“No, not at all. You’re about to get your name on the wall and a picture in the local paper. What’s up with you?”
She watched as he ate another tower of pancakes. They were nothing to him. He ate like a bear. Strange, she had been thinking about how much he resembled one the entire time. The waitress kept coming over and filling his plates.
“All right, you look bored. I guess we can go,” he said.
When the waitress came back, he ordered another ten to go.
“You’ll be hungry later,” he said.
Amy shrugged. Just how long did he expect to keep her?
After they left, Dom parked at a liquor store nearby. He checked his pockets for any change and managed to pull out a twenty.
“Don’t tell me we’re getting liquor now?”
“I’ve never heard a girl complain so much. Do you want to have fun or not?”
“I see you’re trying to make my kidnapping as enjoyable as possible. I really don’t understand why you can’t take me back. I mean, this is nice and all, and you actually seem like an OK guy, but it’s creeping me out that you won’t let me leave.”
Dom kicked open the driver side door. He rubbed his chin, about to say something. She expected nothing nice, but then he stopped himself. Another moment to think, he responded and swung his boot back into the car.
“I’ve had a hell of a month. I didn’t really want to get into it with you, the less you know the better, but since you won’t get off my back about it, I guess I have to. These guys, they broke into my god damned house, came storming in with rifles and a fucking tank. No, not like the World War Two kind, but the modern kind, a fucking battering ram that crashed right through my wall. I was chilling out in my backyard, but knew something was up and got out in time. I’ve hauled my ass across five states with helicopters on my back while assuming everyone I meet wants to put a bullet in my head. So yeah, I’m a little concerned about you right now, and maybe we should just buy the liquor.”
Amy waved frantically. “All right, jeez. Are you hungry again? You seem cranky.”
He gave her a glare.
“Sorry, but that’s the truth. Hang out with me for a couple days. I promise it won’t be that bad. Maybe even relax a little. What else do you have to do?”
Amy wished she had a good response to that.
Then she remembered work. She didn’t have much to do in her free time, but she needed her job. Amy was always strapped for cash. Tom didn’t do much for her. He was unemployed for over a year. When he lost his job, things got a lot worse, and she had to pick up more hours. Things got awfully tight, and she didn’t have a family she could run back to.
“I have to work, you know.”
“You got any days off you can pull? Might be a good time to use them.”
“Tom and I were going to go on a cruise. At least, we planned on it. Looks like that’s not happening though, so yeah, I guess this will do.”
Probably wasn’t going to happen anyway, not with Tom. He would spend all our vacation money on booze, and probably strippers. I always assumed strippers were involved somehow. He went through a lot of money, but I never caught him. He wouldn’t stay out too late at night, so my best bet would be a couple strippers, but a whole lot of booze and gambling.
She held out her hand for the twenty.
“What’ll it be?”
“Whatever you want. Just don’t use credit. You’re off the grid now, and grab some matches.”
“Pretty much was before, anyway.”
Amy got out of the car. When she did, she caught Dom checking her out.
Interesting. I haven’t noticed anyone checking me out like that in a long time. Maybe I haven’t cared until now. Having such a fine specimen of the quintessential alpha male checking her out gave her one hell of a self esteem boost.
His eyes roamed over her curves. When she walked to the liquor store, she knew his eyes would follow her, gazing at her ass swaying in her tight jeans.
There was still a lot about Dom she didn’t understand though. She wasn’t quite sure she believed his whole story.
“Hey, why haven’t you been caught yet? If they’ve got all this equipment and men coming after you, how’d you escape?”
He grinned. “Don’t worry about that.”
“Maybe you’ll tell me after a couple of drinks. Is that what it’s going to take?”
Anyone else telling her that, and she might’ve not believed them, but she did see men trailing them at the carnival. Someone was after Dom. Whether that was because he was wanted for something or not, she wasn’t a hundred percent certain.
“Guess I can tell you that I used to be CIA. Picked up a couple tricks in that life. Didn’t think I would have to use them again.”