Tracy

I traveled light: one small purse, one lightweight wrap. I had to hustle to get to the bus stop near The Castle, but I made it.

The bus would take me a block away from the restaurant. I took a seat toward the front and looked back. The Castle was something else. I tried to sort out the day as the bus rumbled to the newer section of Port Az. The Watering Hole was the ‘in’ place to go right now if you wanted a fancy dinner.

The bus stopped twice to let more people on and off and in less than twenty minutes time we’d reached my stop. I was getting good at riding the bus. Take that, Uber!

I had three thousand dollars in the bank thanks to selling my car. I could take the bus all day long if it meant I was 3-grand closer to my goal of getting my parents out of hock.

It had been a strange day, navigating Maddox, Sarge, and the nasty day nurse. But I’d done it. I also thought about the rent I wasn’t paying and the gas I wasn’t pumping. This money would add up quickly, I hoped.

It was a good job. It was the right call. And honestly, I thought I could help Sarge and Olivia.

Sarge was clearly lonely, and needed care. He was weak and stubborn. I was certain he wasn’t going to be asking his son for help. I wouldn’t if I were him.

As for Maddox the Younger, I was rattled by his temper and his territorial behavior. I guess it wasn’t much different than a dog with a bone. On the surface, his bone was the den. He’d barked like mad when I’d invaded it.

I knew that wasn’t it though. It was tied to Olivia. They both were. She was suspended between life and death and so were the rest of the Maddox clan.

I didn’t think I could do a thing about Maddox the son, but Maddox the Father. Sarge? I could make sure he had nutrition, a nice home, and conversation. He was happy to talk to me; that was something.

Maddox the Son? I didn’t have a clue what to do there other than stay away. I thought about his piercing eyes. I could feel them on my skin when he looked at me, or through me. His emotions were raw and out of control. I suppose staying out of his den was my best bet. But since I was living in the house, I didn’t know if I could stay out of his way all the time.

I walked the two blocks to The Watering Hole to find Ted already at a table. He didn’t stand or offer to help me with my chair when I approached.

He seemed as gruff as the hermit biker I’d just run away from. And he did not seem happy to see me.

“You’re late.”

“I didn’t factor in the two stops,” I said and opened up the menu. I was rather hungry after a day of housework and cooking and emotional whack-a-mole.

“Why didn’t you just Uber?” Ted’s tone was clipped.

“Well, I’m trying to save.”

“Yeah, well, I left the campaign HQ early to meet you and I’ve been sitting here. You know it looks bad if I’m sitting alone.”

“I’m five minutes late. Not that big of a deal.”

“Look, appearances are a big deal in my world.”

“Ugh.”

I really didn’t want to fight with Ted.

“Don’t show your emotions to these people, please.” Ted was in a mood. Great. And all I’d done was be five minutes late.

“So, Ted. How was your day?”

I felt like changing the subject was the best play.

“Interesting. We’ve been invited by Congressman Disalle to go on a golf weekend. It’s in two weeks.”

“I just started my new job.”

“This is important. Disalle’s a friend of my parents; he knows the right people. He’s critical to my campaign.”

“Your local city council campaign?”

“It’s the big picture you’re missing here, Tracy.”

“Oh.”

I felt a ball of anxiety form in my stomach. The food, which I’d been very interested in shoving in my face, suddenly seemed disgusting. A golf weekend? I couldn’t afford that.

“You’ll look cute in the golf skirt and I’ll impress him with my swing. It will be fun.”

“I really think I can make a difference with this new job. It was so interesting today.”

“Also, there’s a charity thing next weekend. I got the tickets from a donor. We need to go to that and it’s formal.”

He wasn’t listening. At all.

My parents had made this impossible. Ted saw me as someone who wanted to do the fancy things, and could afford it. In reality, I’d just been happy that I had exact change for the bus that day!

I stopped trying to share anything I was thinking or feeling about my day with Ted. He wanted to talk events, donors, speeches, and plans. And my role in these included, wearing a skirt at golf, and getting a better dress then I had on tonight.

I liked supporting Ted, usually. Today, after the day I’d had? I wished it was a little less one-sided.

I nodded and smiled and picked at my bread. This had been a mistake, coming out to dinner. I probably should have made like Sarge and eaten some food on a tray in my room.

A couple of people came to the table and shook Ted’s hand. Ted didn’t introduce me and I didn’t care. I was ready to leave. I felt myself getting smaller and smaller in my chair.

“Ted. I’m done. Can you take me home?”

“What? We’re supposed to go for drinks with…” He mentioned some name I was supposed to recognize but didn’t.

“I’m tired.”

“Oh, look, that’s the manager of the ballpark. I think I need to go say hi.”

He stood up.

“Ted?” I was a little shorter and terser than I meant to be. He looked at me with confusion.

“What’s your problem?”

“I want to leave. I’m tired.”

“Well, just wait a few minutes I’ve got to go say hi.”

“Forget it.”

“Good.”

He hadn’t listened. He’d just waited for his turn to talk. There was a big difference.

Ted walked away from the table. He loved nothing more than to schmooze people and he’d planned a night of it for what I thought was going to be a nice dinner with my fiancé.

I was done, tired, over it. Ted would be better without me tonight anyway. I was going to be hard pressed to charm anyone.

I’d got here on my own and I’d leave on my own. I watched Ted shake hands, smile, and laugh. He was good, very good, at meeting and greeting people. His face looked like the kind of face that you get when you buy a picture frame. Perfectly perfect, never a hair out of place.

I was completely out of sorts and I knew it. It was best if I got air, got space, and got home to bed. Ted was happy talking to people and I was happy calming angry dogs. I shot him a text. I watched him read it distractedly. He looked over and gave me a quick nod. That was that.

I walked into the night air. It had gotten chillier and darker since I’d left work. I pulled the thin wrap around me and set out to the bus stop.

My thoughts turned from my day at The Castle to Ted.

I’d upended my life, just so my parents didn’t have to tell anyone that they’d over-promised to Ted and his family about how grandiose this wedding was going to be. And right now spending time with Ted was the last thing I wanted to do.

What was happening? How had I put myself in a place that had no resemblance to the life I wanted to live?

The thought chilled me inside just as the night air chilled my bare legs.

I sat down at the bus stop and waited.

I stayed in my head. Which was maybe why I only noticed the three men joining me at the bus stop way too late.

Two sat down, one on either side of me, and the third stood behind me. They invaded my space in a way that left no doubt that I was in danger.

All three had pulled ski masks over their faces. I’d gone from introspection and self-absorption to terror in a second.

“We’ll be taking that.”

The one on my right put an arm around me and hooked his fingers on my hip. I squirmed but had nowhere to go. I was boxed in.

The man on my left, the one who’d spoken, had meant he’d be taking my wedding ring. I pulled back as best as I could but that meant moving into the guy on my right.

I wasn’t stupid. I knew that a ring wasn’t worth my life, but still! It was mine, damn it! Plus, if I gave them the ring, would they actually let me go?

I needed to run. Fast. The ring would be the beginning of something way worse. I suddenly knew that in every fiber of my being. The man behind me put his hands on my neck and ran a finger up to my halter strap. This is not happening.

I was pretty much a sitting duck here, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight. The bus wasn’t due for at least five minutes, if it was on schedule. And I couldn’t bet on anyone else walking by.

I considered my options. If I screamed, would anyone call 911? I had no idea. I decided to go along with them and make this seem easy.

“Don’t hurt me. I’ll do whatever you want,” I said.

“Oh, we know you will,” growled the man on my right. He’d released his hand from around my waist. I wasn’t going to wait to find out where he planned to put it next. Screw these assholes. That was my chance.

I bolted up. Up and out. That’s all I could think. My unexpected explosive sprint out of their grip was an advantage at least. I ran as fast as I could into the street. There were no cars. Damn it! No traffic to wave down at all. I kept running, sprinting, as fast as I could. And I was fast. That I knew, thanks to high school track.

I cursed my heels but pumped my legs as fast as I could, and I didn’t look to see if they were going to try to keep up. I booked it like a rocket.

Then up ahead, there was a blinding light. It came from out of the ally. It was a huge headlight aimed right at me.

I chanced a look behind me. The three men were catching up. I’d only put a few yards between us. And now their friend on a bike was there to intercept my path! They’d succeeded in cutting me off in all directions.

The bike screeched to a stop in front of me and I stopped running. I had no way to go, left or right. It was either back to the three stooges or this.

Then a voice I recognized said, “Get on. Now.”

A huge hand reached out to me. Oh my God. He wasn’t with them? This man on the bike. Maddox. I didn’t have time to think, my instincts were to get the hell away from the men chasing me. It felt like a ‘better the devil you know’ kind of choice. Though I didn’t really know Maddox, and he’d bit my head off today, it was still the best option. So I took it.

I grabbed Maddox’s hand. I had no idea how he did it, but he scooped me up and plopped me down in front of him. I was cradled between Maddox’s massive leather encased chest and the handlebars of the bike he rode that impossibly matched his size.

“Hold on to me.”

I did as he said, my head buried in his chest and my arms holding as tight as I could to his jacket. He revved the engine and pointed his bike straight towards my three pursuers.

I realized what he planned. Holy crap! He planned to mow the three men down! Right here in the street. The roar of the engine filled my ears and I squeezed my eyes shut. Holding on tight seemed the only way to survive what was sure to be some sort of awful crash.

It was shaping up to be a deadly as hell game of chicken.

Instead of the crash that I had braced for, we picked up speed. Nothing impeded Maddox and his bike.

I ventured a peek over his shoulder. The three men in ski masks had scattered when they saw Maddox and his massive bike barreling toward them.

He’d blown past them all and kept going.

I put my head back down again on his chest. His body was warm and solid. It was like a wall that had protected me from, well … whatever might have happened if the men had caught up with me.

We rode that way for a few minutes. The bike was too loud for normal conversation and the situation was too weird for normal anything. I felt weightless, like there was no gravity; being cradled in Maddox’s arms and speeding along on his bike almost felt like flying. The bike sliced through the night and away from whatever fate had threatened me at the bus stop.

When we were well out of reach of the three men, I felt Maddox slow down. I ventured a look up again and saw that we were at the Port Azreal Police Station.

Maddox parked his bike and killed the engine. I felt strange … shy. At the same time I didn’t quite want to move from this spot that had, surprisingly, become my shelter.

“Miss Plumb, uh, Tracy, are you okay?” Maddox said.

I saw his eyes scan me. He had a look I hadn’t seen before. If I were going to put a name to it, I would say his eyes were filled with intense worry. They were on me, but there was also something else going on behind them. His eyes, they were hazel with a hint of green. I hadn’t noticed that before.

I had to think for a moment. Was I okay? What had just happened?

“I’m okay. Yes. I’m okay. They didn’t hurt me.”

I was telling Maddox and myself at the same time. I’m okay.

“You’re fast as hell,” Maddox said and he cracked a smile. He smiled. I must have hit my head or something because a smile from Maddox had seemed impossible earlier. We were slowly separating. My body had been molded to his as we rode but now some sense of time and place was returning.

“I used to run track.”

My voice sounded weird to me. I stiffened and realized my skirt was dangerously high. Maddox also pulled back.

“Can you stand up?”

I wondered that myself.

“Yes.”

And as swiftly as he’d swept me up, he got us both off his bike. He lifted me in his arms and then placed me on my feet like I weighed nothing. I suppose a height difference of more than a foot made that possible, but still I never got the impression that Ted, or anyone else, could literally pick me up and carry me.

“We’re going into the station.”

I nodded. I was alright. And I wasn’t. Something had shifted the axis of my universe. There was a difference in me, in my perception. Was this shock? I knew I was fine, yet things were off. I was off.

Maddox took my elbow and turned me in the direction of the front door to the police station. I’d never been in the Port Azreal Police building.

I’d never been on a motorcycle.

I’d never seen eyes the color of Maddox’s.

And I’d never been in arms as strong.