Page 9 of Midnight Auto Parts
The slow blink from Kierce proved the thought had never crossed his mind.
“She’s a wild animal.” I leapt to his defense a beat too late. “Wild animals are, well,wild.”
“Wild animals don’t know what facial recognition is, let alone pitch tantrums when their screen time has limits.” She rolled her eyes. “They do, however, know suckers when they spot them.”
“Well.” I made the word bright. “We’ll just leave the finding of missing motorists to the professionals.”
“Huh.” Her forehead arrowed into a tight vee. “You’re going to allow a loaner on the loose?”
A twinge of guilt hiked my shoulders up around my ears, but I refused to get sucked in again.
“You’re already investigating,” I reasoned, smile flashing, “and I’m confident in your abilities.”
“You’re afraid Harrow is going to show, huh?” She popped a cheddar puff in her mouth, the bag crinkling in her hand, further stumping me on how she managed to hide them all over her person without the rustling noises giving them away. “I hear you didn’t visit him in the hospital.”
The twinge became more of a full-on twang of regret. “Yeah, well, I heard he kidnapped my brother.”
Silver gleamed in Kierce’s eyes as they settled on her. “Do you want Frankie and Harrow to hold hands?”
Happy to play with fire, she crunched another puff. “What would you do if I said yes?”
Static crackling across his skin, he growled, “Frankie is free to make her own choices.”
A flash, so faint I might have imagined it, illuminated a distant cloud in the bright sky.
“Carter,” I warned, uncertain if a redcap could survive a direct hit from a lightning bolt.
“Why do folks saydon’t poke the bear?” She jabbed the air near Kierce with her finger. “It’s fun.”
“Carter wants us to be one big, happy family,” I explained as shocks zinged up the arm closest to Kierce.
Harrow did what he did for valid reasons. How he went about it? That was bass-ackward.
As long as I had known him, I had one rule:Do unto my family, and you better believe I’ll do unto you.
From my perspective, he was lucky I called us even for old time’s sake after cutting him out of my life.
A wicked glint in her eyes, she asked me, “Would it kill you to kiss and make up with him?”
Lightning arced overhead, drawing closer, as Kierce absorbed this. “Kiss Harrow?”
“You’ve spent way too much time around Josie.” I turned my back on her, fisted his tee, and tugged on it to get his attention. “She doesn’t mean it. She knows that I’m with you.”
As his arms slid around my waist, his gaze devoured my lips. “I haven’t even kissed you yet.”
“From the mouths of babes,” Carter whooped with devilish glee. “Iknewit.”
“We’re leaving.” Flames engulfing my cheeks, I broke away from Kierce. “See you later, Carter.”
To keep Josie from getting nosy, I texted her an update and warned her about the other missing persons in the area.
After we reached the wagon, Kierce caught me by the wrist. “I didn’t want to push you.”
“It’s fine.” I ignored the cackling redcap while unlocking his door. “Carter is just a pot stirrer.”
How had I not seen it sooner? She and Josie were a match made in Heaven. Or Hell. No. Definitely Hell.
“What if it’s not fine?” His warm fingers glided across my stinging nape, twisting my hair around his fist. “What if…sometimes…I want to punish those who upset you?”