“I can assure you, I’m not going anywhere,” I say, but Fred grabs my hands and forces them around his body, then he cups my hands until he forces them to interlock in the most intimate hug I have ever had with a complete stranger.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a more awkward positionin my lifethan at this moment when I’m both spooning and tightly holding on to a man who eats raccoon jerky and probably just got done burying a body in the backyard.
“I have to say, you two make a pretty cute couple,” Fred says.
“We’re not a couple,” I respond because even if Tavish is handsome and has a nice laugh, I can’t yet look past everythingwe’ve been through together. “I’ve known this man a grand total of twenty-four hours.” Twenty-four hours where I’ve been abducted, ridiculed, chased, nearly murdered, tortured, and thrown out of a plane.
“My wife and I got married within two hours of meeting each other, so it’s not the hours you spend together, it’s the way your hearts mesh and mold. And I can tell that the two of you… your hearts are meshing with vigor.”
“Yeah well, did she try to abduct you and tape you up and claim you’re a serial killer?”
“Fucking hell, if she had, I think I might have fallen in love even quicker!” And then Fred takes off so fast that Tavish is snapped back because he wasn’t holding on to me in the intimate way I’m holding on to Fred. I turn my head in time to watch him flip off the back into the driveway.
“I really feel like I told you to hang on,” Fred says as he skids to a stop, kicking up stone and gravel. I have a death grip on the man as I realize that maybe being the sausageisideal. “Do you need Ellen to be the bun? This man knows how to hang on. He’s got a nice, firm grip on me.”
Tavish brushes himself off before climbing back on all cool like. I… honestly think he’s a little embarrassed but is refusing to let it show on his face.
“I’m a damn good bun,” Tavish says as he grabs on to me.
I didn’t think I could have less room than I already had until Tavish got up in there… likereallygot up in there. Now I realize how foolish of a mistake that was. If there’s life left in me by the time we get where we’re going, I’m going to be surprised.
Fred flies down the road and this time, Tavish stays on, probably due to the way he’s holding me in a crushing hug. Even with all of these distractions, my mind is racing the entire ride. What if my mom and sister didn’t get ahold of someone fast enough? Did Mom realize how dire the situation is? Did she justgo to the police to wait? What the fuck was Dad up to? Is he even still alive? While I know my sister, Sienna, still holds out some hope for him, I resigned myself to the fact that he died years ago… because why else would he have just disappeared like that?
After about ten minutes, Fred slows down as a car approaches us. The car also slows and the window rolls down before the woman inside whistles.
“Sexy babe, you look like you’re having fun and leaving me out,” she says. “I might be a tad bit jealous over here that I didn’t get to watch.”
“I have to take Radish and Elenor here to the gas station and then I’ll be home.”
“I can’t wait,” she says before blowing him a kiss. “You boys don’t titillate him too much. Leave some of him for me.”
And then she’s gone.
It takes me a full minute before I realize what just happened.
“That was your wife?” I ask.
“Ain’t she the most beautiful woman you’ve ever laid your eyes on?”
“And she had a car?”
“She sure does. I get what you’re getting at, but I might be a bit jealous if you were sitting this close to my wife.”
“You clearly don’t get what I was getting at! We could have gotten into that car instead of continuing on with this weird man sandwich thing we have going on here! And we have gonewayfarther than a couple of miles!” I realize before sighing. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me when you’re taking time out of your day to drive us to the gas station. I really appreciate you helping us so much. I think I’m just tired and being dramatic.”
Fred just laughs and drives on, not at all considering calling his wife to save us from the most uncomfortable ride of my life.
“Just be glad you’re not in a vehicle with Leland,” Tavish says. “This is paradise compared to that.”
“I have to assume that’s because you’re the bun and not the sausage,” I grumble.
Tavish has the Lyft driver drop us off a block from where we want to go for some reason… which makes me feel like we’re doing something illegal.
“You sure we shouldn’t go to the police?” I ask.
“Do you want answers or do you want the police to get to it when they have time?” he responds. “And really, the police aren’t going to deal with this shit. If you’re being helped by protective services and shit’s as dicey as it’s looking, it’ll go higher up, but at the same time… is it really worth wasting resources on? I mean, they never did find your father; you think they’re going to do much now?”
“Yeah? I really hope my family is worth wasting resources on. My father was a detective… wouldn’t they try even harder having known him?” I mutter as we head through a busted gate where someone jumps out in a ski mask.
