Page 54 of Pen Me

“Fuck you.” She huffed, flouncing back in her seat and folding her arms.

I felt bad for a minute, until that left brow arched with unspoken irritation.

It was Ziggy all over again, and I fucking howled.

“You’re an asshole,” she venomously charged for the second time.

I nodded, trying to get myself together before I wrecked, or drew attention from other drivers. “I accept that, sweetheart.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

The Uninvited

Sammy

When we reached Mt. Vernon, he turned off the interstate. The clock on the car stereo said six thirty-five. He seemed tense, as we drove along a rather large strip mall and some fast-food places. Somewhere around the second or third light, he hooked a left onto a residential street and settled back a little.

“All good?” I asked, checking the passenger side mirror.

“Hm? Yeah. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

“No clothes then?”

He glanced down and sighed, “Guess not.”

“Am I allowed to know where we’re headed?” I wasn’t sure if the question would anger him or not, and kind of held my breath after I found enough bravery to ask it.

His head whipped toward me, and he frowned, “What the–? I told you… you’re not my hostage. You’re my ol’ lady, Sammy.”

I raised my brows and stared at our conjoined hands.

“That how that works?” I shook my head.

“How what works?”

“The ol’ lady thing. You fuckers just snatch some chick on the run–”

His laughter interrupted my shit talking and I reluctantly smiled.

“What the fuck?” I sighed, with another shake of my head.

“It’ll be fine. And yes, you’re allowed to know where we are going. My niece is out here with her mother. Henny’s ex.”

“Oh,” I subtly frowned without meaning to, as I wondered how that would go over. “Are you–close with your brother’s baby momma?”

He groaned and squeezed my hand, before admitting, “I’m keeping her secret, I figure she can keep one of mine in return.”

“Does her secret bring charges to anyone who knows her whereabouts, too?”

He brought my hand up and teased my knuckles against his lips before placing another soft, lingering kiss, “No. She has cancer. I guess she stayed quiet about it and her time is drawing near, but so is the summer. My brother is supposed to have his daughter for the summer, but she wants what time she has left. Guess we’re in the same boat for different reasons, in that regard.”

“Would your brother really deny her the chance to spend her last summer with their daughter?” I didn’t even know why I cared.

Menace shrugged, and lowered our hands to his lap, forcing me to scoot closer to the middle console.

“I don’t know. Maybe? Who can say what the end looks like… Is that a situation that leaves the kid as her caretaker? Is it going to be more traumatizing for Rumi to be there and see her mother slowly slip away, or would it be better for her to be brought in when things are not so ugly for occasional visits? I’m no fuckin’expert, love. Shit, I ain’t even got no kids. So, I can’t say how a father would think in that regard.”

I blanketed the back of his hand with mine, trapping it between my paws without consciously realizing I was doing so.

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