3. Allison
3
ALLISON
I heard the bike when it pulled up to the front of the diner and almost freaked out. My thoughts instantly went to the man that’s after me. I looked outside and watched the big, muscular, tattooed biker climb off of the bike. For just a second, I was fearful as I watched him look around outside of the building and then come in. He looked as if he was looking for someone, and I hope it’s not me.
Violet walked out to meet him, and then it hit me that this must be the help that she was talking about. He sits over in the corner, and I can feel his eyes on me as I work.
Violet calls my name from across the room, and I clench the towel in my hand. I turn and walk over toward her and the man, feeling both of them staring at me. She smiles at me, trying to soothe me. "Have a seat," she says.
I take a seat in the booth, and Violet sits down next to me. "Allison, this is Kane. He's the president of the Guardians."
When she stops, I look at the leather vest that the man is wearing. It says Guardians MC on it, so I make the assumption that he's part of some kind of motorcycle gang or something. He's watching me closely, his soulful brown eyes big and examining. His expression is guarded, and it makes me wonder if it's me or women in general he doesn't like.
His voice is deep when he asks me, "Do you think anyone followed you here?"
I clench the towel in my hand under the booth. "I don't think so. I ditched my phone and my car back in town, and then I walked five miles through the woods to get to the bus station. I paid cash and gave them all of the money that I had to get as far away as I could." I grimace. "I ended up only being two hours away. That's how I ended up here."
He nods approvingly. "Smart thinking ditching your phone and using cash. Do you know who's after you?"
I shrug. "I guess whoever killed my husband."
He nods almost impatiently. "Do you know who that is?"
His gaze is intent, and I feel like he sees me more than I want him to, but I don't dare look away from him. "My husband was a bad man. He screwed everyone over. It would be safe to assume that anyone that has ever worked with him would want him dead."
He searches my eyes. His glare is intimidating, but I still don't back down. "Even you?" he asks.
I jut my chin at him. "I'm not going to lie. Yes, there were times I wished him dead. But it was usually when he used his fist on me or the times he told me I was worthless... But I didn't kill him."
His jaw tightens, obviously not liking what he hears, but it's the truth. "Do you have anywhere you could hide out?"
I shake my head. "No, I don't have any friends that were not his friends, and I’m not sure who to trust on that front, and I won’t put my family in danger."
He nods. He unclenches his arms from his chest and lays them on the table in front of him. "You'll stay with me then."
My eyes widen, and I jerk back. "You? I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't know you."
His face lifts up in a little smirk. "I'm your safest bet."
I know he’s probably right, but it would be insane for me to agree to leave with some biker I don’t even know. "Sure. I'll take my chances on my own."
Violet has been sitting here the whole time, her head volleying back and forth as each of us talk. Someone from the back of the restaurant hollers for her, and she stands up with a sigh. She looks at me with a worried look on her face. "Allison, I wouldn't have called Kane if I didn't trust him. I know you feel hopeless right now, and he will be the one to give you the time you need to make a plan. He will keep you safe.” She squeezes my hand. “I'll be back."
I nod my head and watch her walk away. Kane leans forward. "You got a problem with me?"
I shake my head no.
He lifts his big, heavy shoulders in a shrug. "You embarrassed to be seen with me?"
My forehead creases. "No, I'm almost offended by that question. I’m not a snob."
"So what's your problem then?"
It's then that I decide to just lay it all on the line. "Kane, think about it from my side. I found my husband dead on our living room floor. Someone broke into my house and is after me. I have no phone, no friends, no money. No friends that were not my husband's ‘friends,’ and I show up in this town and instantly Violet and now you are wanting to help. That doesn't happen in my world. So you have to forgive me if I'm just not ready to trust you."
For the first time, he breaks eye contact. He looks around the restaurant and then back outside the front big windows up and down the street before turning back to look at me. "I understand that. But one thing that you need to understand is that all of this transpired for a reason. You showed up in this town because you needed help. And the one thing about this town is that we do help people. You asked me why I want to help, and I'll tell you. This is what I'm trained to do. I was in the military for 10 years, and since then I've been doing work to help others. So the reason that I want to help you is because I can."
I take a deep breath and try to think about all the different options I have. And the truth is, I really don't have any. I don't have any money. So unless I plan on going to the police station here in town, I'm going to have to trust this biker. And even though he seems a little bit gruff, he does seem as if he truly wants to help me. "Okay, I'll go with you."
For the first time since he sat down, his tense shoulders seem to relax. "Okay," he says.