Page 8 of Burning Ember
“You look familiar. Do I know you?” He examines my face.
My breakfast threatens to make a reappearance.
Stop looking at himI scold myself. I need him to forget about me after this moment. Not haul me off or remember my face. Looking down, I say, “No, I don’t think so.”
Heels click on the vinyl flooring.
“There you are. I figured I’d find you on this aisle.” The rocker groupie chick threads her arm around mine and pulls me close to her and away from the cop.
Huh?I blink at her.
I get the feeling she’s trying to say something with only expressive eyes and a tight smile. But I have no idea what.
Then her gaze shifts to the cop. “Davis. What are you doing here? Why are you bothering my cousin?” Her words reek of annoyance.
“Lily . . . been a while.”
Putting her other hand on her hip, she says, “You didn’t answer my question.”
He shrugs, “No law against grocery shopping. At least not that I’m aware of.” He reaches out, grabs a box of medicine from the shelf, and holds it up for her to see. “But since I ran into you . . . I might as well ask . . . You change your mind?”
She inhales a long breath and slowly shakes her head a few times. “Nope. And I won’t. But I’ll let the club know we ran into each other. Here of all places. Goose will berealinterested to know you’re still tailing me.Stillharassing me.”
“Lucky coincidence is all.”
“I’m sure,” she replies saucily.
Popping his chin in my direction, he asks, “Cousin, huh?” He eyes her skeptically.
Without looking at me, she responds, “Yeah. This is Pumpkin. She’s visiting from Georgia.” I try not to cringe at the name Pumpkin and go along with the lie she’s given him.
Hooking his thumbs into his waistband, he asks, “Really . . . ? And you’re picking her up at a grocery store?”
“How do you know I’m picking her up here if you’re not following me?”
“Good guess.” He grins and winks at me.
She gives my arm a little tug. “Come on, Pumpkin. We gotta get going. I told Goose I’d be back to the clubhouse in an hour. I can’t wait to introduce you to the guys. Davis, let’s not meet like this again.”
We’re halfway down the aisle when he calls after me. “Hey, Pumpkin?” We both tense. I pinch my eyes shut, but I know it’s not a figment of my imagination. He repeats the nickname. “It was Pumpkin, right?”
My heartbeat speeds up. My hands begin to shake.
I swivel around. “Yeah. Got the name because of the hair.” I tuck a loose strand behind my ear.
His dark eyes narrow on my face. “Next time, watch where you’re going, all right? We don’t want anyone getting hurt, do we?” I don’t miss the change in his tone or the way his right hand rests on his gun. His smile has changed from cocky to cunning.
Lily’s arm tightens around mine and she pulls me down the aisle. “Corrupt asshole,” she murmurs under her breath as we put some distance between the cop and us.
I’m fighting back a dizzy spell and the rising nausea. I need to go somewhere quiet where I can pull myself together.
After a couple seconds, I rasp out, “I need to find a bathroom. I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Okay, honey. It’s right there.” She points off to the right. A sign hangs from the ceiling, confirming that’s where I need to go. “I’m gonna find my friend Rigor. He’ll make sure Officer Davis keeps his distance. Okay?”
“Okay.”
She holds out her hand. “Here, give me those and I’ll get them.”
