Page 42 of When You're Gone
He smirked as he answered the question she hadn’t asked. “You haven’t seen me in riot mode, Victoria Thompson. It’s only happened once or twice over the last year, now that I think about it.” His eyes squinted slightly as a bit of remembrance flashed in his gaze. “So, yeah. I work to keep myself out of trouble. To occupy my time. To have something to do besides partying and worrying about my mom.”
“I wonder if I’d like you in riot mode,” she contemplated out loud, turning back her shot glass once more, even though she had emptied it fifteen minutes ago.
“I would hope so, considering I like every version of you.”
Her cheeks flushed at the compliment: at his candor and the easy deliverance. Before she could respond, he nodded toward her empty glass.
“Another?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“I have an idea. I want to take you somewhere. But I probably can’t drive us.” Every time she stopped swiveling in her barstool, the sunroom around her stayed in motion for a few extra seconds. She definitely wasn’t fit to drive.
“Color me intrigued, Victoria Thompson. Where are we going?”
“Areyouokay to drive?”
“Yep. I had one shot when we first came out here, but seeing how it’s almost midnight, that shit’s already worked through my kidneys.” He patted his flat stomach for emphasis. “I was planning to smoke, but I’d rather spend time with you over that shit any night.”
“You can smoke where we’re going.”
His eyes lit up with excitement. “Okay, now you’ve really got me curious.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Unequivocally.”
Her cheeks flushed at his instant and shameless response.
“Ditto,” she added, even though he hadn’t asked.
“I’ll let Penny out and lock up the house if you want to go warm up the car.” She slipped off the barstool and shivered as she felt the cool tiles of the sunroom through her socks. She paused for a moment, getting her balance as the full effect of the cherry vodka wrapped her in its embrace. She felt lighter—looser—freer—than she had in a week. That combination was as intoxicating as the alcohol running through her veins.
Chapter fifteen
Tori
“Whoareyoutonight?”Fielding howled over the wind as he coasted down Stone Road with the windows down.
She didn’t know how to answer that. She didn’t know a lot of things lately. Instead of replying, she cranked the volume on the bridge of the My Chemical Romance song dripping through the speakers and turned toward him to belt out the lyrics. They sailed through an intersection before the song reached the best part. Begrudgingly, she reached over and turned the volume to a whisper just as the song hit its peak.
“Turn into this gravel driveway, then cut off the headlights,” she instructed.
Fielding guffawed at her directions. “Are you serious?”
“Yep. They can’t know we’re here. So no lights, and we have to be quiet.”
“Where the hell are we?” he whispered, even though they were still in the car. Gravel crunched under the wheels of his huge Infinity SUV as he followed the path farther onto the property.
She had completed this covert mission enough times to know the Perrys were sound asleep. Their alarms were set for four—morning came early on a working cattle farm—so even though she and Fielding hadn’t gone to bed yet, it was the middle of the night for Lia’s parents.
After she begged Lia to give up her shift at the restaurant earlier that day, her best friend mentioned she was going to use the unexpected time off to surprise a friend in Pittsburgh. Tori knew enough about that particular friend to know that Lia wouldn’t be home until morning. Good for her. And good for Tori, too, because she wasn’t ready to call it a night.
“Park right near the barn, but turn the car around first so we can jump down and leave quickly if we get caught.”
“What. The. Hell,” Fielding muttered under his breath, but he still followed her directions without further protest, backing up the car until the bumper was right up against the pole barn.
