Page 51 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“I’ve been looking for a man. For years now,been looking for him. For some reason I can’t figure yet, he’sbeing flushed out of hiding now, and I want him. Marian, Iwanthim.” Einstein’s expression changed, hardening andgrowing remote as it closed down. “He did something to me,something to people I loved, and after he went into hiding, I’veonly caught third- or fourth-hand information about him. This is alot closer than that and feels like he’s intentional about beingdrawn out.” The fist he had on the table clenched tight, knucklesgoing white. “I want him.”
“What did he do?” The pain that flashedacross Einstein’s features made her wish she could call back thewords, not wanting to wound this man, and especially not withsomething she didn’t understand. “I’m sorry.” She tried to coverthe blunder, but Einstein shook his head. He turned from her andlifted the cup of coffee he’d left for himself, taking a series ofhard swallows she knew had to burn going down. “Jim, I’msorry.”
“You hear stories about what happened tome?” His gaze cut her direction, then back to the cup restingbetween both of his hands. “Anyone tell you?”
“No.” This was truth, at least. “At firstBane said it was your story to tell, and I understood him notwanting to gossip. Then as time passed, it seemed less importantthat I know your past, because our friendship was in the now. Ifthat makes any sense.”
“Makes a lot of sense, baby.”
Marian couldn’t stop the way her bodyreacted to that sweet word, heating up until her cheeks wereblazing.
“And I’m a selfish bastard, because I’m gladthat my friends and brothers protected me like that. Means I get tobe the one to tell you.”
He pulled in a hard breath, and sheinstinctively reached for him, laying her palm on his thigh. Hishand landed on top of hers, and like he had when they’d beenwalking the street earlier, he twined their fingers together.
“You make everything easier, did you knowthat?” His question didn’t need a response, so she just gave hisfingers a squeeze. “The man I’ve been looking for is Bane’s bloodbrother. You should know that up front. They don’t speak, don’tever associate with the other. As close to strangers as two mencould be. They’re on opposite sides of nearly every moral stancethat can be taken.” She’d been about to speak but closed her mouthas he continued. “My first trip to Baker was to feel Bane out, seewhat he might know about his brother. Didn’t take a hot minute toknow they weren’t alike. Learning that Bane wasn’t like the Scar Iknew from the past? Just the way he cared for your family told mewhat I needed to know. Scar, that’s his brother’s club name, was mypresident. Long ago and far away, and almost like a differentlife.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Hemoved in the seat, and she was so focused on him, the waitress’sappearance startled her into pulling away, yanking her hand free.Plates rattled against the table, were slid into place, and then abottle of ketchup landed on top of the ticket near the end.“Thanks,” she called out belatedly, pleased when the woman lifted ahand acknowledging her gratitude. She snapped her gaze to Einsteinand found him grinning at her, the expression happy and guileless.“What?”
“Your default is just so fuckin’ sweet.” Hepulled her plate closer and rearranged the food to make space, thengrabbed the ketchup bottle and upended it. A couple of whacks ofhis palm later, and a gurgle of red descended to her plate. “Thereyou go, baby.” He sent her plate sliding; it stopped in the exactplace it needed to be in front of her. He conducted the sameprocedure with his own food, minus the sliding plate of course.“What does it have to do with you?” Einstein dipped a fry into thepuddle of red, then slipped it into his mouth. He seemed to bethinking hard as he chewed and swallowed, following it with a sipof water. “Everything, baby.”
“Why are you calling me that? Don’t do it.That’s not nice.” Her stomach revolted at the idea of food, and sheshoved her plate away slightly. “I never thought you’d bemean.”
“Sweetie.” The kind tone registered at thesame time she felt his fingers wrap around hers on top of thetable. “This isn’t me being mean. If you agree to what I want todo, you’ll have to get used to me talking to you like this.”
“Maybe just tell me? I don’t understandanything about anything. And that’s unsettling.”
He released her hand and slipped her plateback in front of her, the scraping grating on her nerves. “Eat,Marian. I promise I’ll tell you everything. But I have to startwhere it began.” He nudged her plate closer with the back of hishand. “Eat, baby.”
Marian picked up half of the sandwich andtook a bite, then directed a glare in his direction. He chuckledand met her tiny bite of bread and cheese with a giant one of hisown, leaning close to devour most of what she held in herfingers.
“Got you a start.” He pointed to his burger,then lifted and offered it to her. “Fair is fair. You love bacon.”Marian fought a grin as she took a dainty bite from one side. “Now,you keep eating, pretty lady. I’ll tell you my story.” Thatimpassiveness took over his expression again, and Marian steeledherself for whatever he was going to say, knowing it was somethinghe held close.
“I’m married.”
She choked on a drink of water. Shooting aglance at his left hand, she didn’t try to hide the surprise. Sheremembered the first time they’d met, and he’d worn a ring. When itdisappeared between one visit and the next, she moved it to theback of her mind.Married? Still?Then again, that wouldexplain so much, like why he treated every woman in their circlewith a careful friendliness.But then, what about all the “baby”names today?
“Yeah. Shocker, right? Keep the ring in mybag, where it’s safe.” He patted the front of his vest. “I keep mymemories closer than that. Lauren. She and our little girl Makaylaare my life. Love them both so much. They died a little under fiveyears ago.”
Marian forgot how to breathe at the pain inhis voice paired with the terrible news.
Upper lip curling in a silent snarl, hepaused for so long she wasn’t sure he’d continue. “Scar killedthem. Doesn’t matter he wasn’t physically present when they tooktheir last breaths—he killed them.”
“He killed them?” Marian wanted to comfortEinstein but didn’t know if he’d accept anything from her rightnow. It hurt to hold back, but she wanted to give him whatever heneeded. “Oh, Jim. That’s terrible.”
“Yeah. Really fuckin’ is. No reason for whathe did. His beef was with me, but he knew taking my girls wouldensure I’d go along with whatever he wanted. Anything. But then hedidn’t keep track of his insurance and they died. Left me standing.That was his second mistake. Man should have killed me right then,not left me breathing.”
His burger thudded back onto the plate, andMarian felt an echo of the tremor of his fingers in matchingshivers deep inside her belly. She inched closer to him on thebench, plastering herself along his side.
“But he didn’t. Took my girls in a way thatleft me responsible. I’ll never get back from that, Marian. There’sjust no recovering, you know?” The click of his hard swallow wasaudible. “Been looking for him for years, and you’ll ask me what Idid that first year and a half they were gone. It’s a realquestion, and I know how it’ll reflect on me, but all I did atfirst was try to find a way to follow them that wouldn’t leaveRetro and my brothers in the BBMC in a bad way. There’s a historybetween me and Scar, and I’d told Retro about a message from him afew weeks before shit went down.” He cut a glance her way, a sicklysmile flashing on and off his face. “You know how Retro is. If Imade my own exit, he would have taken that on himself. I didn’twant to leave him with that.”
“I’m glad. Whatever the reason is you heldon, I’m glad.” Marian draped an arm over his back, the leather ofhis vest cold against her skin. She curled her other hand aroundhis arm and held tight. “That sounds like a fistful of pain, Jim. Iwish I could do something to make it easier on you.” She rememberedhis earlier words, the unexplained request. “Tell me. Whatever itis, I’ll do it for you. You really want me to pretend to be yourgirl? Is that what the sweet words mean? If that’s what you need,I’ll do it.”
“You need to hear the rest.” Marian leanedher cheek against his shoulder, shaking it in negation. “Seriously,Marian. This won’t be a walk in the park.” Fingers covered hers andsqueezed. “Eat, baby.”
“Tell me the rest of it. What you thinkmakes a difference. Tell me, get it out, and we’ll both eat.” Shedidn’t move, sticking close to his side.
His chuckle rattled through her. “You’retough.”
