AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay. Is everything alright?”
She sat on the edge of the bed and took her mom’s right hand in hers. “Everything is fine. I just went out to pick up some mushrooms I’d found earlier today.”
“Okay. Craig was looking for you.”
“How do you know?”
“He came here.”
Fear skittered up her spine and her stomach twisted.
“Did he say what he wanted?”
“No. He just said he wanted to talk to you.” Her mom shifted and sat up. Elena fluffed her pillows behind her so she could lean back. “Are you in trouble, Elena?”
“No. I’ve done nothing wrong, Mama.”
Her mom pressed her lips together, but she saw the tremble just before.
She squeezed her mom’s hand and looked into her eyes.
“I’ve done nothing to get us in trouble. Nothing. I promise.”
ChapterFive
Aidyn slid the note into his front pocket and drove to the sewing factory. So someone was watching him. He knew that. Likely the jerk who’d chased him earlier today told Craig and company. He assumed they would. But how did Elena know about it? Were they telling everyone up there to watch for him?
Shaking his head, he turned right and headed toward the factory. He’d worry about it tomorrow. Tonight he planned on getting a good night’s sleep after settling into his new room.
As he neared the driveway, he let out a satisfied sigh as he saw his friends’ vehicles parked on the property as they unloaded their belongings. He pulled his security card from his pocket and waved it in front of the glass panel. A beep sounded and the gates slowly slid open. It was pretty cool.
Henry waved, then pulled his suitcases from the back of his truck.
Aidyn drove around to the back of the building, where their garage was located, and parked in front of the garage door assigned to him. The third from the left. This was the nicest thing about converting an old factory: the loading docks allowed them plenty of garage space. The ground had been filled in, bringing the doors to ground level, and the doorways had been retrofitted with new doors for each of them, plus two extra for visitors or supplies. At any given time, someone might have a set of parents or siblings coming to visit and they’d be able to park inside as well.
He tapped the garage door opener on his visor. Inside, the garage had been drywalled and painted white. Plenty of lights were installed to keep it bright and his excitement grew at the space provided. He’d scoffed a few weeks ago when Maya told him he’d be excited to live here. They worked a lot and he simply wanted a safe, clean place to sleep and eat. Now he realized what she meant; he was proud that this was his home base and job. The little house they’d been in was nice. This was grand.
He jumped from his truck and pulled his laptop case and suitcase from inside. As he strode through the garage to the back door his eyes darted back and forth, taking in all of the little nuances. Framed posters of car emblems graced the walls: Corvette, Ford, Chevy, and Ram.
“There’s more coming.” The sound of Sophie’s voice turned his head.
Grinning he replied, “Nice.”
Her returned smile was genuine. She shrugged, “It was Gaige’s idea. But I think it works.”
A large delivery truck pulled to a stop near the far end of the garage. A logo on the side read Anderson’s Firearm Supply.
His brows furrowed and Sophie laughed. “That is a surprise from your mom and dad. Come see.”
He set his suitcase down, laid his laptop case next to it, and followed Sophie across the garage to the end furthest from the living quarters.
Sophie opened a door that led to a small room with two eight-foot tables on either side. There wasn’t room for much else. At the end of the table to the right was another door.
She grinned at him before opening the door with a flourish and stepping inside. His parents, Axel and Bridget Dunbar, were hanging heavy rubber mats from a rail that stretched the length of the room. At the far end of the space was a large sectioned-off area with two-foot-high walls.
His mom turned and saw him. She scrambled down her ladder so fast he worried she’d fall. She ran to him and jumped into his arms before he was ready, the impact pushing him back a step or two.
“I missed you, Aidyn.”
