Page 65 of Tank

The woman follows Takoda into the room, she’s tall and has long dark hair although something about her doesn’t seem quite right. Instead of looking around the room like I did when I first got here, she has her gaze trained on me. Weird. Although maybe she’s a little intimidated and is looking to me for reassurance. Well, that I can do!

“Hi! I’m Mira. You’ve caught us on a bit of a slow night, none of the men who can fix your car are here right at this moment, although I’m sure Gus or Takoda could help,” I wave toward the two men, trying to show her they’re trustworthy and handy in equal measures.

“Oh, thank you. I have left a message with the local towing company, so hopefully they get back to me.” She smiles and then takes a seat on the couch.

“Oh, this is Remy, she’s on Ol Lady here, I’m just a girlfriend.” I smile at her.

“Oh? You have a boyfriend?” She sort of sneers at the word “boyfriend” and I exchange a look with Remy, checking to see if she noticed it too. She nods slightly.

“Oh, um yeah, Tank. He’s everything you expect in an MC man, solid, loyal, handsome,” I wink at her and she frowns a little. Hard crowd.

“Oh, you should probably text your people that you’re here at the clubhouse. You mentioned at the gate that you had someone coming to collect you?” Remy says in her sweet way.

I watch her expressions intently because something is a little off about her. I really want to pat myself on the back because I feel like I’m doing a great job trying to gain her trust. I feel like this is something my FMC would do after realizing that she’s been kidnapped by the MC’s ex-girlfriend, someone unfamiliar to her. She would wait in the basement and plan and then go all butt kicky. Although I’m not very good at kicking butt, I’m sure I could improvise if it came down to it.

“Oh yeah, I’ve already messaged them, they should be here soon.” She looks back at me. “When is your next book out? You’re that writer lady aren’t you?”

“Oh yeah, I am. Um, the next book will be a little while away. It’s a new series, about an MC if you can believe that,” I giggle. “I came here to do research, and then I fell in love. The MC is so nice and the women, the Ol Ladies, are such cool women to spend time with.”

She waves a dismissive hand at me, as if that’s not important. “Yeah, but I bet they don’t know the real you. I bet these ‘Ol Ladies’ wouldn’t even know what to get you for your birthday or anything. They’d never send you gifts or leave little surprises in your yard.” She looks angry at this fact and I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that we’ve just let my stalker into the clubhouse.

I see Gus and Takoda stiffen, obviously thinking along the same lines as me. We have no idea how dangerous this woman is, or if she has anyone with her. She said she was alone but that could have been a ploy to tug on our heartstrings and let her in. Ibet she has more orc-looking men on her payroll. She could have us surrounded. Dag nabbit!

“Oh, um, I have had some surprises left in my yard. I like cute gnomes and I’ve found a few new additions.”

Her face lights up. “Oh really? Did you like them?”

I nod, not trusting myself to not say something to make this weird. Or weirder than it already is. I mean, I’m just Mira, I write books, how the heck did I end up with a crazy fan?

Staring at her I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever seen her before. There isn’t anything remarkable about her face, if I were to describe her in one of my novels I’d call her sharp, severe. Her hair has a stiff, almost unnatural look to it and I’m starting to think that perhaps she’s wearing a wig. Dang, this lady is good! Right Mira, think. What would your FMC’s do? Or better yet, what would Chewy or Blanche or Nat or Remy or Ana or Lovely do?

“Oh yes, they were lovely, they fit right in with the others. Like a little family. Obviously, the old grumpy fisherman would be the grandpa. Oh, and the chubby bottomed lady with the daisies would be the grandmother.” Good work Mira, play it cool.

Crazy lady nods her head, eyes sparkling as she scoots closer to the edge of the couch. “What about, the, other things?” she whispers.

I’m guessing she’s meaning the you know what’s so I swallow and nod. She grins wide and jumps up, dancing around in front of a bewildered Remy and me. Gus edges ever closer, as does Takoda, but as he reaches for her she spins, hitting him in the head with something in her hand. I watch in slow motion as Takoda begins to buckle, Gus lunging for her and freezing as she points a gun at him.

“WHY DID HE DO THAT!? This is my time with my best friend, don’t interrupt me!” she screams, waving the gun in Gus’s face.

Kudos to him that he isn’t freaking out. Neither is Remy who is kneeling next to Takoda checking on him.

“MOVE! All of you! You can’t be trusted to butt out so you’re going to have to learn the hard way.” She keeps the gun trained on us and yanks three chairs out from under the table, kicking them into a line and making us sit.

She hits Remy in the back of the head with the butt of her gun and I let out a yelp when my friend slumps down in her chair.

“Um, look, we can spend time together, please, I can ask my friends to leave us alone,”

“THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS! I AM!” she screams in my face, making my ears ring.

Her eyes are crazed and then she takes a breath, straightening and pulling herself together, smiling pleasantly at me. Gus has been sitting perfectly still, eyes on her every move. She starts rummaging around behind us and I glance over to see she’s cuffing Gus to the chair one handed, gun on me. With that type of dexterity, she’s clearly done this type of thing before.

“Don’t do anything Mira. If one of us tries to overpower her she’ll go trigger happy. We just need to wait for backup.” His eyes flick to the hall where a tiny movement catches my eye. That’s right! The Landrys!

I want to do a happy dance but instead I sit still as a statue.

“Thank you so much for my gifts, I know that Mrs. McKenzie really enjoyed the livers.”

“I knew she would,” she says with a grin. “I know all about you and what you like and don’t like. I love that you leave little hints for me in your books, like the foot. No one else would have read that scene and know that you have a foot fetish, but I did.”

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