Quillon pulled out his phone and started tapping on the screen. “I’m texting Wolf. He’s on duty at the bar tonight. Crossman and Ratchet are there too. It’s been pretty slow, so we’re covered if you want to take the night off, Cam. Stalemate is on standby.”
Cam grunted and scratched the back of his neck. The muscles in his shoulder had already tightened back up, and he made a mental note to book an appointment with Sabrina ASAP. “You’re right. I think we’ll get goin’ and check back in tomorrow.”
Quillon nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll be in touch.”
Sabrina was quiet as she followed Cam back to where he’d parked the bike. It looked just like he left it, and some of his anxiety faded. He flicked two fingers at the clerk and pulled the lizard helmet from the locked saddlebag. Sabrina took it and put it on her head.
“Where are we going?” he asked as he strapped his own helmet on.
“Back to the spa.”
Cam mounted and held the bike steady for her to climb on behind him. He settled into the cradle of her thighs and fired up the engine. She leaned forward and placed her arms around his waist, holding on lightly as they took off through the city streets and headed toward her workplace.
The ride wasn’t that exciting. Buildings and businesses lined the route, and pedestrians on the sidewalks paid little attention to them. The traffic lights kept them from going very fast, and they had to stop for a string of red lights. At each one, he’d stop the motorcycle and steady it with one leg while Sabrina clung to him. He could tell this wasn’t the first time she’d been on the back of a bike.
But it was the first time with him. The last woman to be on the bike with him? A long-ass time ago, and a memory he’d just as soon not bring back.
He wondered how long it would be before Sabrina’s patience gave out about the DNA test, but he admired her for not pushing it right now. Cam had no idea how serious this situation was, but Scrap wasn’t a young man anymore. He bet that was the biggest reason the doctor wanted to keep him there overnight.
Pulling up to the massage business, Cam waited for Sabrina to dismount before he swung one long leg over and off the bike. He lifted his helmet’s face shield as he regarded the dark storefront. “Looks closed. Do you have appointments this late?”
“No, I’m camping in the back.” She took off her helmet, shook out her long mane, and ran her fingers through the tangles.
He shook his head. “Come again?”
She tucked her headgear under her arm. “My van is in the back lot.”
“Your van?”
Her face showed annoyance. “Yeah, sugar, my van.”
They stared at each other for a moment. This business and the others like it on this strip had some employee parking behind the buildings, but the only way to get to it was a one-way alley at the end of the block. Unless she went through the building, Sabrina had to walk all the way to the end of the street to get to her “van.”
Cam was dying to see what she had set up. He pulled off his helmet but left the bandana he’d tied around his forehead. “Mind if I take a look?”
She huffed and rolled her eyes. “I don’t see why you need to, but okay.”
Sabrina turned and typed in the combination for the front door, and the electronic lock granted them access. The place was dark, but she led the way through, using her phone as a flashlight. The back of the building was more spacious than he thought, and sure enough, there was a van with a small trailer parked close to the outer side wall.
Dread bloomed in his stomach. “Is this what I think it is?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you living in your car?”
“It’s a van, and yes, I live in it. What’s the problem?”
“It isn’t safe.”
Her stance snapped into a stone-cold stillness. “I’ve camped at Walmarts, gyms, and truck stops and never had any problems. This place is well hidden. I’m just as safe here as I am anywhere else.”
“It’s isolated. No one else is around to help you if you have trouble.”
Her mouth broke into a smile he was sure she meant to be sarcastic. “You worried about me, sugar?”
“Yes.”
The one-word answer seemed to catch her off guard. “Well, I thank you for your concern, but I’m a grown-ass woman who can take care of herself.”
