Autumn looked down at her hands for a moment and then back up at him, nodding. Of course, he was right. She was just anxious to get on with her life, and even a job waiting tables or washing dishes seemed like a step towards starting over.
“Let’s give it a few more days. I will work on getting you some paperwork, and by the time we have that sorted, we should have a better idea of whether they are still looking for you or gave up. You’re going to be a lot safer keeping a low profile if they are lurking around here.”
A waitress greeted them and told them to sit wherever they’d like before taking their drink order and disappearing while they looked over the menu. It was full of just about any kind of Mexican food you could imagine. It all looked delicious, but Malcolm suggested just getting a tray of tacos, promising her that she wouldn’t regret it.
“Tacos it is then.”
The waitress returned with their sodas and took their order, once again disappearing. She didn’t seem affected by either of them, so Autumn assumed she wasn’t a shifter. She asked Malcolm.
“No, there aren’t many shifters in this area, which is exactly why my father built the cabin here.”
“What is the deal with that cabin anyway? I mean, why so secretive and secluded?”
“Well, that’s a bit of a story. Dad’s family weren’t exactly law-abiding citizens. His father ran alcohol during the prohibition years and guns well before that. Even before people had to pass background checks and stuff like that, there were a lot of folks that didn’t want their purchase of a gun to be traceable. He was incredibly paranoid and taught his sons to be the same way.”
“Were your father and uncle, um, in the family business?”
“No. Dad and Uncle Henry used to help out when they were young, but after my grandfather died and they had families of their own, they didn’t see risking it.”
“Then why keep the cabin so secretive still?”
“I don’t know. Habit maybe. Because we still have rivals with other packs, they just always felt it a good idea to have a place no one knew about in case they needed it. I guess it rubbed off on me too.”
“Families can be strange sometimes,” she told him.
“That they can.”
The tacos arrived quickly, dispatching the conversation with munches on the crisp, warm shells. He was right; they were delicious. His phone beeped, and he fished it out of his pocket, glancing at it with a disinterested stare that quickly turned to concern.
“We need to get going,” he told her, finishing his last taco while she did the same.
“What’s going on?” she said, between bites.
“Nothing serious. Just not a good idea for us to be out and about right now.”
Autumn finished off the last of her food and stood up to join him. He placed money down on the table without a bill, so she assumed he already knew roughly how much it was, and they made their way out to the car, losing no time as they drove quickly back toward the cabin.CHAPTER NINETEENMalcolm-8
“I’m going to leave you here for a bit. You’ll be safe in the cabin or out on the grounds, so make yourself at home.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing for you to worry about. I just have to take care of something for the MC. I’ll be back in time to start dinner.”
“I can start dinner,” she protested.
“Then, I’ll be back in time to enjoy dinner,” he said with a smile.
Before she could ask more questions, he turned and hurried back out the door to the bike, rolling out quickly. He didn’t want to have to lie to her, but it did no good for either of them for her to be upset. The bears had gone back to the garage where they had taken the bike, but this time it wasn’t just the one cop.
There had been three of them, and they had wiped the place out, leaving only a single mechanic who told them everything about the bike, about him, and about Autumn. They would come for him now, and if they found him, then they would find her. He had to think quickly.
“You got what I need?” he asked David as he pulled up alongside him behind the old stables that had been abandoned countless years ago.
“Yep. What’s going on?”
“You don’t want to know. All I need you to know is that everyone needs to watch out for bears, anywhere from three to a dozen. They are looking for a girl, and they think I know where she is. So, you haven’t seen me.”
“Good enough. My number is programmed in.”
“Thanks, man. You know what to do with the other one?”
“I do. You’ll be on your way to Texas as soon as I leave here.”