Page 2 of Desperation

“Not as bad as I thought it would be.”

“I wasn’t supposed to be driving his truck.” Her voice was low, and had I not been watching her every move, hanging onto her every word, I would have missed it. She turned to me then, and although her eyes were hidden behind those dark shades, I could see how scared she was.And how beautiful she was. Her golden skin had paled, but the color was starting to return to her cheeks. Her lips were soft and pink, the top one slightly fuller than the bottom.

She reached for the door and pushed it open. I took a step back, giving her enough room to hop down. She shut the door revealing her body, and I fought back a gasp. She wore denim shorts that hugged her slender legs and plain white flip flops. Her shirt was far too big for her and clearly a man’s. An unexplainable zing of jealousy hummed through my veins at the sight. I swallowed thickly when I realized what the baggy t-shirt was hiding. She was tiny with a slender frame, so the rounded belly was easy to spot; even with the flowy cotton material doing its best to conceal it.

She covered her mouth and gasped when she saw the damage. “Oh God,” she sobbed. There was more damage to her vehicle than there was to mine, but her reaction seemed rather dramatic. “What am I gonna do?” She continued to cry as she started to pace. Maybe she didn’t have insurance. Maybe she only had liability coverage. Either way, it didn’t warrant the terror on her face when she turned to look at me. A chill ran through my blood, and a heavy blanket of dread settled around me when she spoke again.

“He’s gonna kill me.”

Chapter Two

Hannah

I was a dead woman. Drake would be home in a few days, and there was no way I could have his truck fixed by then. I also didn’t have any money. He hadn’t left me any when he’d gone out of town because he didn’t want me going anywhere. The only reason I was able to buy the Chinese food I’d been desperately craving was because I’d been stashing change for several weeks. I wasn’t allowed to work, and Drake didn’t want me to use his debit card, so I was given cash when I needed to run errands or get groceries.

Thankfully, he never asked for a receipt when I handed over his change. It was sometimes short by fifty cents, sometimes a couple dollars. The bulk of my stolen coffers went to a secret emergency fund I’d hidden behind the dryer, but every now and then, I let myself have a few dollars for an indulgence. It’s not that I wasn’t permitted to eat Chinese food. It’s just that I wanted it today, and it gave me an excuse to get out of the house even if it was just down the road. I knew better than to go far enough to use up a noticeable amount of gas in his truck or move the mileage too far. I didn’t know how closely he kept tabs on either, but I wasn’t willing to risk it.

This, however, I wouldn’t be able to hide from him. He would know I’d driven his truck, and I would pay for it. The bruise around my left eye was finally almost faded. I’d most likely end up with a matching one on my right.

“Miss, are you okay?” The stranger’s voice startled me, and I froze. I forgot he was standing there, watching as I paced back and forth next to our vehicles.

“I have to get this fixed.” I blurted out.

“I understand,” he began warily. “Do you have insurance?”

“Of course,” I responded hastily. “But I can’t make a claim.”

He eyed me quizzically, and I decided to take a risk. I’d given him part of the truth. Not the whole truth. Not the ugliest part, but enough to appeal to any compassion he may have.

“I wasn’t supposed to be out driving. I didn’t have permission.” All true. “I’ll be in serious trouble for this. I can’t bring his truck home in this condition,” I confessed, motioning toward it. Taking a deep breath, I prepared to propose the only solution I could think of in the heat of the moment. “Your truck doesn’t look too bad. Perhaps we could pretend like this didn’t happen, and I’ll report it as stolen,” I offered, hopeful.

He stood there stoically, still as a statue for several beats. I did my best not to squirm under his scrutiny. When he stepped toward me, I flinched, and he stopped; the hand he’d raised to touch me with fell to his side.

“What are you so afraid of?” he asked, brow pinched with concern. Not what.Who. I couldn’t answer him. I’d lost my ability to talk, to breathe. His deep gray eyes softened, and I finally let myself really look at him. He was stunningly beautiful in the most rugged way. He had closely cropped brown hair and a shadow of a beard. A simple white tee stretched tight over a set of expertly honed, broad shoulders and solid muscular chest. The sleeves clung to his powerful biceps like they were hanging on for dear life.

My face heated, and guilt suffused me. I shouldn’t have been looking at another man when I was carrying Drake’s child. He would be furious if he knew. I quickly looked away and wrapped my arms across my middle.

“I’ll be in so much trouble if he finds out I took the truck without his permission and wrecked it.”

“It’s just a little fender bender. The damage is minimal, so it should be fairly quick and easy to fix.”

My eyes lifted to his, a flicker of hope sparking inside me. “Do you think I could have this fixed by Saturday?”

“Possibly,” he replied thoughtfully, pulling his phone from the back pocket of his faded blue jeans. Again, my eyes wondered. Down the length of his powerful thighs to the dark leather of his steel toed boots and back up to settle on his narrow hips. He tapped on the screen, presumably dialing the number for a body shop.

“Wait,” I said, much louder than I’d intended. He paused and glanced up at me, brows pinched in consternation. “I-” I started, my stuttering voice shaking with guilt and embarrassment. “I don’t have any money to pay for it,” I confessed warily. He studied me a moment before his lips clamped together, his jaw ticking with annoyance.Shit. What have I done?

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, tapping on the screen a few more times. He held the phone to his ear, and I held my breath. “I’ve got a buddy who owns a body shop. He owes me a favor.” I opened my mouth to speak but quickly snapped it shut. What would I say? I couldn’t exactly refuse his offer, but I didn’t want his charity. I didn’t want anyone’s charity. He lifted the phone to his ear, and I watched helpless as this stranger took control of my fate. If he helped me, Drake would never know I had disobeyed him, and I’d be in the clear. I’d gotten good at keeping secrets the last couple years, and once this mystery man moved on, I’d be the only one holding onto this one.

“Hey, Cody. How ya doin’?” he greeted the person on the other end of the line like an old friend. I wrung my hands nervously as they spoke, hoping I could get the truck in to be fixed today.

“Thanks, man. We’ll head over right now.” He ended the call and slid the phone into his pocket. I couldn’t help but watch his muscles flex with each movement. “He can squeeze you in today. He’s gonna look the truck over and see what it’ll take to get it fixed.” I let out a slow exhale, some of the tension easing from my taut shoulders.But not all of it.Internally, I was hoping, praying,begginganyone and anything that was out there that I could get this fixed, and Drake would be none the wiser.

“Can you follow me over there?” His husky voice shook me from my silent pleas, and I lifted my gaze. Words caught in my throat. He was truly stunning. I’d never said that about a man before, not even Drake. Not even in the beginning, before all his darkness began to consume me, and he lost nearly all the beauty I’d once seen in him. I remained silent, and he took a step toward me, and then another, and before I knew it, he was within arm’s reach.

“Or are you too shaken up to drive?” I finally snapped out of it and shook my head, taking a step back. I had to put a little distance between us so I could think. His nearness muddled my brain and made me think stupid, reckless things.

“N-no,” I replied with a shaky voice. “I’m okay. I-I can drive,” I declared.

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