AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I probably do, but I’ve never seen it. My family was...”
“I don’t know if I have one either.” She shrugged, still trying to put him at ease.
“We seem to have a lot in common.”
“Families can be complicated.” She cooed and smiled gently at him. “I’m sorry to say I think it’s too late to have a tow truck come out. They don’t like to be out this way after dark. The roads are treacherous with no lights and big cliffs to drive off. It’s probably better that you’re getting off the road now.”
“Is there a gas station I can walk to? I really need to keep moving.” King had to look as flustered and put out as possible to not raise an alarm. Desperation was always the death of a mission in his experience.
“Why?” She asked the question so directly that he was shocked into silence for a moment. Most people dust over these kinds of questions, but he liked her style.
“Staying in one place for too long doesn’t work for me.” He shrugged coolly.
“Are you being chased? On the run?” Her look of intrigue made him grin.
“Not really.”
“But a little?” She smiled wide and fluttered her lashes as though him being some kind of outlaw would spice things up.
“I’m reinventing myself.” He knew that wasn’t completely a lie. The old King was gone. He couldn’t go back home or try to pick up where he’d left off. That’s what happens when you turn on the mob boss you’ve worked for since you were a kid.
There were still moments he questioned how he ended up being the right-hand man for such a monster, but he couldn’t let his mind go there. He’d done his best to keep Rossi in line over the years. And now he’d been the one to put him in jail and make sure his wife and daughter were free of him. It was time for a clean slate.
What he hadn’t considered when he decided to do those things was just how much of his identity was wrapped up in that life. It was like ripping off a bandage and realizing it was pulling a chunk of you away too. “I just haven’t decided where that will happen.”
“And you’re going to keep moving until you decide?” She leaned against the glass counter full of trinkets and propped her chin in her hand.
“I feel like maybe I’ll know it when I get there.” He posed this more as a question than an answer. “But none of that is your problem. I’m sorry to roll up on you like this. Spilling my guts and asking for help.”
“I don’t mind at all. We have lots of people who run out of gas on these roads. Or they get lost. Don’t have phone service. It’s why we’re here.”
“You keep saying we.”
“My family. Some friends. We own this little store and a plot of land around here.” She waved around the room and beamed with pride. “This way if people need to stop and use the restroom and get a snack or something for a headache, we have it.”
“That’s nice. I didn’t see many cars on the road though. You must not get too many people through here. That’s a lot of sitting around waiting for something to happen.”
“It’s about quality, not quantity. The things we sell give us just enough money for the things we need, and we feel good knowing we are an oasis for someone who might be in a tight spot. Now, let’s make a plan for you.”
“I’ve given up on plans.” He looked around the space and eyed a bucket of berries that were as red as he’d ever seen. His stomach growled.
“It doesn’t have to be too complicated. You need a place to sleep tonight, a decent meal, and some fuel in the morning. We can manage that.”
“I don’t want to put you out. I can sleep in my car. I’ll buy some of that fruit. That’ll do.”
“The temperatures drop dangerously low around here at night. And a man cannot live on fruit alone. I was just about to head back home. I’ll give you a ride and we’ll find you a good spot to lay your head. If Mrs. Tully has a pot of something on the stove, you’ll be very glad you said yes.”
“I don’t like needing help.” This admission would be impossible to choke out normally. Working under the guise of some mission made it easier to say such things. A calculated choice to show vulnerability. If this was some cult he was walking into, his normal tendencies to be in control and dominate wouldn’t work here.
“We all need help at some point in our lives. You look like you’ve had a hard time.”
“I’ve had worse.” King smiled
“Have you had better?”
“I’m looking for better, if that counts?” He tucked his hands into his pockets again and glanced around the little store once more. “You live out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Yes. It’s great.”
