Page 42 of Protecting What Is Mine

18

Mollie

I smile when I see Hank’s truck crest the hill on its way down the road. “Alright Sam, there’s my ride. See you later.”

“Just remember what I said, Mol. Keep me out of it.”

I nod and raise the first three fingers on my right hand. “Scout’s honor. I won’t say one word about what happened between the two of you.”

Sam scoffs. “Remind me again, when were you secretly in the Scouts?”

“Hey, as far as I’m concerned, everyone in this house is an honorary member. We’ve consumed more than enough cookies for it.”

Sam’s frown lifts, not enough to be mistaken for a smile, but enough to let me know that while we may not see eye to eye on this plan, it’s not going to come between us. “See you tonight,” I say, before pulling the door closed behind me.

I meet Hank at the edge of the driveway, before he has the chance to pull in and park. I open the door, toss up my purse, and climb in. “Let’s go. Quick, before she gets up the nerve to chase us down and try to change our minds.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Hank hits the throttle and propels the truck forward, swinging a left at the next street and heading back toward the main road. “So then, things went well between you two?”

I half-smile. “Thankfully, she fell asleep without realizing I never came home. And I slipped in just as she was waking up, so there was no drama per se. But to say the least, she is not a fan this idea.”

Hank wrinkles his nose when I tell him about Sam’s disapproval. “Did she have a better suggestion as to what you should do?”

“No. It’s that family history thing I told you about. Talking to the police was never an option for us growing up. And definitely not when it came to Sam’s family.”

Hank takes his eyes off the road to look over. “How so? I thought you two were practically sisters?”

“Yeah, ever since she and Clint came to stay with Mom and me. But she was already ten by that point. Before that? Those first ten years living with my uncle Roger…let’s just say I don’t recall her ever sharing a happy memory from that time.”

Hank returns his focus to the road, shaking his head as he mumbles to himself, “…can’t even begin to imagine.” He clears his throat to change the subject. “What about you? Are you having second thoughts?”

“Not for a minute. Well, okay I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little worried what Clint will do if he finds out, but I’m tired of being afraid of him. And anyway, he’s like a dog with a bone. Once he’s focused on a thing, he’s not gonna drop it until he’s gotten his way. And right now, that thing is you and me being together.” I reach across the seat and gently rub Hank’s knee. “I’m not all that interested in the idea of him interfering with us.”

Hank puts his hand on mine, proudly nodding in agreement.

Distracted by the music playing on the radio, I get caught up in uncomfortable memories from my childhood and lose all sense of time. Next thing I know, Hank is leaning over and nudging my arm. “Mol? We’re here. You ready to do this?”

I smile and nod, still trying to pull myself out of the daze from my trip down memory lane. Stepping down from the truck, I’m blinded by the brightness of the sun beating down from a cloudless sky. In stark contrast, the building in front of us is cold and uninviting. It could just as easily be mistaken for a meat packing plant if it weren’t for the signage and paint indicating otherwise.

Hank stands at the bed of the truck, hand extended, patiently waiting for me to join him. My whole body smiles at the sight of him. A warm reminder from the depths of my soul that come what may, I won’t have to face it alone. I twine my fingers through his and let out a deep breath, remembering what his brother said this morning.

It’s not our job to decide whether something is important or not. We just need to talk to the sheriff and let him sort it out. The more I think about Chet’s directness on the matter, the confidence in his words, the more I begin to calm. This is no big deal. This is what any good citizen does if they have a tip or a lead. Yep, I’m almost looking forward to sharing my story…

And then I see him push through the revolving door. At most, he’s thirty feet away and heading in our direction.

Clint!

Judging by the look on his face, he’s got a chip on his shoulder so big I’m not sure how he fit through the door. He stares at the ground, angrily mumbling to himself as he walks. He hasn’t seen me yet, but he will. There’s no way around it.

Hank must feel the tension in my hand because he looks over and asks what’s the matter. When I don’t answer, his eyes trace back to the thing mine can’t look away from. “Shit.” Hank takes his hand from mine and wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in to him. “Nothing to worry about. Just keep your chin up and smile. We are literally surrounded by law enforcement.”

I know he means well, but his words are hollow. Dissipating into nothingness as time slows and dread consumes me whole. Minutes pass. Then hours. Everything around me freezes in place as time crawls to a stop. All while my brain tries desperately to solve the problem in front of me.

But there is no solution.

All that’s left to do is brace for impact.

I know when Clint sees me, walking into the lion’s den with Hank at my side, all hell will break loose.

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