Any of the three cars, but especially the Audi or the BMW, would be a much better choice. But the bike … it spoke to her, and she wanted it.
She licked her lips, trying to talk herself out of doing something stupid. Finally, her lips pursed in annoyance, she levered the bike off its side stand and began to push it toward the big roll up door.
“Going somewhere?” a deep voice asked behind her.
The voice grabbed her attention, but not as much as the sound of a gun being cocked did. Closing her eyes, Tina slowly lowered the bike back onto its stand and raised her hands to ear level.
“First smart thing you have done tonight,” the voice said.
“Are you going to kill me?” Tina squeaked out. She had been in some tight spots before, but never this tight.
“Sister, the only reason you aren’t dead already is because I don’t want to have to clean up the mess,” the man said, his voice cold enough to freeze water. When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “What are you doing in here, besides the obvious?”
Tina swallowed hard. “I just needed a place to sleep, and something to eat, so…”
“So you aren’t trying to steal my hog?” he interrupted, his disbelief clear in his tone.
“No. I broke in, and ate some stuff out of the ‘fridge. And I was going to sleep on the couch. But…”
“But what?”
“But … never mind,” she said as she sagged against the Harley. She was beaten and she knew it. “Just shoot me, or call the cops, or do whatever it is you’re going to do. I just don’t care anymore.”
There was a long pause. Then the voice said, “Turn around.”
Tina turned and faced a man dressed only in a pair of denim jeans and nothing else. Tall, at least 6’2”, and finely muscled with dark hair, the man had a roguish handsomeness about him. At the moment, he looked sleep tossed and pissed, but she was just too tired to notice more. In three more hours, she would have been up for twenty-four hours straight, not to mentioned stressed out for the last nine.
“Can’t shoot me in the back and claim you felt threatened, is that it?” Tina asked.
“If all you wanted was food, why were you pushing the bike?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got all night.”
Tina sighed. “I’m on parole after pulling a year for B&E. Some chick was hassling me tonight and I punched her out. What I didn’t know at the time was her daddy was a deputy sheriff. Anyway, I stole a car, and … well … here I am. I don’t have any money, and I’ve been up since six this morning. I’m trying to get to Texas, trying to start my life over again. I just needed a place to sleep and something to eat. I ate all the hotdogs in your fridge. I was going to sleep on the couch and leave in the morning.”
“And the bike?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it belonged to you. I thought this place was a breaker and the bike was already stolen. I just needed some wheels.”
“You expect me to believe that if you knew the bike belonged to someone, you wouldn’t have stolen it?”
“No, I guess not. You have no reason to believe me.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Tina asked, afraid to know the answer as the man took her by the shoulder and pushed her along.
“We’re going to check out your story.” He steered her into the lounge and walked her past the trash. On top was an empty hotdog package. “You came in through that window?” he asked in surprise as he eyed the opening. The window is so narrow, he wouldn’t have thought anyone other than a kid could squeeze through it.
“Yeah. It was a tight squeeze, but I have been in tighter.”
“What’s your name?”
“Tina.”
“Okay, Tina. Where are you from?”
“Here. New Mexico. I was living in Santa Fe. I worked at the Honda dealer washing cars.”
“You had
She licked her lips, trying to talk herself out of doing something stupid. Finally, her lips pursed in annoyance, she levered the bike off its side stand and began to push it toward the big roll up door.
“Going somewhere?” a deep voice asked behind her.
The voice grabbed her attention, but not as much as the sound of a gun being cocked did. Closing her eyes, Tina slowly lowered the bike back onto its stand and raised her hands to ear level.
“First smart thing you have done tonight,” the voice said.
“Are you going to kill me?” Tina squeaked out. She had been in some tight spots before, but never this tight.
“Sister, the only reason you aren’t dead already is because I don’t want to have to clean up the mess,” the man said, his voice cold enough to freeze water. When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “What are you doing in here, besides the obvious?”
Tina swallowed hard. “I just needed a place to sleep, and something to eat, so…”
“So you aren’t trying to steal my hog?” he interrupted, his disbelief clear in his tone.
“No. I broke in, and ate some stuff out of the ‘fridge. And I was going to sleep on the couch. But…”
“But what?”
“But … never mind,” she said as she sagged against the Harley. She was beaten and she knew it. “Just shoot me, or call the cops, or do whatever it is you’re going to do. I just don’t care anymore.”
There was a long pause. Then the voice said, “Turn around.”
Tina turned and faced a man dressed only in a pair of denim jeans and nothing else. Tall, at least 6’2”, and finely muscled with dark hair, the man had a roguish handsomeness about him. At the moment, he looked sleep tossed and pissed, but she was just too tired to notice more. In three more hours, she would have been up for twenty-four hours straight, not to mentioned stressed out for the last nine.
“Can’t shoot me in the back and claim you felt threatened, is that it?” Tina asked.
“If all you wanted was food, why were you pushing the bike?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got all night.”
Tina sighed. “I’m on parole after pulling a year for B&E. Some chick was hassling me tonight and I punched her out. What I didn’t know at the time was her daddy was a deputy sheriff. Anyway, I stole a car, and … well … here I am. I don’t have any money, and I’ve been up since six this morning. I’m trying to get to Texas, trying to start my life over again. I just needed a place to sleep and something to eat. I ate all the hotdogs in your fridge. I was going to sleep on the couch and leave in the morning.”
“And the bike?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it belonged to you. I thought this place was a breaker and the bike was already stolen. I just needed some wheels.”
“You expect me to believe that if you knew the bike belonged to someone, you wouldn’t have stolen it?”
“No, I guess not. You have no reason to believe me.”
He stared at her for a moment. “Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” Tina asked, afraid to know the answer as the man took her by the shoulder and pushed her along.
“We’re going to check out your story.” He steered her into the lounge and walked her past the trash. On top was an empty hotdog package. “You came in through that window?” he asked in surprise as he eyed the opening. The window is so narrow, he wouldn’t have thought anyone other than a kid could squeeze through it.
“Yeah. It was a tight squeeze, but I have been in tighter.”
“What’s your name?”
“Tina.”
“Okay, Tina. Where are you from?”
“Here. New Mexico. I was living in Santa Fe. I worked at the Honda dealer washing cars.”
“You had
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