Page 101 of Truck Off

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I head down the long hallway of the converted school with Hannah. Lucy’s grandma picked her up on her way home from work so I didn’t have to drop her off, which meant I gotta stay a little longer.

“Evenin’, Lina. Hannah.” Ricky, the local law enforcement and Elvis impersonator, nods at us as we reach the door.

“Hi, Ricky,” I say. “Quiet night tonight?”

“The best kind,” he answers with a drawl. “You ladies have a good night and be safe drivin’ home.”

Hannah and I are still smiling when we step outside, and I’m about to say goodbye when she stiffens next to me. I follow her gaze. The chill that surrounds us feels like someone dumped a bucket of ice water over our heads. Gone is the warm summer evening. It might as well be the dead of winter with the way the air temperature dropped.

“You’re late,” Charlie says. His tone is cold and decisive. “Mind telling me why you’re late?”

“Honey, knitting night ends at nine. I’m sure I told you that.” Hannah’s voice trembles at the end. In fact, her entire body is shaking, and it’s not because of the chill that consumed us when Charlie appeared. She’s scared.

He takes a step closer. “And I told you I wanted you home by eight. Now get your ass in the car. I’ll deal with you at home.”

“God, you’re an asshole,” I say, dragging Charlie’s glare to me.

I hold his stare, but out of the corner of my eye, I see Hannah rush off toward her car. Charlie reaches out and grabs her arm, pulling her into him. Her body goes rigid, and she squeezes her eyes closed like she’s bracing herself for a blow. He whispers something to her, and she nods quickly before he lets her go. She runs to her car.

I cross my arms over my chest, making sure he understands that I’m not scared of him. “We were just knitting.”

“I don’t give a fuck what you were doing. When I tell my wife what time to be home, I expect her to listen.”

“Is that the only way you can get off? By scaring people? Or in your wife’s case, hurting her.”

His eyes flare, and he charges me. Before I can wrap my head around his intentions, he has me pinned against the side of the building with his arm pressed over my neck. “Choose your next words wisely, Lina.”

“Or what?” I grab at his arm and dig my nails in, hoping it’ll get him to loosen his hold. It doesn’t. “You gonna show me how powerful you are? Hurt me like you hurt Hannah? I dare you.”

Moving quickly, I work one of my arms free and try to jab him in the eye, but he’s faster. With his other hand, he grabs my wrist and presses it over my head. His fingers hurt as they dig in tight, ensuring I can’t break free.

“You never could keep your mouth shut. It got you in trouble when you were a kid, and it’s going to get you in even more trouble now.”

“Get. Your. Hands. Off. Her.” Chase’s cold, threatening voice booms around us. Each word spoken slowly and with so much anger, it makes me tremble.

Charlie ignores him and presses his arm tighter against my neck. I struggle to take in oxygen. “This doesn’t concern you, Mutter.”

“Wrong answer.” Before Charlie can respond, he’s ripped away from me and tossed on the sidewalk. I crumble to the ground, gasping for air. Chase charges Charlie, lifting him up by his shirt and getting in his face. “I warned you to never touch her. Payment time.”

“Chase, no!” I cry out. Thankfully, he turns to me and the anger in his eyes fades. “Don’t do it.”

“He hurt you.” It’s not a question. It’s more of a plea. He wants to protect what’s his. He wants to protect me. And Charlie just threatened me.

“I’m okay. He’s not worth it.”

He shakes his head and turns his glare back at Charlie, but before he can take action, the doors behind us swing open.

“What’s goin’ on out here?” Ricky drawls.

“He attacked me!” Charlie yells. “Came out of nowhere.”

Chase tosses him back to the ground and doesn’t hesitate to kick him in the gut in front of Ricky.

Charlie moans. “See. He’s violent. Arrest him.”

Ricky looks back and forth between us. His eyes finally settling on me. He studies me for a moment before his eyes go wide. “Mind telling me what happened to your neck since the time you walked out of that building? It’s really red.”

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