Page 7 of Tandem

I took a few steps into the building before I made myself known to her, speaking lower than usual to throw off my voice.

CHAPTER 6

ROSALIE

“Oh, nice.Verynice.”His voice hit me like an avalanche from the suddenness of it. The way he spoke was like that of a thunderstorm, sharp and direct, followed by a smooth deepness like thunder. The very tone of it washed over me, setting every nerve of my skin on edge, even ones I didn’t know existed. I turned quickly to see where the voice had come from and what I saw made a part of me wonder what his voice would sound like pouring over my entire body.

He walked into the garage, wearing black joggers and black Air Force Ones, his chest covered with a dark gray sleeveless hoodie, and for a moment, I wondered what crazy person wore a hoodie when it was so hot out. But only for a moment as his fingers trailed over the car nearest the garage entrance. He walked over to the door of Dad’s favorite lowrider at the front of the garage and opened it, sliding into the seat and running his fingerless gloved hands back and forth on the steering wheel.

What the actual hell?! He would not get away with walking in here like he owned the place and touching my dad’s cars like he owned them! “Excuse me! You need to leave, now!” I shouted at him, and knew right then that it was a mistake. He froze, his hands on the wheel, and got out, slamming the door of the carbefore turning toward me. Hands clenched in tight fists at his sides, the muscles rippling in his arms with each stride he made.

As he walked, my entire body screamed‘this man is dangerous’. He strode in, stride confident and unyielding. The upper half of his face peeking from behind a ball cap and black mask, his eyes sweeping the entirety of the garage and then my breath caught in my throat when those eyes, dark and penetrating as the deepest parts of the night sky, came to an abrupt halt on me standing by my Viper. They got narrow in how a predator looked at prey they had cornered, cunning and smug, knowing there was no escape for the defenseless animal they were about to devour.

He ate up the space between us with three long strides and my entire body tensed as he entered my airspace. His face was inches from mine, and my nose filled with the smell of his cheap cologne, which had hints of dark spices and a musk people only get from working out. I tried to take a step backward and my back hit the side of my car, as his arms flew out on either side of me, his hands gripping the edge of where my car door and roof met. He leaned in closer, so close I could feel his breath through his mask. The black half mask made him all the more menacing, his eyes were such a dark amber that they almost glowed like embers smoldering in a fire. If I hadn’t been so scared out of my freaking mind, I could have made an entire paint color scheme based on their beauty.

“You know what? I don’t think I will. I think…” His low voice left me shaking against the car with each word, and his eyes did another quick sweep of the garage. “I think I’m going to go through each and every car in this garage. Then, when I find the one I want the most, I will leave. In it.” His voice was direct, and there was no doubt in my mind he thought that was exactly what he would do. “So why don’t you be a good girl?” He let go of my car with his right hand, leaning his hard body against mine, andbrought his knuckles against my cheek, stroking it. “And tell me where you keep the keys to these beautiful cars.”

I pulled my face away from his touch as much as I could, almost out of flight instinct. Without meaning to, my eyes flung toward the key lockbox mounted on the wall at the end of the garage. I quickly turned back to look at him, hoping he hadn’t noticed, but I saw his gaze meet with mine again and knew he had.

My heart could have pounded straight out of my chest as he roughly pulled me off of my car, knocking my wallet and phone out of my hands. I completely forgot I was holding them. They clattered to the ground as he pushed me toward the center of the garage. I stumbled slightly but caught myself and tried to stand as tall as I could as I faced him. Was that amusement in his face now? I felt a little bravery swell inside of me, so I used it.

“Please justleavebefore I have to call the cops!” I shouted at him. Instantly after I said it, I knew it was a bad move. He chuckled low in his chest and my heart stopped for a moment. Then he advanced on me as I walked backward toward the back of the garage, and my body hit the counter where Dad kept some tools and various car stuff.

He was pressed against me in an instant, his hand grabbing my chin roughly and forcing me to peer up at him. “Girl. Unlock that fancy lockbox now, before things get rough for you.” He was smirking at me. I could tell by the way his eyes crinkled in the far corners, but his tone was anything but smiling. If words could kill, I would have dropped dead on the spot, and I had no doubt he meant exactly what he said.

Out of instinct, my hand came up and shoved his, which was clasping my face hard, dislodging his grip. “D-don’t touch me!” My voice was higher as panic set in. He was strong. I think I only broke his hold because he wasn't expecting it.

His other hand had already been on my shoulder, gripping tighter, and I winced as his fingertips dug into my soft skin under my clothes. I whimpered as I heard his voice growl out, “I’m not going to ask nice again. Unlock it. Now.”

My hands rested tensely on the counter behind me, and I felt the coolness of metal—the head of a hammer. I thought about trying to use it to fight him for a split second. But I knew Dad and Mom had told Jayden and me once that if someone was trying to steal our wallets, phones, or cars, just give in to them because our things could be replaced, but we couldn't.

His gaze was so intense that my bottom lip started to quiver as I felt tears build up in the corners of my eyes. I squeeze them shut. “Please, pleaaaase. Just leave me alone and go.” I whimpered as I opened my eyes to look up at him, tears falling down my cheeks and dripping to the floor. I closed my eyes again, my body shaking from fear.

He exhaled slowly, annoyed. “As soon as you unlock the key box, I’ll be outta here.” He spoke so calmly as if this whole interaction wasn’t more than an inconvenient conversation on his way to work. I looked back over at the key box.

“I’m sorry, Dad…” I whispered, barely loud enough for myself to hear. I spoke a little louder: “I can’t reach the key for it facing you here.” I kept my eyes focused on my feet, blinking fast through the tears.

His hand relaxed on my shoulder, and suddenly, I was being spun around to face the counter. His body pressed a little more into me as his hand roamed from my shoulder down my arm slowly. I shivered, the feeling leaving me tense. “Then grab it now. I’ll move with you. Try anything, and let’s just say you’re gonna wish you didn’t.” His voice against the side of my face next to my ear made me swallow hard as I reached a shaky hand out and opened a small drawer, digging inside for a second, I pulled out the lockbox key.

He gripped the side of my arm, and his other hand went to my hip and walked me over to the key box. “What? You didn’t think I wouldn’t notice it’s got a hand scanner? Put the key in and open it.” His grip flexed on my body and I took a shaky breath. Reaching up, I put the key in. While regretting every second, I placed my palm on the pad, and the key box opened.

“Good girl.” His voice took on a praising element, and my heart skipped in a different way as I relaxed in his hold. But then I was brought back to reality when the hand on my shoulder reached past me and started to slowly flip through the keys until it landed on Dad’s lowrider key. He rolled his thumb over it before picking it off its key ring.

He took a step back and I felt his grip on my hip disappear. I listened as his footsteps started to sound farther and farther away, and I turned, watching him walk slowly through the garage, flipping the key back and forth on his finger. And before I knew it, my feet were moving. I ran over to him as he got to the front of the car and wrapped my arms around his. “P-please don’t!” I cried out as I gripped on tight.

I felt his eyes on me again, so I turned my head up to meet his. “P-please, not this car… I-it’s his favorite,” I stuttered out, pleading inside that this man had some sympathy for me and would listen. Dad had already been through so much today, so I couldn’t stand by and not try to prevent his favorite car from being stolen.

Of course, I wasn’t that lucky. He yanked his arm from my grasp easily and kept moving. I tried to stop him again. Only when I did, he moved so fast that I was knocked off my feet. Then, as he pushed me away from him, I fell against the bumper of the car next to us and slid to the floor. Rubbing my back where I had hit the car. As a tinge of pain surged from the spot, I whimpered at the tenderness.

“Stay down before you get hurt.” He growled, glaring down at me. His eyes seemed almost black now. I pulled my legs into my chest and leaned as far back from him as I could against the car.

He got into the car and slammed the door shut on Dad’s perfect Chevy Impala. The ignition made the engine roar to life, and he pulled slowly out of the garage and down the drive, out of my sight.

I sobbed, hard. My shoulders shook as I sat on the cold, hard floor, tucking my knees up under my chin and wrapping my arms around them. What was I going to do? It was all my fault. I couldn’t stop him, and now Dad’s car he’s had forever, his first lowrider he built, was gone, and it was… All. My. Fault.

I sniffed hard, bringing my hand up. I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear my tears enough to see where my phone had fallen. I had to call him. I didn’t know what else to do. I pushed myself to my feet. My legs felt so shaky from the adrenaline rush leaving my body, and I walked over slowly, bending down to pick up my things. I pulled up Dad’s number on my phone and pressed the call button. Trying to take slow, deep breaths to calm down. "Hey, hun! Did you forget something?" Dad’s voice cheerfully rang out on the other side of the line. My heart broke. I was about to completely take away any happiness we had rebuilt on this day after the break-in at his customs.

“D-Dad.” My voice cracked at the very first word, and I could hear Dad’s response full of worry.