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After a long couple of seconds, Maddie leaned back, facing the front windshield too. I loved this Bronco, but I had to fix it up often. One more problem with the carburetor, and this car would be toast. Hopefully, the problem wouldn’t occur on the highway, or we would be roadkill.
My stomach grumbled, a reminder I’d skipped breakfast this morning.
“Wanna stop and grab a couple of tacos?” I asked.
When she looked over at me, her eyes were wide, as if tacos were heaven-sent.
I chuckled. “If you like carne asada, you’ll have to try my side of beef.”
“Your what?”
“You know. A nice, rare cut. Tender, red, and so juicy it’ll drip down your fingers. Messy, lickable, and oh so delish!” My mouth was watering now, so I needed to stop thinking about grilling or smoking. And I certainly didn’t need to be thinking about lickable juices. I veered into Ta’Carbon for some carne asada tacos cooked over mesquite.
I wolfed down two tacos before Maddie touched hers. She stared into the bag like something might dart out and bite her.
“They’re good. Try ’em,” I said with a full mouth.
Keeping quiet, I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she unwrapped a taco and tasted each ingredient individually. Her eyes flitted toward me as she ate. This was clearly something new to her, and it infuriated me. How could someone starve a person like this? Her sister’s frame and muscles had her rocking curves rather than protruding bone. If Sas hadn’t fucking killed Amaranta Gambino, I’d drive out there, put the bitch on a spit, and roast her alive.
“They’re delicious,” Maddie said when she finished the first one, but then she tucked the bag away, leaving the second taco.
“You don’t want the last one?” I asked.
She wiped her mouth and shook her head. “I’m stuffed.”
My jaw clenched. Who the fuck filled up on a single taco?
I forced a smile and told her to save it for later.
When I pulled into Mom’s driveway, the curtain in the front window fluttered down. I looked over my shoulder at the street. It was too late to back out now. This house was smaller than the ranch house in the Ridge, but it was in far better shape. It still wasn’t an ideal situation, but I didn’t have a good one to offer. At least the flowers and lawn were in good order, and the windows were washed. The bluepaint with white trim and the white picket fence were all kept up well, thanks to the team Mom had caring for her.
“Did you grow up here?” asked Maddie, leaning toward the windshield. Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes went wide.
“No. I moved here when I was sixteen or so,” I said. I never spent much time in the house since I stayed in the tiny school in Park Ridge. Then, after school, I hung out with Celt and his family when I wasn’t working. Only on occasion would I drive to Phoenix at night, and I never told my second family what had happened to Mom or the druggie bastard who’d nearly killed her.
“It’s a nice house,” said Maddie, but she pinched her lips tight as she assessed everything in view.
I grimaced. This house was a piece of crap, but nowhere near as shitty as where I slept back in the Ridge.
“My mom has people who keep it in good order. The flowers are hers, and I help out where I can.” I turned off the car.
“It’s wonderful,” said Maddie, marveling at the house, but that sad tone still lurked under her words.
This couldn’t have been the first time she’d seen a quaint neighborhood house like this. Also, we’d passed grander things on the highway. But maybe there was something special to her about this, something I couldn’t see. After all, she had been held captive for more than a fucking decade.
“Is something wrong with the house?”
She pinched her lips, shaking her head rapidly.
“Maddie, tell me what’s wrong.” I didn’t want to take her in if it would send her into a funk.
Her jaw unhinged, but words didn’t come immediately. Finally, she said, “I never thought I would stay somewhere so nice.”
“What?” I gaped at her. “That’s BS if I ever heard any. You, probably more than most, deserve a mansion or something.”
She blinked at me as though she refused to believe me. “O-okay,” she stammered.
I gave her a few more seconds before I jumped out of the car. Maddie scrambled out after me. She held her baggy clothes aroundher waist. Hopefully, Mom had something she could borrow. I had no idea where to stop and buy her anything that fit.
