Chapter Ten Annabel
After the moments of tense scrutiny of our documents at the border, the adrenaline had left me reeling.
When Rev instructed that I should climb into the backseat, at first I had wanted to argue like a petulant toddler that I wasn’t tired.
But instead, I had happily eased over the seat and into the back, smiling at the sight of Breakneck’s kindness and concern—the pillow and blanket.
Although it was too hot to cover up, I laid the blanket over the worn leather seats and curled up with the pillow. Soon I was lulled into a deep sleep.
I had no idea how many hours had passed when I woke up to Rev gently shaking me. “Time to stop for gas and something to eat, Sleeping Beauty.”
With a yawn, I replied, “Not hungry.”
“Nope. Don’t want to hear anything other than your chewing. You need food to build your strength back up.”
I popped one eye open to look at him. “Eesh. You’re so bossy.”
He grinned down at me. “Come on.”
“Perfect,” I mumbled, as I sat up in the seat. I rubbed my aching neck with one hand and opened the car door with another. “Where are we?”
“About an hour or two from the Louisiana state line.”
I felt my mouth gape open in shock. “I slept the entire way across Texas?”
“Pretty much. Course, I was making good time. Cops don’t pay much notice to hunk of junk cars.”
I grinned. “I see.”
As I gazed around the parking lot at our surroundings, I saw that Rev had stopped at some mom and pops/greasy spoon kind of diner. From the eighteen wheelers lined up in the parking lot, I could tell the clientele catered to truckers.
“We’re eating here?” I questioned, trying my best not to openly express my disappointment.
Rev cocked his brows at me. “Are you insinuating this place is a dump?”
My cheeks instantly warmed. “Of course not.”
“It’s okay, Annabel. I was just teasing you,” Rev replied. “This place does look kind of like a dump, but it just so happens to come highly recommended.”
“It does?”
He laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised. Good food doesn’t always have to come on linen tablecloths and on fine china.”
“I am well aware of that,” I countered.
When he ducked his head to rummage around in the trunk, I added, “For the record, I haven’t always eaten on fine china with silver. I do know how to be normal.”
Rev closed the trunk lid. I saw then he held his leather cut in his hand—the one I hadn’t seen him wear since my first night in the hospital.
He slid it on, and almost instantly, his appearance changed in front of me.
The kind, approachable Rev seemed to fade away and in his place was a tougher, rough around the edges guy.
It was more than just a little unnerving.
He had become so in tune to my feelings that he immediately looked at me with scrutiny. “Does it still bother you?”
Unable to speak, I bobbed my head. After a few moments, I finally replied, “I’m sorry.”
“I’m the one who is sorry. I sure as hell don’t want to do anything to bring you pain.”
“I know.”
“But wearing my cut is necessary right now.”
“How?”
Rev stared at me for a moment before exhaling a loud breath. “Look, Annabel, there’s a lot about my world that you don’t understand and you don’t need to understand.”
“So you can’t explain to me why putting on a piece of leather matters?” I motioned to his cut.
Rev growled as he shoved his keys in his pocket. “You just can’t leave it alone, can you?”
“Being stubborn is part of me being normal too,” I countered.
I was grateful when he finally smiled at me. “I know you can be normal, Annabel. In fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone able to be so ‘normal’ in spite of what all she’s been through.”
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“So come on. You need a nutritional meal, and this place is supposed to have really good vegetables.”
When I realized that was all I was going to get from him, I reluctantly agreed. “Okay.”
As we walked across the parking lot, Rev kept his hand at the small of my back. When we walked inside the diner, the bell over the door tinkled, alerting the patrons to our presence. It seemed to me that the conversation momentarily halted, but it also could have been just my imagination.
A waitress came up to us. After sweeping her gaze over Rev’s cut, she forced a smile to her face. “Two?”
“Yes,” Rev answered cooly.
She grabbed some menus. “Follow me.”
As we passed by a row of booths and tables, the hardened looking truckers took notice of Rev. Then I witnessed an expression of respect pass over their faces. I knew then the reason why he had put on his cut. There was unspoken power in the worn leather, and at the moment, I was grateful for it.
We slid into a booth next to a large glass window. The waitress handed us the menus. “What can I get you to drink?”
“I’ll have a Coke,” I replied.
“And you?” the waitress asked Rev.
“I’ll take a sweet tea and a milk.”
The waitress scribbled down our order. “Be right back.”
I started to glance over the menu when Rev said, “By the way, the milk is for you.”
My gaze snapped to him. “Excuse me.”
“You need the vitamins.”
“What if I don’t like milk?” I countered.
He cocked his brows at me. “What if I don’t give a fuck whether you like it?”
I couldn’t believe his sudden audacity. “I have a very controlling father back in Virginia. I don’t need another one.”
Rev leaned his elbows on the table and shot me a no nonsense look.
“I’m not trying to control you. I’m merely showing concern for your health.
You ate like a bird in the hospital, so you’re already at a nutritional deficit.
I couldn’t say for sure, but I would imagine you didn’t eat well while you were with Mendoza—”
“Actually, I had all the best food available there since I ate my meals with him.”
It was the truth. Whereas the girls in the barracks got the bare minimum.
Mendoza was too smart to starve them because if they lost too much weight and looked unhealthy, they lost their attractiveness to potential buyers.
As for me, I sat up in the main house eating lobster and steak simply because I was Mendoza’s favorite of the moment.
Rev held up one of his hands. “I stand corrected. However, with the blood you lost, coupled with your surgery, you’re going to have to fight off anemia. After drinking your milk, I would suggest you order a steak, along with some green leafy vegetables like a salad or have some spinach.”
“Now you’re my nutritionist along with my rescuer?” I snapped.
“Annabel,” Rev growled.
I sighed. “I’m sorry. You’re just trying to be nice, and here I am taking out some shit on you, aren’t I?”
Rev bobbed his head. “But I get why.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “For the last two months of your life, you were completely under someone else’s control. It’s only natural now you’re free that you would fight against anyone trying to exert any control over you.”
I blinked at him a few times before I could gather control of my emotions enough to respond. In the few days I had known him, it never ceased to amaze me how it was possible that Rev could read me so easily. None of my family or even my close friends had ever had such insight to me.
The waitress returned with our drinks. When she sat the milk down in front of Rev, I reached out and slid it over to me. I was rewarded with a genuine smile from him.
“Know whatcha want?” the waitress asked.
When he saw I was still uncertain, Rev went ahead with his order. “I’ll have the sirloin, well done, a loaded baked potato, and a salad with Italian dressing.”
The waitress turned to me. “And you?”
“The same. Except can you make mine a sweet potato?”
“Sure can.”
“Thanks.” When I caught Rev’s eye, I said, “They’re full of potassium, which I’m sure I could use.”
He grinned. “I’m glad you’re taking this more seriously.”
Once the waitress left, I began slowly sipping on my milk. I’d never been a big fan of milk outside of a bowl of sugary cereal, but I wanted to do everything I could to help my recovery.
We sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the hum of the conversations around us. Before I met Rev I had already rushed to fill silences with small talk. But there was something about being around him that made it somehow more tolerable…more comforting.
After finishing off my milk, I asked, “So what happens when we get back to Georgia?”
He shrugged. “I haven’t thought it out that far. I assumed we could play it by ear, but most of all, I thought I would let you call the shots.”
My brows shot up in surprise. “Me?”
He nodded. “When it comes to you, I would assume you want to be making the decisions, right?”
“Well, yes, but at the same time, I’ll be your guest…or the club’s guest or however it is. I would respect that.”
Rev appeared thoughtful. “My house is directly behind the club, so I guess you could say the two go hand in hand. But you are my guest, and my brothers will respect that.”
“I just don’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“You won’t be. I’ll put you to work earning your keep.”
I laughed. “Oh you will, huh?”
Rev grinned. “You said it yourself that you didn’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“I can cook for you.”
“You cook?” Rev asked, his voice laced with doubt.
“Yes, I do.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just you didn’t strike me as the type who could cook.”
“One of the only decent people in our household was our cook. I hung out with her a lot. You pick up things.”
“I see.” Rev rubbed his hand over his beard. “So you’re willing to cook for me.”
“Of course.”
“That’s going to upset my mama.”
“How come?”
He laughed. “She usually cooks for us.”
“Oh, well, I could help her then.”
“Actually, I like the idea of having you in my house, cooking just for me.”
“Do you?”
With a wink and a grin, he replied, “Yes, I do.”
“Are you flirting with me, Reverend Malloy?” I couldn’t resist teasing him, and it felt good to let myself relax a little.
“Just stating facts, Annabel Percy,” he replied.