Page 29 of Wanted

“Slow down.” I grip the handle above my head for support.

“I can catch up.”

Images of my crumpled van flit through my head. “Don’t. She won’t go farther than the first stoplight west.”

“How do you know that?”

Because she left me a stupid note.

The paper burns a hole in my pocket.

Somewhere safe. Where would she go that is safe?

“Check the police department.”

Lee cuts his glance from the road. “You think she’d steal a vehicle and leave it at the police department?”

“I don’t think she views it as stealing.”

“What would you call it then?”

“Borrowing.”

His shocked bark of laughter fills the car. “I think you have your work cut out for you brother.”

I whip my head around. “The only work I have cut out for me is picking up my van and returning home so that I can finish painting the intake building.”

“You’re an idiot.” He shakes his head with a smirk tugging at his mouth.

“And you’re a dick.”

“All I can say is payback is a bitch.”

I throw my hands up between us. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“You don’t remember all the shit you gave me when I first met Juniper?”

“No.” I brace myself against the dash as he takes a sharp corner. “And that’s different. I’m not seeing her.”

“Yeah.” He laughs. “I wasn’t technically seeing Juniper at the time either.”

A storm swirls beneath my breastbone. My skin grows hot and clammy at the same time.

“You like her,” he goes on.

“I haven’t spent enough time around her to like her.”

Lee shakes his head. “Doesn’t take much.”

“In fact, I’ve spent enough time around her to know I do not like her.”

“Oh yeah? Name something you don’t like about her.” Lee flicks his blinker and makes a left turn into town.

I spit out the first thing that comes to mind. “She’s brash.”

“It might be good for you to hang out with someone who isn’t as reclusive as you.”

“There’s my van.” Right at the curb in front of the police department. “You can drop me off.”

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