Page 17 of Claymore
“Yeah?”
“Don’t hang up.”
“I won’t.”
I heard shuffling, like he slipped his phone into his pocket. I listened to the sound of his engine, car horns honking, and the way the wind ruffled against his clothes. A little while later, I heard his voice call out my name.
“Ella. I’m downstairs. I’ll be up in a minute.”
I sighed in relief, moving the dresser out of place, slowly opening up my bedroom door. There Claymore stood with his disheveled hair pulled back into a low ponytail and a concerned look in his eyes. He rushed over to me, resting his hands on my shoulder, studying my face.
“Ella. I know you’re scared, but I’m gonna need you to tell me everything you saw.”
I nodded. He took a look around my apartment, retracing that man’s steps, and when he turned to face me again, I knew it wasn’t good.
“These are all personal things. Your bills, your mail, shopping you’ve done recently, food you’ve eaten. Someone’s damn interested in learning everything about you, darlin’. The Kings, they’re getting crafty. All the more reason you can’t stay here anymore,” he said.
I collapsed onto my couch, running my fingers through my hair, wiping the tears that dried on my face. He inched closer, taking the seat next to me, and I could smell the faint scent of his cologne in the air.
“I know this is your life, Ella. I know Sedona is home and you’ve never really known much else. What good is that gonna do if something bad happens to you? You’ve got a target on your back now. We need to get you out of here.”
“Where will I go? I barely have enough money for a few nights in a motel.”
“This isn’t forever, Ella. Until we figure out how to keep you safe, you can stay with me. Once this all blows over, you can come back home and actually live your life without looking over your shoulder every five minutes.”
I sighed deeply, thinking about it for a moment, as apangof pain settled in my heart at the thought of everything I’d have to leave behind. For the first time in my life, I knew I had to take the leap. I had to keep myself safe.
“If you try anything, I will kill you and then I’ll leave,” I said, raising my eyebrows at him.
“I promise to be a perfect gentleman. Now, go pack a bag. Call Louise tomorrow, let her know you’ll be taking some time off. If things are safe in Mascid, you can get a job there if you’d like. Though, that all depends on what the Kings are up to and what’s really going on with Ray. We’ll find out more. We’ll put an end to this.”
“Will there ever really be an end?”
“Yes, Ella. There will. I promise.”
***
I finished packing my duffle bag with a few changes of clothes, some toiletries, and my laptop. I was surprised how quickly I managed to pack up nearly everything I owned, because without those few items scattered across my apartment, it truly felt empty. Claymore took the bag from me, slinging it over his shoulder and we were about to head out.
“You got everything?”
“Wait! One more thing,” I said, rushing back into my bedroom.
I opened up my nightstand drawer, pulling out the torn picture I had stuffed in there, the one I always had trouble looking at but the one I could never get rid of. This time, I stared down at the happy, content faces, brushing my fingertips along the curves of their jaws remembering what it was like to have parents. I fought the tears back, stuffing the photograph into the pocket of my sweater before I met Claymore at the front door.
“Okay, now I’m ready.”
“Let’s get you out of here.”
Claymore handed me a helmet and I slipped it on, getting as comfortable as I could on the back of his bike, knowing it was going to be a long ride. The Sedona air felt colder than usual and the familiar warmth that made it feel like home just wasn’t there anymore. Claymore gripped the handles of his bike, tearing down the streets so fast I could barely keep my eyes open. I dug my nails into his jacket, holding onto him as tight as I could.
We made it about a half hour before Claymore’s bike started to whir and spit, but I ignored it, telling myself it was probably nothing. The wheels started shaking, the engine crying out as Claymore pulled off to the side. My heart started racing, glancing around to see that there wasn’t anything for miles.No. This can’t be happening.The roads were dark, the air was hot, and we were screwed.
There was a cloud of smoke rising from the back and Claymore got down on his knees, frantically banging on his old hunk of junk.
“Please tell me there’s an easy way to fix that,” I said, nervously.
“Ah, I’m afraid not.”
