Page 52 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“The way I grew up, it wasn’t a choice to beotherwise.” The waitress started their direction but locked gazeswith Marian, who shook her head again. The woman turned on her heeland walked the other way. “I’ve got my own stories, but today, thisis about you.”
“Strong woman.” His fingers tensed overhers, curling tighter. “He took her as leverage against me. Came tomy house and had her trussed up like a turkey while they waited onme to come home. This was after I’d done everything right when Iexited his motherfucking club in Philly. Took my beatout, and thenneeded a fucking month to heal up so we could move to Birmingham.Lauren’s from there. Made sense for us to come to where she calledhome. Her folks doted on Makayla. Our little girl can do no wrong.”He winced. “Could do no wrong.”
The past-tense change hurt her heart. He’dbeen talking about his family in the present all along, and shehated to hear that shift of acknowledgment.
“Things went to shit for Scar back east, andhe was looking for a place to land. Me and Retro wouldn’t offer himanything. We shut him out, closed the door on any conversation. SoScar came to Birmingham to try and make his case in person. Itmeant he wanted me focused on listening to him, so he ensured he’dhave my ear. He had it, all right. Promised he wouldn’t hurt mygirls, so I went with him. Thought he was honorable, somewhere deepin his soul. Willingly gave him my back, let him tie me up, and metalking to Lauren the whole time. Reassuring her. He put us in avan, carried our little girl like a sleeping princess and laid hergentle-like on the floor. She never woke, not then. He had friends,though. They split us up. Makayla was awake by then, asking me whatthe bad men wanted. Crying as they chained me to seat struts in thevan so I couldn’t get loose. That was the last time I saw my girlsbreathing. The doc Retro hired said they’d died of carbon monoxidepoisoning. They’d have gone to sleep and never felt anything. Therewere no bruises on them anywhere, not even around Lauren’s wrists.So Scar kept one promise, even as he fucked himself over on anotherone. Might not have been his hands that killed them, but still theydied.”
“What can I do?” Marian didn’t rememberfeeling this helpless before. Not even when Myrtle had told herabout the treatment survived under Sallabrook had words caused herthis kind of pain. That had been in the past, at least. WhatEinstein was living through would never be a distant memory.Pain like his doesn’t fade.“Please.”
“Let me finish.” His arm flexed underneathher fingers. In a tone gone dark and heavy with the memories he’dbeen reciting, he promised, “Then you can ask whatever questionsyou have.”
“Okay.” She’d offer him anything right now,if it had a chance of stripping the anguish from his voice.
“Bunch of clubs banded together to save me.Retro called in nearly every marker he held and then organized thecollaborative rescue mission. Included flying to Florida on aprivate jet, believe it or not. Fact is, I’d be dead right nowwithout what Retro did, because Scar had lost control of hisallies. Those men who had come alongside him to take everythingaway from me. Scar’d known it was a possibility, given who he wasturning his back on, namely his family. So when it went down andwas sideways, he had a plan, and the bastard bailed, leaving me inthe hands of men who weren’t inclined to feel kindly towardsme.
“Back when I’d been in Scar’s club, I’d doneeverything he asked. No questions. Beat up a guy who didn’t deserveit? Done. Push deep into enemy territory and start shit? Done. Noneof these assholes felt a bit of compassion towards me. I’d alreadyseen the faces of my girls not breathing, cold and still. I wasn’tgoing to fight them too much.”
Marian tried to slow her breathing, awareshe’d begun panting during his recitation of grief.
“Then Retro entered the building, followedby a couple dozen faces I knew and some I didn’t. They were therefor me. You’d think that’d be enough to make me second-guess thatdecision.” His laugh was harsh enough to scald her skin. “You’dthink wrong. Scar was in the wind, my girls were in the ground, andI didn’t want to be anywhere. Retro dragged me back to the presentby the skin of his teeth, clawing his way back into my life in away that wouldn’t let me close the door. Then, Maid Marian, I foundmy mission. To hunt down Scar and make him pay.”
“That’s where you go when you disappear.” Somany things made sense now. Every club member she’d met over thepast few years stayed a lot closer to home than Einstein did. Plus,she heard through gossip that he never went back to Birmingham eventhough that’s where the BBMC had their clubhouse. “And it’s why youdon’t go home. It hurts too much. You come here instead.”
“Smart woman.” He patted her hand and lethis fall to his lap. “I’m always on the lookout for good info onhim. He and Bane, their mother was a woman from the Crow Nation inMontana, so periodically I’ll idle up that way and keep tabs ontheir family. Their father is the only son of an old Italianmafioso, but he disavowed his legacy. That legacy isn’t happy abouttheir investment in the Scarloucci family going unused, and theykeep reaching out in a variety of ways. Made it so I’ve opened uplines of communication overseas, ready to get a stamp on mypassport if needed. Their family home is in New Jersey, and I havecameras on that around the clock, just in case interested partiescome by. At least once a week, Mudd runs that video through somesoftware for me, so I know who’s been to visit. Been keeping my earto the ground, listening for hoofbeats of things that might nevermatter. Digging through dumpsters looking for diamonds. But today?”He paused and looked at her, upper lip lifting again in a snarl.“Today I got news that Scar’s on the prowl. He thinks he can forceme into making a mistake. He knows that I come here and not home,just like you realized. Only he thinks you are the reason.”Einstein’s head shook back and forth. “He’s not wrong, but that’snot something I want to talk about right now.”
“He’s going to try to use me to get to you.Leverage a woman in your life.” A chill raced along her skin,leaving goose bumps in its wake. “Just like he did before.”
“Yeap. But he didn’t count on the friendsI’ve made. And he didn’t factor in everything that’s you.” Helifted her coffee towards her, and Marian let go of his arm,keeping her hold around his back as she accepted the cup. He pickedup his and clinked the rims together. “You and me, we’re gonna makehim pay.”
Marian thought of the life she lived now,compared to what it had been like back in her father’s house.Family was supposed to keep you safe, but she’d had ampleexperience to know that wasn’t how it worked out, not always. Hersiblings had been pawns, assets to be bartered, leveraged. There’dbeen neither love nor loyalty. Those things had only come whenshe’d left her childhood behind. “I’ve never felt safer than inBane’s house, surrounded by men in the club.”
The expression that flashed acrossEinstein’s face was a shocking show of hurt, smoothed over in aninstant.What in that statement could have hurt him?
“Sitting here with you, I have completeconfidence that you’d protect me, no matter what walked through thedoor.” With that, he—preened is the only word,she thought.His chest puffed out, neck arching as he looked directly at her.He didn’t like being excluded from what makes me feel safe.Huh.“I never had that at home. Seeing how my father treatedMyrtle, then the boys, giving them no say in their own lives.”Marian took in a slow breath, deliberately unclenching her jaw.“You, Bane, Gunny, Truck, Monday, Horse—I’d do anything for youmen. Being your girlfriend wouldn’t be a hardship.” Another flareof emotion in his eyes made her realize her misstep, and shecorrected herself. “Pretending. I know it won’t bereal.”
Einstein opened his mouth, and she rushed tofill the gap. “Regardless, I’d do anything to keep you safe, andwhat you’re asking? Small in comparison to what’s been done forme.” She retrieved her arm and put both elbows to the table as shestraightened in the seat.I’ll do whatever’s necessary to helpease his pain.Picking up her sandwich, she took a small bite,staring down at her plate as she chewed. Swallowing, she told him,“I’m all in, Jim.”
“Are you sure, Marian?” Now he was the oneshifting around, and she leaned against his side when his armdropped heavily across her shoulders, his hand curling across herskin to pull her close. “It’s a lot to ask. We’ll need to appear…”Grief warred with some emotion she couldn’t name in his face.“Intimate. It’ll be intense at times.”
“You know how you taught me to ride behindyou?” He nodded. “And how to drive the car?” One corner of hismouth lifted along with his brows. “And Gunny taught me how toshoot?” Both brows shot down, a furrow appearing between them.“Well, Horse taught me—”
“What’s your point, Marian?” He cut her offas his face came closer, taking up all of her vision. “You sayingyou’d be my student in intimacy? That I’d be the one teachingyou…things?”
Marian thought back to last summer, a lazyafternoon on the banks of the creek, Horse sitting next to her asthey both laughed at her attempts to copy his actions. “Horsetaught me to kiss, is all I was going to say.”
Einstein went rigid beside her. His faceflushed, nostrils flaring as his jaw worked side to side. “Horsedid what now?” His fingers dug into the upper part of her arm,holding her in place. Not that she would have tried to move away,but with the force of his suddenly fierce grip, she knew shecouldn’t have. “Did you say Horse taught you to kiss?”
“Yeah.” The memory was funny and sweet, andshe saw her smile reflected in his eyes. “He was really nice aboutit.”
“Oh, I just bet he was. Gunny’s gonna killhim, he finds out.”
Marian rolled her eyes. “Gunny alreadyknows.”
“Really.” Einstein loomed closer, his mouthinches from hers. “You sure about that? Were you a good student?Should I test out how well you learned from him?” Each outward gustof breath was warm, heating her skin.Is he going to…“Ithink I should.”
Marian’s lids fluttered closed as he leanedin that last bit of distance. She wasn’t sure what she hoped wouldhappen. Then his lips pressed to hers, dry and hot and somehowexactly what she’d expected.
The pressure was gentle, the touch of hislips soft as they glided across to drop a sweet peck at each cornerof her mouth. Insistent as they plucked at her upper lip, thenpulled her bottom one between them. She gasped as her head droppedto the side. He continued on while Marian tried to control herreeling senses, those tiny kisses drugging as they moved from sweetinto something bigger, growing until his mouth worked harderagainst hers.
