CHAPTER TWO

Danielle

Booker chuckled. “The shop’s clean, sweetheart. Totally legit, although, probably better I take you home than you have your daddy pick you up.”

“It would be my brother, actually… or Kimmie. Kim’s my best friend. Not that you care who my best friend is.” I took a deep breath, rambling was not a good option right now.

He smiled again. God, he had a nice smile. Of course, it was the panty-dropping kind, but for now, I wouldn’t react…my undies must stay firmly in place. “There’s only six of us here right now, so we’ll get your car into the lot, get your info, and I’ll take you home.”

I swallowed. “I should call my brother.”

“Then we’ll get your car into the lot and you can call your brother.”

I nodded and let him lead me through a large parking lot surrounded by eight-foot high fencing complete with barbed-wire on top. I followed him into the warmth of a sparse but clean waiting area. It looked like the waiting room in my local oil change place, which for whatever reason surprised me. I’m not sure what I was expecting. Maybe centerfolds from Playboy circa 1984 plastered on the walls?

“Phone’s on the counter,” Booker said. “Dial nine for an outside line.”

I nodded and picked up the phone, dialing as he opened a door and yelled, “Mack! Need you in the front.”

“Hello?” Kim answered, sounding confused.

“Kimmie, hey it’s me,” I whispered.

“Ohmigod, Dani!” I could hear the sounds of the restaurant she worked at in the background. “I was worried sick. I take it your cell phone died again?”

“Yeah.” I glanced to my right and could see Booker talking with someone across the room out of earshot. “It’s officially dead, dead.”

“Where are you calling me from?” she asked.

“Um, some wrecking place I managed to break down in front of.”

“Of course you did,” Kimmie said with a chuckle. “Did you call Ell?”

“Um, I can’t.”

“How come?”

“The shop is owned by a motorcycle club,” I whispered, and glanced at the door again to make sure Booker wasn’t listening.

“So?” she whispered back.

“Hello, I’ve seen that Sam Crow show… they’re not entirely above board.”

Kim burst out laughing, the tell-tale snort indicating she was unable to control her mirth.

“Kimmie,” I snapped.

“Ohmigod, Dani, you are precious. Truly,” she said, and laughed again.

“Oh, shut up,” I ground out. “You know if I call Elliot, he’ll get all—”

“Dani? Keys, babe,” Booker demanded.

I jumped a little because I hadn’t seen him walk back over to me. “Um, hold on a sec,” I said to Kim, and rummaged in my purse. Winding the car key from the rest of my keys, I handed it to him, and he nodded then left me again. “Okay, I’m back.”

“Who was that?” Kim asked.

“One of the men who works here.”

“Um, he knew your name and he called you babe,” she pointed out. “I’m thinking you’re being purposely obtuse.”

“His name’s Booker,” I said.

“He sounds delicious.”

“Meh,” I lied.

“Call Elliot, Dani. Or I can come get you when I get off in an hour.”

“No,” I said with a sigh. “I’ll call Ell.”

“Good. Borrow his phone and call me when you get home, okay? I’ve gotta grab my orders.”

“I will.” I was midway through dialing my brother when Booker returned, so I hung up and forced a smile.

“You call your brother or friend or whoever?” he asked.

“Kim. Yes. She’s still at work. I was just about to call my brother.”

“Why don’t you do that and then you can give me some information while we wait for him.”

I nodded and picked up the phone again. I got his voicemail. “Hey Ell, it’s me. I broke down in Portland and was wondering if you could come get me. I’m at…,” I glanced up at Booker for assistance, and he handed me a card. I rattled off the address and phone number of Big Ernie’s Wreck ’n’ Tow, and then hung up again. “Voicemail.”

“Picked up on that, babe,” he said.

My cheeks heated. “Right.”

Booker stepped behind the counter and handed me a piece of paper with Big Ernie’s logo on it. “Write down your address and phone number and I’ll call you when we know what’s wrong with your car.”

“Are you planning to wreck it?”

He smiled and shook his head. “We’ll tow it over to the auto repair shop and fix it there.”

“One of the other businesses, I presume?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded. “I won’t be able to answer, but you can leave a message and I’ll call you with a good number.”

He nodded and I scribbled down my information. I couldn’t imagine what the repairs on my car would be, but as a kindergarten teacher, I could pretty much guarantee they’d be out of my budget. I jumped again when the phone rang… I was seriously wound up with nerves that only a bottle of merlot was going to come close to calming.

“Big Ernie’s,” Booker said, and then smiled at me. “Yeah, she’s here.”

He handed me the phone. “Hello?” I said.

“How the hell did you end up at a scrap yard in Arbor Lodge?” Elliot demanded.

I watched distractedly as Booker and three other men walked outside and toward where I left my car.

“No clue,” I admitted. “I was in the Pearl and thought I was going toward Vancouver, but I guess not.”

“For someone so smart, your sense of direction is pathetic.”

“Yes, I’m well aware,” I grumbled.

“Where’s your phone?” he asked.

“Dead.” I sighed. “Like as in dead, dead.”

“I’m buying you a new one.”

“You don’t need to do that,” I argued… for the umpteenth time.

“I know, sis, but your stubbornness is starting to mess with my schedule,” he said.

I smiled. I loved my brother, even when he was annoying. “Starting to?”

He chuckled. “I’m in the middle of something; can you hang out for a while?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll grab a cab.”

“Which will cost you the same as a phone,” he said.

“Point taken big brother.” I wrinkled my nose. “I greatly thank you for your astute observation.”

“Grab a cab to the station and I’ll drive you home from there.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll head home.”

“Dani,” he said with a sigh.

“Elliot,” I mimicked, and smiled. “Seriously. It’s all good. I promised I’d call you and I called you. I might work with five-year-olds, but I’m not one, so don’t worry.”

“Oh, you’re funny. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Swing by later if you want. I’m just going home. I have to be at work early tomorrow, so it’ll be an early night for me.”

“How about I grab you a burner and then I’ll order you a decent phone later.”

“Thanks, Ell. I’ll pay you back,” I said.

“We can argue about that later. I have to go.”

“Okay, ’bye.” I hung up and slipped behind the desk in search of a phonebook.

***

“YOU NEED SOMETHIN’ darlin’?”

I jumped (again) and turned to find myself practically chin to navel with the very large man Booker had been speaking to earlier. I looked up and grimaced. He was blond with deep blue eyes and he looked intense.

“Hi. I’m Dani.”

“Hi, Dani,” he said, and smiled.

“Hi,” I repeated, stepping back for space, but only managing to run into the lip of the desk. I refused to wince in his presence, but I did bite the inside of my cheek hard enough to draw blood.

“You said that.”

“Um, yeah. I did. Great observation skills.” Ohmigod, he is not a five-year-old. Get it together, Dani. “Um, sorry if I wasn’t supposed to be back here, I was looking for a phonebook.”

“You’re looking for a phonebook,” he said, and stepped closer to me.

“Yes. A phonebook. Do you have one? I need to call a cab. Can you back up a bit, please?” I mean, really. Where the hell was I going to go? He’d just boxed me into a corner. I took a deep breath.

“You need to call a cab,” he said, his voice low and raspy.

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Yes, I need to call a cab.”

“What about an Uber or a Lyft?”

“My phone’s dead,” I explained. “But even if it wasn’t, it’s too old for the app, and my brother can’t pick me up. He’s still at the station.” Why did I feel the need to offer so much information?

“Station? Like a train station?”

“No.”

Mack frowned. “As in police station?”

Crap!