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“Are you serious?” She keeps looking from me to Birdie and Gareth. “I don’t know him.”
Oh but you will sweet fairy, you will. I just got to act cool so I don’t scare her the hell away before I ever have the chance to make it all happen.
“Gareth can vouch for him. He’s been working with him a long time and I would feel so much better knowing that Brownie AND you were somewhere safe.”
Oh, that worry thing is a good card to play. I am going to owe Birdie so big. She could burn the damned town down and I would be her alibi and swear she was with me and Gareth the entire time she was pouring the gasoline.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
I can’t hold back the grin that stretches across my face. Yes! First block down, set up the next one because I plan to topple them all on my way to her heart.
Chapter Two
____________
Brook
“I’ll guard her body all night…uh, be her bodyguard all night.”
“What? I thought you said you had to work all the time?” I think I just got played. I shoot Birdie a go-to-hell look at being an accomplice to the player.
Is the guy cute? Yeah, but that isn’t the end-all answer to everything. In my experience men who look like this guy have their heads so far up their own asses there’s no room for another partner to play. Not that I have a great deal of experience, but this guy just looks like he’s one of those boys who wouldn’t give me the time of day in high school. Oh sure, they all wanted to fuck me. Bagging a redhead was special apparently but they didn’t want to brave my mouth…or my temper. Wimps.
“Just during the day.” He gives me a half-cocked smile that I’m sure gets him plenty of women. It’s not working for me. “Unless someone’s murdered. Then I might have to leave.”
“I don’t think…”
“Now,” he takes me by the elbow and steers me away from Birdie and her new man, “tell me what you need so I can take you home with me.”
My back goes ramrod straight and my eyes narrow even more. I put my hand flush on his chest - his very impressive chest but that is not the point. “Look, I’m not going to your house just so you can get laid.”
“You have a very suspicious mind.” He gives me a hurt look I’m not buying and places his hand over mine so that it’s trapped between his palm and his body. I still myself and raise my chin in defiance.
“And you’ve been out of school way too long if you don’t understand why I might be a little suspicious.”
His eyebrows go up and then he’s the one narrowing his eyes. “Do you get bothered by high school boys a lot? I can take care of that, you know. One good traffic stop and the little fuckers will never bother you again.”
My mouth is hanging open for just a second before I start laughing and pull my hand from him. I juggle the pup on my hip and start down the stairs with him following after. Surely he’s joking to make me more comfortable being with him. It worked. He comes around me and leads me to his car.
I tell him how to get to the apartment building me and my mom live in. Before I step out of the car I turn and look at Brownie lying asleep on the backseat. “Do you mind watching him while I go grab some things? My mom…isn’t a fan of Brownie right now and I don’t want to listen to her bitch about me bringing him back and then having to explain that I agreed to stay at some strange man’s house just so I can dog-sit her least favorite puppy.”
I grimace that I have to even ask. It would be quicker this way but then again I wouldn’t have to start our relationship off begging him to do something for me. Not that we have a relationship. Shit…I don’t even know his name.
“Sure, go ahead.” He gives me a big goofy smile before leaning back and giving Brownie’s head a scratch that has the little puppy grinning in his sleep. Great, even the dog is charmed by the guy.
I start to walk away but turn back, “By the way…what’s your name? Birdie didn’t really tell me.”
He gives me that drop-dead killer smirk before answering me, “Waylen. Waylen Daniels.”
I can’t help it. My mouth just runs away from me sometimes. “You know most serial killers have names that are first names too.” He looks at me with surprise in his eyes. “Henry Lee Lucas.”
I can’t think of another one right off the top of my head. Not that it matters anyway because he starts laughing, actually laughing. “I guess I shouldn’t tell you my middle name is Andrew, huh.”
“Just don’t murder the puppy. I’ll be back, Waylen Andrew.”
I walk away to the sound of his laugh and the killer grin he keeps shooting me. I can’t help the matching tilt of my own that lifts the corners of my mouth. I try to be as fast as I can while also trying to grab everything I might need for the next few days. Before I go I leave my mom a note telling her I’m going to stay with one of Birdie’s friends and help take care of Brownie at their house. I try to leave it as ambiguous as I can so she won’t question where I’m at.
I throw together a duffle bag full of crap while thinking about how different me and my best friend’s lives have turned out. Birdie has a loving family while it’s just me and Mom, and Mom’s been dropping hints I’m too old to be living here with her. I think she wants to start bringing men home with her instead of always meeting them out.
