Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
Maisie
It was time to move on. I’d let myself get too comfortable in Willow Creek, but after what happened today, I needed to leave. I dug into the back of my closet and pulled out the backpack that contained everything I needed.
Cash, various IDs, passports. Everything to start over in a new town.
I would miss the people of Willow Creek. They were nice enough to accept me; the new girl with nothing more than a dream to own a unique bakery. They supported that dream better than I could ever imagine and I was going to leave them without a single goodbye.
Leaving behind Wickedly Delicious was going to be hard. I put my blood, sweat, and tears into that place. But now, someone else’s blood stained the floor, and did so at my hand.
Did I regret killing the man who threatened Annalee? Absolutely not. But I did regret leaving my knife in his neck. That knife currently sat in evidence and had my fingerprints all over it. One run through the system and the county detectives would know the name I gave them didn’t match the one that would pop up.
And to make things worse, the name attached to those fingerprints was wanted for murder. It wouldn’t take long for the county detective to find that and come looking for me. To arrest me. I needed to be long gone before that happened.
I stuffed a few changes of clothes into the bag and threw it over my shoulder. It would have to be enough until I found somewhere to start over. I grabbed the keys for the unregistered car in my detached garage; I never drove it, but kept it maintained for this reason. I knew one day I would need to leave in a rush. It was the story of my life.
Always be prepared. That’s what my brother taught me. If only he could see me now.
“Going somewhere?”
The bag slipped off my arm and back onto the bed. I spun around with my heart in my throat and croaked, "What the fuck, Hendrix?" My hand went to my chest but it did nothing to slow the racing organ. "How the hell did you get in here?"
I’d locked the door on my way in. I was sure of it. My mind was frazzled but I never forgot to lock up behind myself. There were some things too engrained to ever be forgotten.
"Do you really think a measly lock can stop me from getting to you when I want to?"
I scoffed and turned back around. "I don't have time for your shit. I have places I need to be."
Like as far away from Willow Creek and the county sheriff as humanly possible. A few thousand miles should do nicely. I knew I needed to go north, but would it be the East or West Coast this time? I had been to both over the years and enjoyed my time, so the where didn’t matter as long as I got away.
"Which brings me back to, going somewhere?"
I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "I just told you, I have somewhere to be. Pretty sure that answered your question."
Why couldn't he just leave me alone? It was clear I did everything to avoid him since the incident . The one I refused to acknowledge happened months ago.
Hendrix sauntered, yes sauntered because that was the only way to describe how he moved, until he was standing on the other side of my bed. I could see his movements through my lashes as I was doing everything I could not to make eye contact.
"Going somewhere means the store or a friend’s house. It doesn't involve packing clothes and"—he snatched the duffel off the bed before I could stop him and rifled through it—"fake IDs. So tell me, Mais, or"—he glanced down—"Emily." I met his annoyed gaze with my own. "Poor choice of a name, by the way. You look nothing like an Emily. So tell me, where the hell do you think you're going?"
I launched myself across the bed and managed to snatch the ID and duffel away from him. Something I was very much aware he allowed me to do because there was no way I was faster than him.
"It's none of your business. I've told you already, I'm not interested in whatever this is you think is going on between us," I said, waving my hand back and forth between our bodies. He didn't need the visual but my hands were shaking and the only way to hide it was to keep them moving.
" This meaning the best sex of your life that you refuse to let us repeat?"
Gah! That was the exact incident I didn't want to think about right now.
"Don't flatter yourself. I've had better."
Liar!
Big fat hunking liar!
I knew it. My traitorous vagina knew it. Hell, Hendrix knew it. Which he confirmed when he scoffed at me.
"Bullshit, Mais. The connection we have isn't something that comes around often. It's a once-in-a-lifetime kinda thing."
Maybe if I wasn't a murderer, I would’ve agreed with him but that wasn't my life. I killed a man—well, now two—and was a wanted fugitive. Love wasn't in the cards for me no matter how great the sex was. And it was pretty damn good. Hendrix understood the female anatomy as only someone who studied it extensively could.
And now I was thinking about his previous partners and that little green monster that always got me in trouble was rearing its ugly head.
"Well, now I'm curious what that look is all about." Hendrix’s flirty tone hit me like a ton of bricks.
My scowl was met by a cocky grin. I hated how sure he was of himself all the time.
Okay, I hated it most of the time. The other times it was a complete turn-on but we already established that wasn't happening again.
"None of your business. Now if you don't mind showing yourself out the same way you broke in, I would appreciate it."
I took one last look around the small bedroom. I would miss this place. And I didn't just mean the town. This apartment was my sanctuary. This bedroom represented me even better than the bakery did. I spared no expense to make this room everything I ever wanted.
And for what? So I could just one day leave it without being able to take anything with me.
Life sucked.
Adulting sucked.
"Ain't going to happen, Mais."
“Jesus Christ!” I yelped, forgetting he was still in the room. "Why are you still here?!" I swung my head around and gave him my best death stare. It did nothing but make him chuckle.
Bastard.
"I already told you I'm not going anywhere. At least, not until you tell me why you're running away."
The man was infuriating. I needed to give him something, otherwise he would never let me go and I was running out of time. I'm sure the sheriff's department had already run my prints.
"Because I killed a man today, okay?" I hissed. "So if you don't mind, I'd like to leave before I'm forced to spend time in a jail cell."
I made my way to the bedroom door but Hendrix was faster. He blocked my exit with his delectable body. One I was way too familiar with.
"Self-defense. Even a blind man could see that."
I scoffed at the ridiculousness of his reasoning but didn't comment. At least not on that. I did however whisper, "Maybe … if it had been my first time."
"Say that again?"
I physically shook off the sadness that tried to consume me at the thought of leaving. Hendrix was making this harder than it needed to be. If it weren't for him, I would've already been outside the city limits.
"Never mind," I sighed. "Please, Hendrix. I'm begging you. Please just let me leave."
I was starting to hate him for what he was putting me through. If he only knew how hard this was for me, he wouldn't be standing in my way.
Who was I kidding? Yes he would. Hendrix made it his life’s mission to annoy me ever since the incident.
"Or you can let me help you, Margaret."