AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Doesn’t he always?” Maria said with a cackle.
“Of course.” Maddox grinned. “And Orion has already been briefed on the code of silence with regards to any kind of internet review site. So no worries on that front.”
“Good. Good. We’re so happy to have you dining with us, Orion,” Maria said with a big smile, and she collected up two menus from the hostess stand.
Something flickered in Maria’s eyes at her name. Did she recognize her? Had Maddox spoken about her? Surely not. He wasn’t likely to talk to a restaurant owner about the girl who’d disappeared when he was sixteen, no matter how close they were.
It was more believable that she’d seen her on the news. They’d all taken great pains to hide from the media, but a few shots managed to get out there, along with their names.
Because of this, Orion was always careful with her mask of makeup when she went out, sculpting her face so it looked nothing like the scared, lost woman the media had plastered all over the place for months.
If you looked at her close enough, you’d see the resemblance. But she never gave people the chance to look.
Maria was looking close. She was older than Orion had thought at first, her smile shaving years off the woman she guessed to be in her late fifties. She was plump. Not fat, not curvy. Plump was the only way to describe her. She was soft everywhere, but especially her eyes. They were kind and welcoming, but also sharp and knowing.
“We’re gonna give you the best seat in the house, Maddie boy,” she said after a beat. She looked at Orion. “We’ll take care of you here, honey. Don’t you worry.”
Orion almost burst into tears right there, just because of the soft way this stranger spoke to her.
But she didn’t.
It threw her off enough that she followed the woman, that she somehow didn’t lurch away from Maddox’s slight touch on her lower back. He was so close she could smell his scent. She’d smelled his aftershave, of course. Stuck in a car with him, she had no escape. Not that he wore too much, like he had when he was fifteen and still learning about subtlety. He wore the perfect amount. Orion didn’t have much experience with a lot of things. Walking into restaurants, driving, trying on clothes. Being a functioning member of society.
But she was well-versed in the scents of men.
Of peppermint breath hot on the back of her neck. Strong, musky, cheap aftershave clinging to her, mingling with the coppery scent of her blood.
Expensive, woodsy smells seeping into the pores of her naked body.
Yes, Orion had smelled all kinds of men, and each of them had repulsed her.
But this was different.
This was Maddox.
He did not disgust her.
“Right, right. Here we go. Best seat in the house,” Maria declared, setting the menus down on the table.
The table was slightly removed from the rest of the restaurant, but not in a way that Orion would feel cornered, without an escape. Orion realized she hadn’t even been watching to see if anyone recognized her on the short walk. She was too preoccupied with Maddox and the way he fucking smelled.
Maddox stepped forward to pull out a chair that was facing the exit, as if he knew she couldn’t have her back to it. And maybe he did. She’d learned a lot about PTSD since their escape, on her own and with all the therapists, and she knew that law enforcement was one of the hardest hit fields.
She sat down on autopilot.
Maria smiled. “Now, I’m gonna give you the opportunity to choose, if you so wish.” She gestured to the menu. It wasn’t pages long like Orion remembered from the rare time her parents had decided to take them to some cheap chain restaurant. The selection for appetizers, entrées, and desserts fit on one page. Even so, it was daunting.
“Or,” Maria continued, after Maddox had sat down. He didn’t touch the menu. “I can choose for you, if you trust me.” She winked.
Maddox picked up the menu and handed it over. “You already know my answer, Momma Maria.”
She took the menu, turned to Orion. “And you, honey?”
What a ridiculous idea, that Orion would trust this warm, smiling woman who she’d known for a minute.
Orion didn’t trust the man sitting across from her, who’d she’d arguably known for years. In another life of course.
Still, Orion found herself handing the menu to the woman.
She beamed. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll take care of you. You won’t be disappointed.”
For whatever reason, Orion believed her.
Maddox looked at her with a twinkle in his eye and a stupid grin on his lips. “You wanna get a bottle of wine?”
She should’ve said no, of course. To the twinkle. To the wine. To a strange woman who called her honey choosing what she was going to eat.
