We were going fast, well above the speed limit. Houses and mailboxes passed in a blur as he navigated the nearly empty streets.
His dark tousled hair framed his chiseled face as he watched the road. He had one hand draped loosely over the steering wheel and the elbow of his other arm resting on the center console.
"So," he said, giving me a sideways glance, "this wasn't exactly the beating I expected."
On the phone, I'd given him only the briefest of details, telling him I needed a ride, and I needed a distraction. I hadn't lied then, and I wasn't going to lie now.
Whether we were together or not, I was done with secrets, and done with surprises. Besides, this thing would go a whole lot better if he knew up front what he was getting into.
"Trust me," I said, "by the end of the day, you'll be wishing for the other kind."
"I don't care. I'm just glad you called."
"Oh, that's what you say now," I said.
"Ask me later," he said. "I'll say the same thing."
I still couldn't believe I'd caught him at home. "You didn't have plans today?" It was a holiday, after all.
He shrugged. "I had invitations. None I wanted."
"Yeah," I said. "I know the feeling."
Given the choice between having someone handcuff me in a basement or spending a single holiday Loretta-style, it was no contest.
I'd take the basement.
I leaned back and closed my eyes, feeling the vibration of the seat course through me. Oh, Lawton would regret this, alright. Maybe he didn't think so now, but he would. A couple hours with Loretta, and he'd be begging for a nice crowbar to the face.
Chapter 56
"For someone who's about to put me through the ringer," he said over the engine's roar, "you don't look too happy."
I opened my eyes and stole another glance in his direction. "That's because I can't just send you in my place."
Still holding the salad, I fumbled for my cell phone to check the time. "We've got ten minutes," I said. The next road sign passed in a blur. If we'd been going the speed limit, we'd be at least fifteen minutes away. I didn't need to look at the speedometer to know we were going quite a bit faster than that.
"Oh c'mon," Lawton said. "What are they gonna do? Lock the doors?"
"You don't think they wouldn’t?" I tried to keep my tone light, but somehow missed the mark. "You poor, misguided fool."
I leaned down to shove the cell phone back in my purse, and before I knew what was happening, the salad toppled off my lap. The clear wrapping came loose and half of the lettuce spilled onto my shoes.
"Oh my God," I said. "Stop the car! No. Wait. Keep going." Desperately, I righted the bowl. With the lost lettuce, the salad looked way too small. This was bad. Maybe if fluffed it up or something–"
I glanced over at Lawton. His gaze shifted briefly in my direction. His brow wrinkled.
And then it hit me how rude I was being. "Oh jeez, sorry about your floor mat," I said. I pushed a hand through my hair. "I guess I should've apologized first, huh?"
"Don't worry about it," he said. "It's just lettuce. No big deal."
"Yeah, I guess," I said in a distracted tone. "Good thing it wasn't soup, huh?"
"Salad, soup, whatever, it all cleans up." He turned briefly to look at me, and his tone grew serious. "Baby, what's wrong?"
I glanced down at the salad. I shook my head. "It's too small." I reached up to rub my forehead. "This is bad. What am I gonna do?"
"Chloe," he said in a low, soothing voice, "it's just a salad."
