Page 81 of Midnight Ride

“Jeeze,” said Virge. “I’ve never met her yet, but Tammy talks about her mama all the time.”

“You’ll see,” I said.

“See what?” asked Virge.

After breakfast, Travis stood on the front porch and made the call he was dreading. “Annie?”

“Travis? Is something wrong?”

Hearing Annie’s voice choked him into silence, and he couldn’t speak for a few seconds.

“Travis, tell me what’s wrong. Is it one of the kids?”

“Tammy.”

“Is she hurt?”

“Gone, Annie. She’s gone.”

“You’ve looked for her, of course. Probably tried to find her before you ever let me know, you son of a fucking goddamned prick.”

“Yeah, you got that right.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can get my plane warmed up. Watch your phone for a message.”

“I won’t miss it.”

“She coming, Dad?”

Travis nodded, rushed down the steps and heaved his breakfast into the flower bed.

Big Wheels Truck Stop. Merritt. British Columbia.

I woke up before Eldon and lay next to his warm body thinking about the two Garrison brothers that weren’t dead yet. They worried me a lot. What if they never stopped trying to find me?

I tried not to cry, but I still had a tear on my face when Eldon opened his eyes and caught it there.

“Why are you crying so early in the morning?”

“Thinking about Tibor’s brothers coming to get me. I thought that part of my life was over, but I guess it ain’t. Franko found me and now he wants me for his own. I belonged to his brother until my Mama killed him in Texas.”

“What do you mean you belonged to him?”

“Tibor kidnapped me when I was ten and kept me for his own until Travis found me and arrested Tibor and took me to the hospital.”

“You were ten years old when he took you? Didn’t the cops try to find you?”

“Nope.” I shrugged it off. Not something to be proud of. “Now that you know what I was, I don’t expect you will want me neither. It’s a natural reaction to a badly damaged person like me.”

“Now,I wish I had killed them when I had the chance, Tammy. You had a terrible life. Much worse than mine ever was. I’m going to make your life better from today on. You can count on it.”

“Thanks, Eldon. I want to make your life better too.” I rolled over and kissed him.

“You already have, Tammy. I wouldn’t trade you in for anything. You are my gift from the angels.”

“You’re sweet, Eldon.”

“Don’t be afraid of them showing up, Tammy. If any of those guys come near you again, I’ll protect you.”

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