Page 124 of Things We Hide from the Light
As predicted, Knox had not been happy. First with me for allowing Naomi and Sloane to talk me into bringing them along, then with Naomi and Sloane for deliberately putting themselves in harm’s way, and finally with Melvin for smashing my face.
I hadn’t taken a good look in the mirror yet, but judging from Knox’s reaction and the hot, swollen feeling under my eye, I guessed I didn’t look so great.
“That’s how he usually looks,” I assured him.
“He blamed me for your face. Can you believe that? I didn’t hit you,” Melvin scoffed.
“Your flailing elbow did.”
“Your face hit my flailing elbow. I’m probably going to have a bruise too.”
I pushed down on the accelerator and hoped the responding roar of rpms would drown out my passenger. The sooner I could turn this guy in, the sooner I could go ice my entire body.
“I’ll be sure to send a doctor to your cell,” I said dryly.
“Where are you taking me?”
“The Knockemout Police Department.” It wasn’t ideal, but FTAs needed to be handed over to police custody, and Knockemout was the closest fully staffed department. Also, I may have called ahead to give them a heads-up…and to make sure that Nash was off tonight.
The last thing I needed was a run-in with him.
“Can we at least listen to some music?” Melvin grumbled.
“Yes, we can.” I turned up the stereo and took the exit for Knockemout.
We were two miles from town limits when red and blue lights lit up my rearview mirror.
I glanced down at the speedometer and winced.
“Ha! Busted,” my passenger snickered.
“Shut up, Melvin.”
I pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, put my hazard lights on, and dug out my registration by the time the officer got to my window.
When Nash Morgan shined his flashlight in my eyes, I knew this was not my night.
TWENTY-FIVE
SPEEDING TICKET
Nash
“Get out of the car.”
“You’re not supposed to be working tonight,” she muttered, gripping the wheel.
“Get. Out. Of. The. Car. Angelina,” I ordered through gritted teeth.
“Help! This woman kidnapped me!” the idiot in the back seat shouted.
“Shut up, Melvin,” Lina snapped.
I yanked open her door. “Don’t fuck with me, Angel.”
She released her seat belt and stepped out of the car and into my body. I knew better. Knew I couldn’t trust myself this close to her. But hadn’t it already been a foregone conclusion when Grave had filled me in on the situation?
Somehow I’d known it would end like this.
