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I don’t know what to say either. So I say nothing.
Instead, I throw the car in gear, and drive out of the field.
The sun mocks me from high in the sky, casting shadows of my past along the ride. She wants to know everything, well, I’ll show her.
Chapter 21
Rhiannon
That kiss just surpassed the last one we shared. He hasn’t said a word since. But, I don’t mind. It gives me time to recover and pretend I’m not over here wanting to, well, unzip his pants, slide my hand inside and jerk him off while he navigates us through scenic LA. Shameful, I know.
Xavier, silent, continues down the meandering road, and for once, I just let it be. Since this is my first time on the West Coast, kidnapping still counts, I let my eyes soak up the picturesque beauty while I try to calm my body. LA is a different world, nestled between the ocean and mountains. Every bend in the road feels like crossing a border.
We pass a little pizza place,Mama’s Trattoria,and my mind turns to thoughts of Hannah and her unparalleled love for pizza. The thought of how animated she’d become claiming it was one of the four food groups makes me laugh to myself.
So tragic she’ll never get to experience it again or any of the things she loved. Things like hugging her son. All because my father decided her life was worthless.
My brain is still trying to wrap around the fact my father killed her. We always look for the good in people, but sometimes, there is none to be found. He won't hesitate to do the same to Xavier. Fear wracks my bones, almost to the point of snapping. I can’t stay here and let anyone else get hurt.
I glance at Xavier, studying his tight jaw and clenched fists guiding the car through the rolling countryside. There is no doubt in my mind what he says is true. I believe Xavier with all my heart about how the events the night his mother died went down. My father is too far past gone to ever be able to be saved from his life. He’s hurt too many people, Xavier and myself included.
A while later, he drives his stylish Mercedes into a parking lot at an abandoned office building.
“Where are we?” I ask, glancing around.
“Come on. You’ll see.”
I follow him to the door of the darkened concrete building with no sign indicating what it used to be. “I don’t know. This place looks pretty sketchy.”
He raises a brow and throws my words back at me. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead already.”
“Touché,” I reply as he grabs the keys in his hand and opens the front door.
The fluorescent lights hum to life when Xavier flips the switch.
“This is my place,” he says, proudly.
I glance around at the cavernous, empty space. Tile floors and white walls.
“Doesn’t look like you’re doing much business out of here.”
He laughs. “This place hasn’t been functional in quite some time.” He walks to the center. “It was the first business I ever bought.”
“Really? What did you do here?”
“I started with installing security systems. Then, I invested my mother’s life insurance money in buying the business.”
“That’s great.” Fascinated with the glimpse he's giving me into those years after he left, I let him reveal it to me at his own pace.
He looks around as if he's picturing it still intact. “I designed my own security system that got a lot of attention.
“Oh?”
“You know Graham Hayes?”
I tilt my head, giving him a ‘What kind of Mafia daughter do you take me for?’ look. “Um, yes.Dirty Guys Do It Better? I used to love that show.”
“He hired me to do his.” He laughs to himself. “Then he told a few of his movie star friends, and the rest is history.”
