Chapter 35 #2
“I have been so swamped with work, I’ve barely had the time to stop home,” she says, adjusting the large, dark sunglasses she’s wearing. “I’ve decided not to renew the lease with how seldom I’m there. I swear, you would think I’m running this company on my own.”
“Are you still a pharmaceutical rep?” I ask.
A slight smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.
“Drugs don’t sell themselves,” she chuckles.
“At least, not at first.” I can’t see her green eyes behind her shades, but I follow the turn of her head as she glances toward the playground.
“Ace has grown since I last saw him. Is that his cousin he’s with? ”
Ace is chasing Mia around the jungle gym, both of them laughing. He hasn’t spotted Meg’s vibrant red hair yet, and for some reason, I hope he remains distracted. “Yes, that’s Mia. It’s my turn to give her mother a break and watch them for a few hours.”
“Oh, Rosita’s daughter? Do you expect her along soon?” It’s a simple question, but something about it feels…loaded.
“Yes, Viper and Rosita’s daughter… Hey, did you ever get the cornucopia? Dean brought it over to your home before Thanksgiving, but you weren’t there, so he left it on your porch.”
“I did, it was fantastic, thank you,” she replies quickly, but it only reinforces the odd feeling.
“Are you okay?”
Meg slowly shifts to face me. “I’ve been dealing with my father’s estate. He passed away a few weeks ago.”
“I’m so sorry, Meg,” I say, feeling a bit guilty. No wonder she seems off. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Thanks, but no. I’m already back to work. Though, honestly, I’m exhausted. The men I work with have a difficult time following orders from a woman, especially when I have to travel out of town for conferences and trade shows.”
“When is your lease up? I can help you pack if you’d like?”
“Oh, there’s no rush to pack. I still have a few months, but I don’t expect to be there much. I just wanted to let you know in case you and Ace start wondering.”
“We’ll miss you stopping by the farmstand. We open in a few weeks. Will you still be in the area?”
“Now and then.” She smiles. “Would you mind if I say hello to Ace?”
“No, of course not,” I say, standing to walk with her over to the playground. Ace finally spots her and dashes over to us.
“Hi Meg!” He smiles up at her. She bends to place a hand on his little shoulder and drags her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose to better look at him.
“Hello, sweetie, are you having fun?” Meg asks.
“Yeah!” Ace replies, winded from running around but otherwise happy. Mia comes to stand beside him, peering up at her curiously. “This is my cousin,” Ace says.
“Hello, Mia,” Meg smiles. “Aren’t you a beautiful little girl.”
“Hi,” Mia replies, shyly tucking herself behind Ace.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was your daughter, Vanna,” Meg peers over at me, “With this lovely, long, dark hair and pretty brown eyes.”
I only force a smile.
“Well, I just wanted to come over and say hello to you, Ace,” Meg goes on. “I’ve missed seeing you and mommy, and I hope one day I’ll be able to visit you at the farmstand again, and you can help me pick out some fruits and veggies.”
His little brows knit together in confusion. “You’re going away?”
“I’m afraid so, big guy. But I will try very hard to visit whenever I can,” Meg promises.
“Okay…” he lets out a little disheartened sigh.
“ Oh,” Meg pouts, holding her arms out to him for a hug. “Don’t look so sad, sweet one,” she says as he steps into her embrace and hugs her back. “I promise to come see you again. Will you make me a promise, too?”
“Uh-huh,” Ace says.
“Draw me a pretty picture so the next time I visit, I can take it with me.”
“Okay,” Ace agrees.
“Now, you go play and have fun with Mia,” Meg says, releasing him and straightening.
With one last glance, Ace takes Mia’s hand, and they hurry back to the playground.
“Well,” she turns to me, “I should be on my way. We’re hoping to land an important contract very soon, and I have a feeling the company is relying on me to close the deal on this one, too. ”
“Alright, well, best of luck with everything,” I say.
“You, too, Vanna. Take care.”
I watch Meg walk across the fairgrounds toward the parking lot before shifting my attention back to my kids. Ace is wearing a happy smile on his face again, and I’m glad Mia is here to distract him from Meg’s departure. Something about her little goodbye for now felt rather final.
S ufficiently tuckered out, I have both tired toddlers safely strapped in their booster seats in the back seat of my SUV, ready to head to our next adventure.
“Everybody good?” I ask.
Mia smiles contentedly, sipping her juice box while Ace kicks his feet against his car seat, eager to get moving again.
“Where are we going now?” he asks.
“ It’s a surprise ,” I smile back at him before closing the car door.
As I turn to open the driver’s door, I’m met with a surprise myself.
My front tire. Flat. Not just low, completely deflated, the rubber sagging against the pavement.
I swear under my breath, about to reach into my back pocket to grab my cellphone, when I hear heavy footsteps on the other side of the car, too deliberate and swift to be someone simply passing by.
Viking’s lessons on how to throw a real punch race through my mind as my fingers automatically press the lock button on the key fob. I clench my keys in my fist, allowing them to protrude between my fingers for maximum damage if I have to fight.
Two men approach me from either end of my car. They both look rough around the edges, one older with a scruffy beard, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. The other is younger, wiry, and his restless energy makes me instantly uneasy.
“Well, ain’t this uncanny!” He grins, looking me up and down as if impressed by something.
“Afternoon,” the older one says, voice too casual. “Car trouble?”
I swallow the spike of panic clawing up my throat.
Did they do this? Are they going to rob me in broad daylight?
I quickly glance around. We aren’t alone.
There are people enjoying the picnic tables beneath the trees in the park and playing catch, and there are others strolling along the sidewalk across the street by the ice cream parlor and other shops. All I have to do is scream…
Though my heart is hammering in my chest, I force myself to sound neutral when I reply, “Seems so.”
“You’re Dean Keegan’s wife, yeah?” the younger one asks, stepping forward just enough to make me press my back up against Ace’s door. I don’t bother answering. They obviously know.
The older one sighs, like this is just another chore on his list. “You tell your Ol’ Man, time’s up.
We’ve been more than patient. It’s time to solidify the truce we’ve outlined, and given y’all such a generous taste of,” he tilts his head, looking me over.
“You want that to last, don’t you? It’s nice being able to trot that fine ass around a pristine little town like this, ain’t it? ”
The younger one chuckles, drawing my gaze to his sinister smirk. He cranes his neck to see inside the backseat window over my shoulder, at my kids, and my stomach knots before he even speaks.
“Be a shame if the club’s decisions affected more than just the club, ya know?”
The fear wracking my system curdles into something sharper. Hotter. Before I can stop myself, I’m in his face, clenching both fists so tightly I can feel my fingernails digging into my palms.
“ I’ll tell him ,” I snap, “Now get the fuck away from my kids!”
He licks his lips but slowly raises his hands and takes a step back. “ Easy, momma bear …we’re just delivering a message.”
The older man turns and strolls off like they hadn’t just threatened my entire world. With one last smirk, the young, wiry one jogs off after him.
My pulse pounds in my ears as I quickly unlock the car, jump into the driver’s seat, and hit the lock button on the door after slamming it shut behind me. The keys rattle in my hand as I start the car and turn the AC on for the kids.
“What happened, Mommy?” Ace asks. “What did those men want?”
“They were just letting mommy know we have a flat tire,” I say, pulling my cellphone from my back pocket. “Everything is okay. I’m just going to call daddy so he can come fix it.”
I pause for a moment when I hear the low, slow growl of a motorcycle engine nearby. The black bike comes to a rolling stop in front of my car. The rider turns his head slowly to look at me through the windshield, and the afternoon sun bounces off his dark visor.
I had no idea Legion was watching us, or for how long, but relief floods my system.
He raises a gloved hand to his shielded face and taps the side of his index finger against the chin guard, a gesture to convey I should keep quiet about this.
I don’t know what else to do, so I simply nod in compliance.
He seems to stare at me a moment longer before he shifts his focus to the corner of the block, where the two men disappeared moments ago.
He waits, dangerous and calm all at once.
The loud rumbling of a pair of Harleys briefly pulls my attention to the end of the block. It’s them. The two men barrel around the corner, fleeing our city now that they’ve delivered their message.
My heart beats faster again as Legion takes off after them…and I wonder if he’s going to bring me back two more bloodstained patches.