“Wulf, this is where we part ways.” Mary Jane looked up at him as they stood in the staff room back at the motel where Glenn worked. During the long ride, she’d kept quiet, not saying a word to him, and he hadn’t said a single thing to her. It was as if the night they’d shared occurred ages ago. But for her, there was a longing to make a connection.

Wulf glared down at her. “That’s a negative. You and I are headed to Los Angeles where we will connect with a friend.”

“I don’t need—”

“Who will look into this situation,” his voice boomed, “then I will personally escort you to a safe rehabilitation center, where you’ll forget these delusions of prototype China, and sometime later, not now, you’ll thank me for getting you away.”

She tugged away from his touch but it was no use. She bit her bottom lip so hard to stave off the need to cry. How could he not trust her?

Wulf’s stone face didn’t move a twitch. “I’m helping you, Mary Jane. One day, you’ll understand that.”

Her hard glare turned wide-eyed at the sound of a click. The sparkle in her brown eyes disappeared as she looked down to see her left wrist in handcuffs, followed by her right.

“Take these off,” Mary Jane ordered, jiggling her confined wrists. “I’m not under arrest!”

“Um, Wulf, that’s not something I would do, if I were you.” Glenn spoke so quietly that Wulf could barely hear him. “You did see how she murdered those twins.”

Ignoring the warning, Wulf said, “I regret to inform you, Mary Jane, that you indeed are under arrest for assault on a police officer.”

“Oh, I assaulted you! Well, I think we’re even, Wulf.” She struggled against his clutch.

“This entire town doesn’t make sense, MJ. I’m doing what’s best for you and taking you to a friend at the LAPD.”

“Los Angeles has no jurisdiction in Santo Cruces City, Arizona!” Mary Jane tried to turn to Glenn for help, but Wulf had yanked the front door open. “Wait, wait. Can’t I at least call that number to confirm if someone competent can prove who I am?”

“No,” he growled. He gripped her bicep firmly.

“Please, Dylan.” Her tone held a note of sincerity. They both knew she didn’t use his first name but it sounded so good coming out of her mouth.

“Listen, I know your scrawny ass listened when I spoke about the foster kid Gracie,” he said, his gaze connecting with her. “I didn’t save her, Mary Jane. I’m saving you.”

She bit her lip and murmured. “I think you did your best.”

“I didn’t. Before Gracie was even moved to group homes, she was coming and snitching to me. She had this foster mom that didn’t give a damn about her. They had cup-of-noodle soup and other crap for dinner all the time, and I even went to her social worker about it, but the worker didn’t care. Asked me if I wanted to begin the process of caring for her.”

Mary Jane’s lips trembled into a slight smile. However, they both knew how the story ended. She whispered, “Wulf, you tried, I know you did.”

“MJ, my meddling got her put into a group home. The more calls I made to the social worker, which in return had her contacting the foster mom, and then that damn lady lied on Gracie. Lied about Gracie trying to shock her. It was either me or a group home…I should’ve taken her in.”

“We can’t change the past,” Mary Jane whimpered. “Please, please, you’ve gotta let me figure out who I am. I keep thinking that I’m Anya, but . . . but the memories are too short, and almost like watching TV, not as if I’m invested in that life. So, Wulf, you have to let me know just who I am. It’s the most important thing to me in this entire world. Help me.”

Slowly, Wulf stepped back inside the lobby and decreased the pressure of her forearm. After a few more moments, he let her go.

“Thanks,” she said.

He looked away from her innocent gaze. Rubbing the back of his neck, Wulf nodded. He went to the continental breakfast stand and grabbed a package of instant coffee.

“Wulf, please take these off so I can make the call?” Mary Jane asked.

“No,” he replied, pouring the contents into a Styrofoam cup. At the sound of her deep sigh, he picked up the electric hot-water carafe.

Knowing that Wulf had caved just about as much as a stubborn man like him was willing to, Mary Jane let it go. With her wrists still confined, she found the piece of paper and Glenn went to grab the wireless phone from the lobby. She scanned the phone number and huffed. “No, this can’t be right.”

“What’s wrong?” Wulf asked.

The relief on his face made her want to cram the paper down his throat. But she gave an infuriating grumble instead. “There are only six numbers!”

“All right, let’s go.”

Mary Jane yanked her clasped wrists closer to her abdomen. “No, Wulf. You just want to illegally force me into rehab! I’m not….” A lump formed in her throat and her voice decreased an octave. “I am not a drug addict. If you’d just believe me…we…we had something last night, so I just don’t understand why you’d do this!”

“I’m saving you, MJ,” Wulf’s voice slammed into her chest. She could tell his patience was winding down to zero. “We are getting the fuck out of Arizona. My old partner, Jones, is going to look into this mess. We will collaborate with the proper authorities regarding the SCPD.”

Mary Jane stopped speaking.

“Glenn.” Wulf’s eyes stopped on him, and Glenn stood to attention. “Thank you for the use of your car. You’ve been an invaluable asset. I will be confiscating your Grand National, but I will have it sent back to you once we are in Los Angeles.”

Glenn’s bottom lip dropped. “No-no, you can’t take my car!”

“I can, and I am. Police business.”

“But, well…” Glenn began, disregarding Wulf squirming around to keep Mary Jane in check. “My mom’s car is in the lot. She never leaves, and she drives a Honda Accord.”

“Okay, harder to spot car, less gas,” Wulf agreed.

“This is ridiculous,” Mary Jane cut in. “There has to be roadblocks in every direction, and our mug shots will be all over the place.”

“I’ll think of something,” Wulf said.

The heat faded as the sun disappeared over the horizon. The sky transitioned from a lilac to a deep indigo as Mary Jane stretched her legs in the back seat of the Honda Accord. They’d been driving for about thirty minutes, and she felt Wulf’s gaze off and on. Her lips curved into a genuine smile as she remembered last night.

“Dylan, can’t I sit in the front seat with you?”

His eyes sparkled. “I detect a hint of manipulation. You use my first name for self-gain.”

Her eyes shaded slightly. She winked and in a seductive voice said, “C’mon, you love it when I say your first name. Let me out of these cuffs, and I’ll hum it like I did last night.”

“No, thanks.” He glanced through the rearview mirror, back at the road, and then at her again. The way her pink tongue slowly came out and licked her lips chipped at his rigid demeanor. “MJ, I’ll never forget you screaming out ‘Oh, Wulf’ all night long. That’s priceless. After we figure everything out, you and I can celebrate.”

Yeah, right, you already think I’m crazy.

“Hmmm, I didn’t say it like that, I said it like this.” She then said his name in a sultry voice.

His dark eyes melted her insides through the mirror. Every part of her body tingled with a primitive craving. Her initial plan was to play nice, then disappear at one of the truck stops along the way. She had to return to Santo Cruces City and put the pieces of the puzzle together. For her sanity.

“Can’t L.A. wait, Dylan?” She extended his name in a lengthy whisper. “It’s a very long ride.”

He continued to glance through the rearview mirror. Mary Jane unbuckled her seat belt. Who was she kidding, this one last fuck would hit it out of the ballpark for the two of them. Then she’d leave him before he could “save her” and send her on her way.

His deep voice seemed to be weakening with desire by the second. “MJ, your safety is important, please put—”

Bam!

The car had been T-boned from the passenger side. The impact sent them flipping over and over.