I pull my shirt together and don’t offer an explanation. I sigh. “Yeah, definitely a rough go of it. How much do you think it will cost to fix my car?”
“Probably two thousand.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “You didn’t even look at it.”
He smiles, and it looks strange, sort of like he doesn’t really do it a lot. “Yeah, I’ve been doing this a long time. It’s a cracked engine block. And that price is just for parts. I won’t charge you labor.”
Shoot. I can’t afford that. My mind starts to whirl. “Okay, how much will you give me for it?”
“To buy it?” he asks. And when I nod, he starts to laugh. “I’d be lucky to get five hundred dollars out of it for parts.”
“Sold. You have a deal. It’s yours for five hundred dollars,” I tell him, holding my hand out.
He stares back at me, and I’m waiting for him to tell me no, but he surprises me. His rough hand slides into mine. Trust is a hard thing for me. Having a man touch me is too. But it’s almost like he knows that by the way he squeezes my hand once and lets it go. “I’ll be right back.”
He disappears back in his shop, and I go through my car and grab the few belongings I have in it. When he comes back, I have my bag and purse over my shoulder.
He comes back quickly and hands me five hundred dollars in cash. I sign over the title that I dug out of the glove box and hand it to him. He points down the road. “There’s a bus station a few blocks away. Can I drive you over there?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him yes, but I shake my head. “It’s fine. I can walk a few blocks.”
He nods, but he doesn’t seem happy about it. He walks over to his truck and comes back to me. He gives me directions to the bus station and hands me a sweatshirt with the repair shop’s name and logo on it. “Here,” he says as he shoves it and a pocketknife in my hand. “If your old man catches up with you, stab him with this and twist.”
I blink as I stare back at him. Of course he thinks I’m on the run from a boyfriend or husband—what else would he think? I take the gift from him and stick it in the front pocket of my dress pants. “Thank you.”
The walk to the bus station only takes a few minutes, but I’m antsy as I sit in the terminal and wait the two hours for the bus departure time. I spent half my money on a ticket to Tennessee. We went there for a family vacation once when I was little, and I’ve always wanted to go back. Plus, it’s on the other side of the country—away from Kassie and the rest of Delta Force.
The bus ride consists of me dozing a little but mostly just waiting and worrying every minute of the ride. I don’t talk to anyone, doing my best to go unnoticed. The trip takes over two days with all the stops. My phone has been going crazy, but I still haven’t answered it, and I know that Kassie has to be worried sick. By the time we make it to Knoxville, I get off the bus, walk through a bad part of town, and stop at the first motel I can find.
As soon as I get into my room, I barricade the door and take a quick shower. I could stand under the hot spray for hours, but I don’t let myself. I clean up really fast and put the same dirty clothes on. I’d give anything to have something clean to wear, but I can’t wash them. I have to be able to go quickly if I need to. Knowing I can’t put it off any longer, I call Kassie.
“What is going on, Karina? Why haven’t you answered my calls? Your roommate hasn’t seen you. I’ve been worried sick.”
My sister is almost yelling into the phone, and I take a deep breath before I answer. “I’m fine. My phone’s been dead. I’m following a job lead in Tennessee... close to the Smoky Mountains.”
The silence is deafening. “A job lead? You didn’t tell me anything about that. And why Tennessee? If you were going to move anywhere, why wouldn’t it be Texas? What’s going on, Karina?”
My sister is smart, and she knows me too well. Tears well in my eyes, and when I blink, they spill down my cheeks. I hate myself for getting emotional. I get a little choked up on the phone. “I’m fine, Kassie. I can’t talk right now. I’m going to be late. I’ll call you when it’s over.”