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funny. And then that mask of his falls back into
place and he picks up the box of pasta. Taking half of it, he drops
it into the now boiling water. He turns back to me.
    “I’m not going anywhere, baby. You owe me.
For ten very long years.”
    I should be pissed or afraid. I’m not. The
alpha posturing and chest thumping and insane pronouncements draw
me in. What the hell is wrong me? I know he’s trouble and I
just keep coming back for more. I don’t kick him out. I let him
feed me and then I let him take me to bed. And it’s incredible and
I pretend we don’t have all these obstacles between us. I pretend
everything is perfect. That he’s perfect.
    It’s a beautiful lie.

Chapter Six
    Trace

    I have music pumping and I’m pulling an
engine block when I hear someone calling my name. I smack my head
on the hood as I back up and I rub my head as I turn around. I have
no idea where Walker is. He wasn’t around when I went to the gym
this morning or came into the garage. I didn’t bother trying his
cell. I figure he’s working on that Lexus Serenity mentioned.
    I look for the source of the voice and a man
approaches. The open door is behind him so it takes a few steps
before I know who I’m looking at and I grin. Dan Phillips. He comes
close and we grasp hands and do that chest bump thing. Of all the
people who’ve come traipsing through here to gawk at the ex-con
murderer, he’s the one I’m most happy to see.
    “You look good,” he says.
    “Must be all the fresh air,” I answer.
    He laughs. “I hear it does a man good. How’s
it going?”
    I wonder if this is a personal or business
question. I like Dan, but unless things have changed, he works for
Monroe.
    “Things are great,” I answer, wondering if
there is a point to this visit.
    “Yeah? You’re happy just working on cars?
There is other action around here, you know.”
    Since I’ve never been into selling drugs I
wonder what the hell he’s talking about.
    “Wasn’t my thing before and still isn’t,” I
say. He’s working up to something but I’m not sure what. “Just spit
it out.”
    He rubs a hand over the back of his neck.
“I’m going out on my own. I can make a clean break from Tim but the
support of Hunter’s guys definitely wouldn’t hurt.”
    There is no way any of us will throw our
support behind a drug dealer and he knows this so why is he
here?
    “You know that ain’t gonna happen,” I
say.
    “Not even to protect your woman?” he asks and
I go cold.
    I’m not sure if it’s the implied threat
against her or the calling her mine. That makes her a weakness and
I don’t want that getting around.
    “What have you heard?” I ask.
    He shrugs. “Nothing concrete. Tim doesn’t
share much,” he says sarcastically and I get the impression he’s
talking about money as much as information. “But she’s making the
people he works with nervous. They like this town because it’s
small and doesn’t get much notice. Lynn has connections that can
put it on law enforcement maps, though.”
    Does she? It occurs to me that I don’t know
nearly as much about her as I should.
    “Why are you really here, Dan?” I ask.
    He takes a minute, just looking at me, before
he answers. “I want to know if y’all are gonna make a move against
Tim. If you give me enough advance warning, I can cut you in. I
won’t go down with him.”
    I have no idea how to respond to this offer.
First, I really can’t. I work for Hunter. This is his decision and
he’s always been against going into the drug trade. Second, that
I’m hearing it at all scares the shit out of me for Serenity’s
sake. And I don’t want to be afraid for her. I want to fuck her. I
want to use her until I get her out of my system though I’m
starting to think that will be never.
    “I’ll take it to Hunter,” I say. “But you
know he won’t want to get involved in any way in this.”
    Dan nods. “Y’all talk. Let me know.”
    I stop him before he can leave.