Page 46 of Stolen Goods
He shrugged, continuing his thought as though he hadn’t heard her. “Both versions are great, but I prefer the remake with Pierce Brosnan. He was my idol for a while there. And well, Rene Russo, I mean…” He shook his head, as though there were no words. “Favorite author?”
“Jane Austen,” Addy answered quickly, no doubt in her mind. “Favorite food?”
“Burger and fries, the greasier the better. Favorite TV show?”
Addy paused. “Promise you won’t laugh or judge?”
He forced his lips into a thin line, fighting a smile as he nodded.
“The Bachelor,” she confessed. What could she say? She loved love, even the cheesy, manufactured kind. True to his word, Thad remained silent, but his nostrils flared with the force of holding back a response. “Favorite holiday?”
“Christmas. Jo always bakes this cinnamon-bun cake thing that’s insanely delicious, and we always take the day off from real life to watch movies and drink this mulled cider she makes, like a normal family. Or, well, we did.” His brows pinched together for a moment, but Addy didn’t press as he forced a tight swallow down his throat. “Favorite season?”
“Spring.”
And the game went on, dappling into the serious, but never staying there too long. Her favorite sport was football, as any true southerner’s was. His favorite cocktail was a whiskey neat, though he said he didn’t drink much because he couldn’t afford to dull his senses. Her favorite city was Charleston, close to home with everything she might need. His favorite hotel was the Caesar Augustus on the isle of Capri—apparently, the views of the bay of Naples were incredible, only surpassed by the impeccable service.
They went back and forth, and back and forth, for Addy didn’t know how long. All she knew was that she found herself dozing off as the roads turned black. The glare of headlights created a dull ache behind her eyes, so she closed them. When she woke sometime later, it was at the sound of her own name traveling softly through static.
“A news update for all of our late-night listeners—Addison Abbot is still missing and believed to be in the clutches of dangerous con-man Thaddeus Ryder. The FBI say they have no leads and are asking people with any information to come forward.”
Thad sighed and turned the volume down a little. Addy remained perfectly still, keeping her face toward the window as she strained to hear. For a few hours, she’d forgotten why they were together, what they were doing. She really had believed they were just two people on a road trip, two people who needed a little break from reality. But the truth had a frustrating way of always coming back around and reminding her of the target on both of their backs.
“But the breaking news earlier today wasn’t about our elusive man-on-the-run and his unwitting victim. In what some are calling a stunning victory for the FBI, Russian mob boss Nikolai Sokolov was denied bail at his hearing this afternoon. His lawyer cried foul play, citing the weak evidence against his client and pointing out the clear lack of eyewitnesses. But the Feds had a different opinion. Here’s the statement Agent Nathaniel Parker read to reporters on the courthouse steps.”
Thad inhaled sharply.
The volume on the radio went back up.
“Hello.” A deep voice came on the radio, firm and oozing conviction, the sort Addy might’ve imagined for the hero of her favorite story. “Nikolai Sokolov leads one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the United States, and while the judge’s decision this afternoon was a great first step toward justice, the fight is far from over. Our investigation into his heinous acts against the innocent civilians of this great country is ongoing, and we ask anyone who has borne witness to this man’s, or his organization’s, monstrous crimes to step forward. It’s the American thing to do, but more importantly, it is the right thing to do, as anyone with a moral conscience would understand. Thank you.”
Thad exhaled derisively, mumbling something under his breath. Addy didn’t quite catch what, focused as she was on remaining still and silent even as her heart thundered in her chest.
“To anyone who couldn’t read the hidden meaning,” the radio host came back on the mic, “the Feds have a weak case against one of the worst crime lords this country has ever seen, they’re desperate for an eyewitness, and this reporter has one guess who that specific message was meant for. Thaddeus Ryder, if you’re listening—”
Bang!
The radio went dead. The only sounds filling the car were the hum of tires on pavement and the whine of skin on leather, torqueing the material far beyond its ability to stretch.
Addy stared out the window and watched shadows pass aimlessly by, wondering what it said about her moral conscience that she wanted Thad to go free. Only two days ago, she never could’ve imagined a thought like that passing through her mind. But now that she knew him, knew the reason he’d done what he’d done—not for money, not for fame, but to save the life of a woman who was like a sister—well, she couldn’t entirely blame him. If someone threatened Gracie, or Edie, or her parents, Addy didn’t know what lines she might cross to protect them. And if he went to jail, she wasn’t sure he’d survive. Oh, physically, she was sure Thad would come through just fine. But the artist’s soul he’d slowly revealed, lonely and aching and wanting, that part of him would be gone. Maybe it made her selfish or naïve, but she wasn’t convinced a sacrifice like that should be called justice.
The ticking of the blinker filled the car. Addy used it as an excuse to exhale heavily and stretch her back, pretending to awaken from a deep slumber.
“Where are we?” she asked, throwing a yawn in at the end of her words.
“Somewhere in New Mexico. I just turned off an exit for a campground,” he murmured softly, voice giving nothing away. If he knew she’d been listening, he didn’t say. “We should be there in a few minutes.”
“Great, I’m exhausted,” she said, trying to lighten the tone. “I never knew sitting around in a car doing absolutely nothing all day could be so tiring.”
He lifted the corner of his lip in a half-hearted effort for her benefit. Silence settled again, but the quiet was okay. It was comfortable rather than awkward. They pulled into the campsite and got out of the car, each taking a role without needing to say. Addy went over to the water-fill station under a bright fluorescent light to refill some of the bottles they’d emptied earlier that day. By the time she was back, Thad had the tent set up and the car secure. She crawled onto the nylon floor and he eased in after, taking the spot by her side. Instead of getting herself all worked up, Addy decided to simply reach behind and grab his hand, not bothering with an excuse as she pulled him close.
They fit, so why fight it?
In two days, they’d be in Scottsdale and she had the sense that after that, he’d be gone. Soon, she’d be back home in her small life and her small town and her small bed that was cold far more often than it was warm. So, Addy decided to forget the past, ignore the future, and enjoy these fleeting moments of feeling wanted while she could.
- 17 -
Thad
