Page 14 of Bounty Hunter's Obsession

“I mean that you’ve been through hell in a handbasket for as long as I can remember, and it’s about damn time someone cared about you. Someone tall, strong, and handsome like that tree trunk of sexiness that just strolled out of here. I see the way he looks at you, Halo.”

“You don’t want to mess with him,” an older gentleman shakes his head. “He’s one of them Haven boys. Nothing but trouble. Goes around chasing criminals and other no-goodniks.”

I snicker. “No-goodniks? Trouble? Him? He’s been a godsend to me. All he’s done is help me. I imagine those Haven boys are only trouble for those who find themselves on their warpath.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn ya, girlie,” the man says with finality, returning to his coffee and paper.

Maybelle simply shakes her head. “Don’t listen to him. If it feels good, go for it.”

She hits the nail on the head because being with Hayden feels more than good. It feels right.

9

HAYDEN

Idon’t want to leave Halo, but I have to make sure she gets out of this mess.

The first thing for me to do is call my brother. He answers almost immediately, “Yeah, Hayden.”

“You sound busy,” I stop before getting into my car.

He’s grunting a bit, and I can hear him fiddling around with something in the background. “You know me, just slaving away replacing a security system for the Vernons. What do ya need?”

“I have a situation. It’s an emergency. I’m gonna send you an address. When you get there, do your regular assessment and then send me the bill for everything to lock the place up tighter than virgin pussy.”

“When do you want the install done?”

“If you can get it done sometime between tonight and tomorrow, I’ll double your off-hour fees.”

“Shit, I’m on it,” he says as we end the call and I get back to my next task.

There’s no way me and Halo can be together if she has a guy like Tony breathing down her neck. After talking to her, I’m almost certain I have to go back to the impound lot. I thought I’d have my fill of that place. Yet, here I am, driving through the warehouse district of Conklin, back to that sleazy junkyard.

The moment I park my car, I can see the guy in the booth, behind the glass. I take my time approaching because I don’t want him to take off.

Before I can even get a word out, he starts stuttering with his hands up in surrender. “I ain’t made any other offers since we had our little talk. I swear. Whatever that bitch said, she’s lying!”

Now, I’m angry. “Say buddy, who are you calling a bitch?”

The color drains from his face as he tries to talk himself out of this fight he’s started. “Listen. I didn’t mean any disrespect. I wasn’t talking about your old lady. I was just saying in general. You know?”

“Shut up,” I bark out the command to get him to be quiet. “Where’s the bag?”

“Of weed? You never gave it to me,” he says.

I roll my eyes and try to keep my temper under control. I need him to cooperate. “There’s a matter I need to discuss with you about the car I picked up for my lady.”

“Man, I may have gone through it, but I swear I didn’t touch none of the parts. I mean, I can use the Corolla stuff too, but hers is too old. Nothing useful that could be stripped without noticing. You drove it out of here. You heard it. It purrs like a kitten just like ya lady I’m sure.”

I can’t stop the growl of annoyance coming from my throat. “Are you trying to make me hurt you?”

“No man,” he waves his hands from side to side. “I swear. I’m sorry. I know you’re touchy about her. I would be touchy-”

I feel the tightness of my fist, balling up and ready to rearrange his face. “Did you take a bag out of that car? Or did you see Tony around the girl’s car?”

“He came here and looked around. I told him that I’d tell him when the girl came back, but you came back instead. I told him you were here, and what happened? Was that wrong?”

“Was there a bag in the car and did you take it?” I ask him. When his eyes start darting around, I can sense he’s about to lie. I hold up my hand to stop him and pull out my wallet. “Listen, I’m not unreasonable.”

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