Sadie tried to calm her breathing so she would stop shaking. It wasn’t working. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes. She focused on her breathing. She snapped back to reality when she heard Surfer Boy speak again. “We got to get rid of her.”
Sadie’s fear intensified; her body began to shake and she panicked. She perched up on her knees, the gravel digging deeper into the cuts on her skin. She begged. “Please just let me go, I didn’t see anything, and I don’t know anything. I won’t say anything, I swear. I-I-I’m j-just a w-waitress,” which came out as a stutter because her nerves were shot.
“No. You’re not a just a waitress, you’re a witness,” Surfer Boy growled through gritted teeth, “and we don’t leave witnesses, so shut the fuck up.”
He started toward her and pulled out a gun raising it. Sadie fell back on her hands and scrambled on the gravel. Oh God, he was going to shoot her. Her hands slipped out from under her and she lay flat on her back. Her breath was shallow, her body trembled. She pushed up; the gravel dug deeper into her hands as she tried to move further away from him.
Scary Badass jumped in front of Sadie as Vise Grip grabbed Surfer Boy. “Are you fucking crazy, man? Put that fucking thing away. Think! We shoot her and the whole diner will come out. Gunshots bring people looking. It brought her out. Fucking think, man.” His voice was low but angry.
Vise Grip looked to Scary Badass. “Call it, man, what do we do, ’cause whatever we do needs to be done now. It’s only a matter of time before someone comes looking for her.”
“Sadie,” she quietly muttered. She didn’t know where her voice came from or why she said it.
All three heads turned and stared but Vise Grip was the only one to speak.
“What?” he asked in an annoyed tone.
She nervously croaked out, “Sadie, my name is Sadie.”
He released Surfer Boy and started in her direction. “I don’t give a shit what your name is.” But before he reached her Scary Badass threw his arm out to halt him. His hand was on Vise Grip’s chest, keeping him from moving.
“T,” Scary Badass warned, “go get things cleaned up. Make the call, grab the truck, and bring it around back. I know this place; they never use the back door. Pull around and wait for us. Bogs, go with him.” His voice was authoritative and confident.
Vise Grip, aka T, gave her a menacing glare before he turned back to the guy named Bogs, aka Surfer Boy, and motioned for him to follow.
She stared as Scary Badass approached her. She shuffled back on her hands. He was quicker than her though and bent down, grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Sadie came up too quick and lost her balance. She started to fall over but he clutched her around the waist and jerked her into his body. Face to face.
Her jaw dropped in shock. Bright green eyes and a strong brow line—it was the face that had haunted her dreams. He had a few days’ worth of stubble, and a scar from the corner of his eye down his cheek that disappeared into his stubble. She knew that scar, that face. She’d watched him.
“The way he’s always watching you.”
His eyes scanned her face. His eyes were heated as they searched hers.
“This is what’s going to happen. We’re going to go inside and you’re going to tell your boss you’re sick and you have to leave. You are not going to say anything other than ‘I’m sick and I need to go home.’ Do you hear me?” His eyes blazed into hers.
She swallowed hard and shook her head. He tightened his grip on her waist and he glared. He thought she was challenging him, she quickly realized. She blinked and rushed out her words to explain. “My shift is over. Melinda just got in when I came out here. My shift is over.”
“C’mon.” He pushed her backward, heading toward the rear of the building.
“Wait.” She tugged her arm. “My stuff. I don’t have my purse or my keys. If I don’t go get them, it’ll look suspicious, right?” He glanced ahead to the front of the diner. This was good. He’d have to take her back inside. She’d be safe there.
“Fuck.” He moved forward dragging her behind him.
Then she pleaded once more in a desperate whisper. “Please, just let me go!”
His eyes were fixed on her and shook his head slowly. Chills crept up her spine. “You follow my lead and keep your mouth shut, you hear me? You don’t leave my side.” Sadie nodded. “This can go my way or the wrong way, you decide. But I’m warning you now, this goes the wrong way and it’s T you deal with, and you don’t want to fucking deal with him.”
Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest but she nodded again. “Your way, I choose your way.” She would do what he said, she was not looking to be the hero, just looking to be breathing when this was all over.
He nodded back at her and grabbed her sweaty hand as they walked to the entrance to the diner. His hand was strong and firm. She could feel his calluses on rubbing against her palm. She’d imagined his hands on her body, on her face, all over her. Without thinking, she squeezed slightly and his head whipped back looking over his shoulder. He glanced down at their hands and his face slightly softened. Sadie looked at their hands clasped together. Hers looked so tiny in his large hand. He loosened his grip and pulled her alongside him.
As they passed her car, she closed
