. “You hungry? I’m guessing you skipped breakfast.”
“Not really.”
“Well, I’m starving.”
She said nothing as I rolled into traffic, got us away from the airport, and found a drive-through. I didn’t ask, just ordered two meals, handing her one with a Coke.
I inhaled my food while she picked at hers, but at least she got something down as I drove out of Charlotte.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in the Bel Air before,” she said, glancing around.
“Well, after this, I probably won’t be ever again, either.”
The following silence was awkward as her sweet scent filled the car, crowding out the burgers and every excuse I had for staying away from her. I turned on the radio and surfed until I found a classic rock station to distract myself.
She adjusted the heat, then readjusted herself in her seat, but all that did was give me a better view of her legs wrapped in snug denim.
I focused on the road. Kept my eyes peeled on all my mirrors for a tail.
She stared out the window, messed with her phone, but her left knee bounced incessantly and she finally shifted again, wincing as she faced me. “So, are you going to tell me why those guys are after me and how you know about it?”
A part of me knew she deserved the truth. A bigger part of me wanted to protect her from it and wondered if maybe the less she knew, the better. But I was learning that the sunshine and light version of the woman I used to know was no longer around. Or maybe was buried under a layer of darkness and anger. It was heartbreaking to see, but I understood that. Possibly better than anyone else. And she wasn’t going to be bullshitted or managed.
“Are you gonna tell me about this brother you suddenly have?”
I felt her glare on the side of my face. “You didn’t used to be an asshole.”
“Yeah? You sure about that?”
“Not really.”
I tightened my grip on the wheel. “Prison has a way of bringing out the best in people.” I said it under my breath, but I knew she caught it.
“What do those men want from me, Adam?”
I clenched my jaw and turned my head to look her way, meeting eyes that looked more exhausted than they should. She’d been attacked. Vandalized twice. And there was some serious family clusterfuck going on. Yet she was still ticking.
“They think you have some of their money.” A partial truth.
“Why?” she asked, her voice sounding husky as she gave a sad laugh. “Why would I have anybody’s anything?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.”
“Then how did you find out?”
I blew out a breath. “I heard them talking about you and the church and I put two and two together.”
There was a pause and a small gasp. “The church,” she said under her breath.
