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“Are you getting sleep?”

“Some.”

“Do you remember your exits?” He shoots another question at me.

I nod. “Yes.”

“Is there any reason I should be worried?” he asks as he kills the cigarette butt beneath his boot.

“No.”

Laufer’s eyes bore into mine as he says, “Just checking that the weapon I buried stays buried.” He glances around us. “If I call, you answer. If I tell you to pack, you don’t ask questions. Got it?”

“Yes.”

“Miles told me you’re quiet but wound tight. Try to relax so you don’t look like a killer and scare everyone around you.”

Aggravation tenses every muscle in my body.

His features tighten a bit, but then he eases up on me and says, “You need to blend in and become forgettable, Owen.”

I know.

I force myself to relax and uncross my arms. When I let out a sigh, Laufer nods. “That’s better.” He glances around us again, then adds, “I’ll be in touch. Stay out of trouble.”

I watch him head down the sidewalk until he disappears from my sight and try to steel myself as best I can before I enter the bar again. Instantly, I’m hit with loud voices and laughter, while a gravelly voice and guitar strings come over the speakers.

I notice Annie’s giving me a curious look while she’s gathering empty glasses.

When I move in behind the counter, Miles asks, “Everything okay?”

“Yes.”

I get back to work, and soon, more patrons come in. This time, I don’t shut down but power through the incessant noise. I respond to a few questions, giving the cover story so that it will become a part of my identity.

Owen Casey. A nomad and traveler who wants to settle down.

Chapter 5

Annie

It’s been just shy of a month since Owen started working at the bar, and I’ve gotten used to his silence and broodiness.

In the beginning, the regulars tried to get to know him, but his answers were always short and he didn’t show any interest in anyone, so they stopped.

Owen has one friend who pops in every now and then, but other than that, he keeps to himself.

All I know about him is that he traveled for a while and came back to Portland to set down some roots. Whatever that means.

Vanessa comes in, and instantly, the other regulars smile and cheer. She stops by random tables to chat with a couple of people, and reaching the counter, she presses a kiss to Rick’s cheek, which makes him grumble something under his breath before he takes a sip of his beer.

If there’s one person I wish I could be more like, it would be Vanessa. Everybody loves her.

I move closer to the counter and watch as she rests her forearms on the worn wood, leaning over it while grinning at Owen.

“Did you miss me?”

Like every other time before, Owen ignores the question and waits to hear what she wants to drink.