Boogeyman's Dream (Devils Rejects MC 2)

Her knee bounces and she hisses as the coffee sloshes over the brim of her cup and scalds her hand.

“Okay.” She lets out a breath. “You told me most of this. Is that why you keep the TV off. You didn’t want me to see my face or you didn't want me to turn myself in?”

“Shell—Michelle,” I start and she shakes her head.

“Call me Shelly,” she whispers. “I want you to call me Shelly.”

“That isn't your name,” I tell her, and a tear slips down her cheek.

“It’s the only name I know,” she says softly.

I take her mug and set it on the table then I pull her into my lap.

I wipe away her tear as another threatens to fall and bring my mouth down on hers in a brief peck.

“I don’t want to think about any of that. As long as no one finds me here, I’m safe. My family is safe, right?”

“Yeah, but you can’t hide forever. We gotta face reality sometime and, baby, as much as I wish we could hide away here forever. We can’t.”

“Maybe not, but this is all I know. Being here with you. Don’t send me away. Don’t push me away. I know you care for me or was that a lie when you said you’d do anything to keep me?”

“It wasn’t a lie, Goddamnit. I meant what I said. I was just telling you the truth. Just because you don’t want to hear it don't make it a lie.”

She shifts, pulling away from me.

“Don’t be like that.” I move her back into my lap and she straddles me.

Her arms cradle around my neck. “I don’t want to talk about any of that stuff. I can’t remember, and you need to forget about it. I want to start over. I want to be Shelly, whoever she may be. I want the chance to find out. These bad people aren't looking for Shelly. They are looking for Michelle. What if I change my appearance. Cut my hair. You said yourself you can tattoo me…”

“Don't work like that.”

Her bottom lips pouts.

“I told you that I am a bad man. That I kill people. Why would you want to stay?”

“I don’t see you the way you see yourself, Charlie. You saved me. I’m...I’m falling for you.”

Her confession nearly steals my breath away. A tight pain squeezes in my chest. If she remembers the truth she will hate me forever.

I am a selfish bastard. And I meant what I said. I will do anything to keep her.

“I gotta go to work. We can talk about this later.” I remove her hands and scoot her from my lap.

“Where do you work?”

“I do a bit of everything,” I tell her as I stand up.

“Do you kill people for money?”

“Sometimes.”

She swallows my bitter truth down and gives me a faint smile.

“When will you be back?”

I shrug and scratch the back of my neck. “Don’t know.”

“Okay.” She goes up on her knees on the cushion and I lean down and meet her lips briefly. I gotta get on the road. Got church today with the club. If I don’t leave now I will be too damn tempted to keep her in bed all day.