He sighs as he rubs my feet from his spot on the other end of the couch. “I wasn’t going to tell you, but I probably should. I’m about to be arrested for involuntary manslaughter.” I know shock is registering on my face, but he keeps talking. “It happened a few months ago. I lost my cool and a punched a jackass who was mouthing off and hitting on my girlfriend at the time. Only I hit him so hard that it shattered his palette and knocked out some teeth. The worst part is it sent him into a coma because he hit his head when he went down.” He can’t meet my gaze as I hang on his every word. “I found out yesterday that he passed away. I’ll probably have to turn myself in next week. My old man sent me down here hoping I could outrun my troubles but all I did was make things worse. I lied to you when I said that I will be here if something happens. I was being selfish and careless with your feelings. That wasn’t fair of me to use you like that.”
I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say other than sorry, but it seems so insignificant. “We’re quite the fucked-up pair, aren’t we? Yesterday….” I scoff. “Yesterday part of me was dreaming about what would happen if I were pregnant. I had this stupid fantasy playing out in my head how you would swoop in and we’d ride off to this fantastic life and I would have someone in this world who gives a damn about me. The sick part was I was relieved in a way when the pharmacy didn’t have that pill. I didn’t want to admit it to myself at the time, but I probably could have taken a cab or something to get to that other pharmacy, but I didn’t even try.”
He doesn’t say anything for a long time and I don’t either.
“You want to go to a wedding?” He asks out of the blue.
“What?” I laugh.
“What are you doing for New Years?”
“Nothing. Driving back to school. Don’t tell me you’re getting married.”
We both laugh for no reason really and he shakes his head and strokes his goatee. “My sister, Harley, she’s getting married on New Year’s. It’d mean a lot to my Mom if I was there. And I was thinking if you don’t have anything better to do…maybe you want to be my date. Give me one last thrill before…” he trails off.
I roll my lips, licking the bottom one. “Sure. Why not.”
It’s a sixteen-hour drive or a five-hour flight from Texas to Kentucky. I know I have lost my damn mind because Axel demands we drive my car. Two hours later once he has stored his bike and his moonshine in the garage we are on the road.
Axel is driving, and I am navigating and controlling the radio. Basically, he is getting an ear-piercing private concert performed by me. Poor guy. I’m supposed meet with my father’s lawyer in a few days to receive the first installment of my trust fund. I can’t help but wonder if there is anything I can do for Axel. I am about to have more money then I will know what to do with.
“Will you…will you not tell your family who I am? It’s just that I would rather they base their first impression who I am as a person and not the fact that I am the daughter of a man they all hated.”
“Sure.” His hand moves up my thigh and warmth pools in my lower abdomen. We didn’t plan our trip out in advance and neither of us took into account that it is Christmas day and no restaurants or stores are open. I’m starving and desperately need to relieve my bladder. We find a gas station that appears to be open. Axel fills up the tank while I make use of the bathroom. When I come out there are two guys in suits waiting for me and Axel is being held at gunpoint by two more.
One of the men grabs me by the arm and his fingers bite into my skin. I try to yank free, but he only tightens his grip in response. These men must have known my father, unless they are here for Axel.
“What do you want?” I ask as the man shoves me toward a dark sedan with blacked out windows much like the car my father would travel in when he would come visit me.
“Get your hand off her,” Axel growls and one of the men hit him in the back of the head, but he doesn’t go down. The hit seems to only piss him off and I can only hope he doesn’t do something dumb and get us both killed.
“Raul Hernandez has a proposition for you.”
“Well I don’t know who that is, nor do I care to hear any proposition he has.” I sneer at the man putting on a tough act but inside I am terrified. As I am pushed toward the car the back passenger window rolls halfway down. A pair of dark eyes meet mine. “Hello, Ainsley. You are more beautiful than I remember. The photos your father sent me of you didn’t do your beauty justice.”
“I have no idea who you are or what you want but your goon here needs to let go of me.”
“Of course.” He waves a hand at the man gripping my arm. He lets go and I immediately rub the tender spot where his fingers were. “You’re a hard woman to get in touch with. Your stepmother has been refusing my phone calls and denying me of what is mine.”
“And what is that?”
“Your hand in marriage.” I stiffen at the word. It sounds foreign on his tongue.
“Funny. He never mentioned you or this marriage proposal. You do know that I am not in the family business, don’t you?”
“I am well aware of the predicament you find yourself in. Surrounded by your father’s enemies and left unprotected. I promise I only want what is best for you. I will take care of you and keep you safe.”
“Well you are too late for that. You know what business my father had is done and whatever deal he made with you…is void. I have already been promised to another. Axel over there is delivering me to my stepmother where upon my arrival I am to marry some biker.” I would have said Axel, but I am afraid that this man whoever he is will hurt him or worse dispose of him out of spite.
“If what you say is true my family will see this as a great insult.”
A police cruiser is coming up the road and I smile, thanking God for small favors.
“Boss, five-O.”
“We will be in touch, soon, Ainsley. You can count on that,” he warns in a tone so ominous I almost expect hear that music they seem to play in all movies during a villain’s threat. His men quickly get into the car and they speed off. I rush to Axel, throwing my arms around his neck.
The cashier from the gas station opens the door to see if we are okay. He called the police once he saw what was happening. We assure him that we are fine, and Axel says it would be best we don’t stick around to talk to the police. They aren’t worried about us they are more concerned about the armed men.