Page 22 of A Wrench in the Plan
He was quiet for a moment. His focus was lost somewhere out in the ocean.
“It’s a really fucked up thing to do… bringing someone into this life,” he said.
That hadn’t been my point at all.
Sometimes he was so frustrating.
“Well, when the heart is involved, there’s not a whole lot you can do about it,” I said, trying my best to keep it lighthearted. “Besides, it’s like one big amazing family. One that accepts you no matter what. One that has your back no matter what. There might be times when things are hard, but you never have to carry that burden on your own. I wouldn’t trade this family for anything.”
I jumped when he moved suddenly. I hadn’t been expecting it, and when he wrapped his arms around me, I stayed there frozen in shock. It took me a long moment to come out of it enough to hug him back.
“I’m sorry I’ve taken you for granted.” His words floated into my ear as a whisper, barely breaking through the sound of the wind. “I’m so sorry for being inconsiderate of everything you go through and not seeing the strength you have inside of you. I’m—”
I never had the chance to hear what he was going to say, because, at that very moment, I felt a hand clamp down over my mouth as Chry’s body was ripped away from mine.
Inhaling as fast as I could through my partially-covered nostrils, I got a whiff of exhaust and leather. There was something underneath the strong combination that tickled my senses, making my skin prickle with awareness, but I couldn’t place it or explain why it was familiar.
I watched the blurs in front of me struggle, and it took me way too long to realize that we were no longer alone.
“Cat, run!” Chry screamed, but I couldn’t move.
The black shadows had him pinned to the ground.
Then, he was no longer struggling. No longer moving.
Tears filled my eyes. My screams were muffled as I was taken to the ground. A cloth replace the hand covering my mouth, and the instant I inhaled deeply, I knew it was a mistake. I didn’t even have a chance to attempt to fight back. The stars in the sky faded as everything turned black.
CHAPTER NINE
Evan
With the bar gone, I had been relocated to the garage. I didn’t know shit about cars, but I could handle the paperwork and the people. It hadn’t taken me long to slide right in and figure out everyone’s system.
I did my best not to bother Chry while he was working. This was a job, and I took it seriously. The first few days had been fun, though. He’d wink at me and smile every time he stepped into the lobby. Sometimes he’d even steal a kiss if we ran into each other in the back hall or the break room.
Chry could be moody. One day he’d be clingy, and the next he’d be so lost in his head that it was almost like I didn’t exist. Those days, I just learned to let him know I was still there if he needed me. I knew he didn’t do it on purpose. He wasn’t the type to outright hurt people. He wasn’t mean.
So, I figured now was one of those times when he just needed some space to work out whatever was going on in his head. Yeah, I’d noticed he’d been more distant since LT released me, but I wasn’t sure why. Yesterday had been the worse, though. Every time I tried to catch his eyes when he walked into the lobby, he wouldn’t even look my way. Then he left early without so much as a clue why he was heading out or what he was going to do, and when I tried to call him last night, he just kept sending me to voicemail.
It really hurts when the person you’re in love with slams the emotional door in your face, leaving you standing there completely clueless as to why.
I just wished he’d talk to me. I didn’t have to fix every problem, but I could be a sounding board. I could be there just to listen. I thought I was pretty good at that. If anything, getting it off his chest might have helped. But there were times that getting Chry to open up was like trying to pry open a shark’s jaw. Impossible and frustrating.
I unlocked the lobby door and stepped inside, locking it back behind me. The lights were off, but I could already hear the working commotion going on in the bays. The place didn’t open for another twenty minutes, but there was always someone in here early.
Starting on the checklist I had in my head, I woke up the computer and checked the status of all the orders. A smile broke across my face seeing that we should have been getting the parts in that Chry had been bitching about for nearly a week now. I really hoped that would put him in a better mood. Or at least lifted his spirits a little. I decided it was best to wait until I held the parts in my hands to hand over to him, just in case something happened and they didn’t actually come in. No sense in filling him with hope, only to disappoint him.
“Hey,” Sidekick said as he came walking in from the side door that led to the bays. “You seen Wrench?”
His brows were pulled together tight, worry written all over his face.
“Nope,” I said with a shake of my head. I hoped I was playing it off like it didn’t bother me that he shut me out last night.
“When was the last time you saw him?”
There was something in his tone that had me on edge, mind sharp and alert and my spine going straight.
“About an hour before close yesterday.” I paused, hesitant to ask… “Why?”
