“Dad acts like one, trust me. He has men on his payroll who will do whatever he orders them to do. Now they are just about everywhere, looking for me.”
She actually believed that? Well, he didn’t. He couldn’t see any person, including a father, being that controlling. “Sorry, but rules are rules, and I can’t afford to lose my job. You need to go.”
He watched her put her hair in a ponytail before grabbing her backpack off the floor. She looked up at him with those gorgeous green eyes and then said, in what he thought was a pitiful-sounding voice, “I hate to be any more of a bother, Drew, but -”
“How did you know my name? I didn’t give it to you,” he asked, interrupting her.
“I was already hiding behind the boxes when you and a guy named Fred were talking. I heard him call you Drew.”
He nodded. “Okay, you were saying?”
“I hate to be any more of a bother than I already have, but I am down to a granola bar and one last bottle of water. Could I impose on you to get me a few more of both?”
“Am I to assume you don’t have the money to pay for any of it?”
“I truly don’t. I gave the last of my cash to Beth.”
“Beth?”
“Yes, I caught a ride with her and her two-year-old twin girls. I gave her the money as a thank you for letting me catch a ride all the way from Trenton. And I can’t use my credit cards since Dad is using them to track my location.”
He shook his head, certain she had watched too many detective shows on television. “Fine, I’ll get them.”
“I’ll gladly pay you back after I get to Paris if you give me your address.”
“Paris? You’re going to Paris?” he asked.
“Yes. My agent is sending me a ticket after the holidays. That’s where I will be working as a model, Drew.”
Why did he like the way she said his name in her New England accent? “Just wait in here until I return with the stuff.”
“Alright.”
Drew closed the door to the back of the trailer and crossed the lot to the convenience store. The runaway had definitely spun a wild tale. First, about a controlling father, but then claiming she was actually on the cover of Vogue? Honestly? He figured it was every young girl’s dream to be the next Iman, but still, she was definitely stretching it a bit.
Once inside the store, he gathered all the items she had asked for and decided to grab a few candy bars for himself. He was headed toward the counter when two men dressed in suits walked in. He thought they looked like federal agents or something.
Instead of buying anything in the store, they went straight to the counter, getting in front of him. He was about to tell them to wait their turn in line, but he decided to let them skip since he had a handful of items and figured they were likely only buying something from behind the counter. Probably cigarettes or chewing gum.
“What can I do for you guys?” the store clerk asked.
The guy threw a copy of a magazine on the counter. “We’re looking for this woman. Have you seen her?”
Drew’s ears perked up, although he pretended not to overhear the conversation going on in front of him. The clerk picked up the magazine and studied it closely, then shook his head. “Sorry. Haven’t seen her.”
“You sure?” one of the men asked.
“Positive. A woman who looked like this, with those green eyes? I would have remembered.”
The men nodded and then asked a woman who appeared from the back. She hadn’t seen her, either. Then, for some reason, they turned and asked him, “What about you?”
He met their gazes. “What about me?”
“Have you seen this woman?” one asked, holding up the magazine.
He took the magazine and studied it. Eden hadn’t lied. She was on the cover of Vogue, and she looked absolutely gorgeous. And with makeup, she definitely appeared older than seventeen. Still, though he thought she was more beautiful without it, the image on the magazine cover was flawless. He’d be thinking about that red lipstick for a while.
He handed the magazine back to the guy. “Yes, I’ve seen her.”
