Page 8 of Truck Stop Titan

“No. I don’t.”

“Rocky,” was all I needed to say. She’d raised Addison’s son as her own, giving him the life I never could.

“Dane.” She sighed, stance softening.

“I have to go.” I stomped out the door and down the hallway, not a fucking clue where I was headed, but fuck me, I needed to blow before my head exploded.

“Dane. Wait,” Slade called, flip flops smacking an erratic rhythm behind me.

“Take care of that little girl.” I waved a hand over my shoulder and slammed past Tucker, and through a heavy wooden door that led to the kitchen. I dodged the massive island and headed straight for the back door.

I was at the car, so damn close to escape, when I heard, “Reynolds.”

The East Coast accent was unmistakable.

I mumbled, “Moretti,” over my shoulder, surprised to see the guy, but in no condition to shoot the breeze.

“You takin’ off?”

“The fuck’s it look like?” I answered, fingers curled around the door handle.

The guy was crazy, like me. Didn’t like him much, but we shared a mutual respect, the kind only two twisted fuckers could share, so I turned to face him.

His glower spoke volumes, his silent assessment rattling my nerves. “What? You expect me to invite you out for coffee or some shit?”

He snorted. “Yeah. Good one.” Tito came closer, a thousand questions in his eyes.

“Fucking hell man, what?”

He rested a hip against the car and tilted his head, the scarred side of his face in full view. “Where are your brothers?”

Yeah, I was done with the chit-chat. “I gotta go.”

“You fuck up?”

Every muscle in my body coiled tight. “Stay out of my shit.”

“You did.” He pushed off the car, came toe-to-toe, a shit-eating grin on his face. “You fucked up for that little girl.”

“It fucking matter?” Christ, I needed a cigarette.

“I couldn’t give a shit.”

“Great. Then I’ll be on my way.”

Tito stepped between me and the car door. “Just saying. This place is off the grid. You need to ghost. You can haunt this house for a bit.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Fine. But before you disappear, I need details about that girl.”

Jesus. The girl and Whisper Springs needed to be in my rearview. “I’m sure you can figure out what she’s been through without hearing the gruesome details.”

Tito’s voice wavered, just a tick. “I need to find her family, man. Anything you can give me helps.”

Fuck. I needed to be done. “Her mama’s name was Mick. She’d dead. That’s what I know. Lived in and out of shelters. Frequented the Prairie Point Women’s Haven in Missoula. Check there first… They should be able to give a full name.”

“Anything else I should know?” He moved away from the car, giving me space.

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