The man hasn’t left me alone since I let him buy me some drinks one night. Somehow, he’s decided I’m his. I saw him ride past the cemetery today and wondered how he always seems to show up where I am.
I tiptoe to the door and peer through the peephole.
There he stands, tall, bearded, and tattooed. He’s a member of the Death Heads MC. A nomad, he told me. Not connected to any one location. Sometimes he has a fellow nomad with him named Greasy. Tonight, he’s alone.
“Open up, babe. I know you’re in there.”
My eyes slide shut. I know him well enough to know that if I piss him off, he gets mean.
Sliding the chain, I open the door. He could boot the thing open if he wanted to, anyway.
“Hey, Snake. What are you doing here?”
“Why aren’t you workin’ tonight?”
“It’s my day off. I need to catch up on my courses.”
He strolls to the table and looks at my workbooks, picking one up and dropping it. “I don’t know why you bother with this shit. You’ll never make what you’re makin’ now.”
“Because maybe I don’t want to be a stripper for the rest of my life.” I don’t know what possessed me to say that to him. Backtalk sets him off. “I won’t be young forever.”
He scoffs. “Well, you are right now, and you’re a money-making machine. In fact, you’re too good for that two-bit club you work at. I’ve got a much better place in mind. A place where you could make twice what you’re makin’ now.”
“I like Cowboy’s.” The manager takes care of us and doesn’t cheat the dancers.
“I think Texas is the place for you.At first, I considered Daytona. My club’s got a good gentleman’s club there, but the more I think of it, the more I think we’ll like Texas better.”
“I’m not moving to Texas. This is my home.”
Snake moves so fast, he takes me by surprise. His fist curls around my hair, and he hauls me against the wall, pressing my cheek against it. “You’ll go where I say to go. If I want to go to fuckin’ Timbuctoo then that’s where we’re goin’, understand?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Good. Now pack your shit. I want to get a start first thing in the morning. You better be ready when I come back.” He heads for the door.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“To talk to somebody about a truck. We’ll have to put the bike in the back. Can’t take you and the kid on my bike, can I?”
I shake my head.
He points at me. “If your shit is not packed when I get back, I’m leavin’ it. Understand?”
“Yes. I’ll be ready.”
The moment he walks out the door, I move to the window and peer through a crack in the blinds, waiting until he pulls out. Then I run and pack a duffel bag with the bare minimum: a change of clothes, my laptop, chargers, a photo album, Tucker’s teddy bear, and a few of his special toys. I don’t know how much time I have, but I don’t plan to be here when Snake returns.
CHAPTER FOUR
Heather—
It only takes me fifteen minutes to load the car and carry Tucker down, putting him in his car seat. I lock the doors and start the engine, glancing at the gas gauge. I’ve got about a hundred miles before I need to stop.
Thank God I’ve been saving as much of my earnings as I can afford. I’ve got almost five thousand dollars to make a fresh start somewhere. Even with that, I know it won’t last long.
Wracking my brain, I try to think of where to go. Going to my sister’s place is out of the question. There’s no way I’m leading Snake to her door.
I have a feeling he may even have a tracker on my car, but I have no way of knowing where it is. I think about driving to the police station, but I’m not sure they’d be able to help me with that.
