Serial Story: Jasmine Betrayal, Part 6
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format every Friday right here on the blog for free. When the story is
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 6
Max considered himself lucky for two reasons. First, Genevieve had pulled her foot back for a brief second as he’d gotten in the truck, rather than ramming her foot to the floor, which probably would have sent him spinning into the field next to the hotel. Whether she was just startled, or being charitable, he appreciated not being dead.
Second, she hadn’t stopped the truck and ordered him out yet. Not that it would do her any good, but maybe she wasn’t as keen on leaving him behind as she’d like him to believe.
Maybe she was starting to trust him.
“How do I get back to the city?” she asked, her drawl more pronounced than it had been the night before. He’d always been a sucker for a woman with an accent.
“Little Rock? Southeast from here about twenty miles. But I’d really advise going the other way, if I were you. We could be in Oklahoma City by early afternoon, which would be a better place to lay low and call that lawyer.”
Genevieve shook her head, pony tail swishing side to side. She looked like she had something to say, but hesitated a long moment as she followed green signs to the highway and merged south onto Interstate 40.
“I have a place in Little Rock,” she finally said. “Not under my name. Everything’s there - the books, the title, everything I need to prove the diner’s mine.”
Max nodded. “And you didn’t tell me this last night because?”
“You wanted me to lock myself in a freezer, and then basically kidnapped me while men were crawling all over my property with guns, supposedly trying to kill me. Why, exactly, would I trust anyone in that situation?”
She had a point.
“So why tell me now?” he asked.
She glanced at him and then looked back at the road, her expression guarded. Weary.
“You said my father saved your life. If that’s true, he must have trusted you.”
Max nodded. “Pete was a good man. Always believed the best of people.”
He could see her watching him from the corner of her eye, and he knew what she wanted. He couldn’t give it to her though. Not until he knew she was safe. No way would she stick around, much less let him help if she knew her father’s heart attack hadn’t just happened naturally.
And that Max had been there the day it happened.
“You’re gonna have to tell me sometime,” she said on a sigh. “Whatever it is, I can take it.”
Max studied the long, bare line of her neck as she tilted her head side to side, stretching. His fingers itched to explore that delicate column. More so knowing he’d probably never get the chance.
“I will,” he said, forcing himself to look away. “After this is over, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Why not now?” She exited into the city and he surveyed the unfamiliar buildings as they went by. He hadn’t exactly been conscious the last time he’d been in the city, and when he’d come to, it had been in Pete’s trailer behind the diner.
“Because we need to focus on what’s important right now, and that’s making sure you stay alive.” He felt a prickle at the back of his neck, and checked the side mirror as Genevieve made another turn.
“How close are we to your apartment?” he asked, noting a silver sedan making the same turn a few seconds after them.
“A block and a half or so. Why?”
“Turn left at the next corner, then right after that. I think we’re being followed.”
She did as he requested, the silver car just a couple of cars behind them the whole way.
“I see it,” she said, tension in her voice. “What do you want me to do?”
In any other context, Max would have enjoyed hearing that from her lips. He forced himself to focus.
“Look for a restaurant or shop, and park in front. We’ll have better luck losing them on foot, I think. Was there anything at the diner that could connect you to your apartment here? Anything at all?”
She shook her head, pulling into a parking space in front of a clothing shop. Cutting the engine, she reached for the door.
“Hang on a second,” Max said, watching the sedan pick a spot farther down the street. “Which way are we going?”
She pointed towards the window in the passenger door. “It’s two blocks back that way and another block to the right after that.”
Four men got out of the sedan and split up, two on one side of the street, two on the other. Max motioned for Genevieve to slide across the seat.
“Come this way. Be ready to run.” He slid out of the truck and held the door as she followed. Grabbing her hand, he held tight as he walked briskly toward the sidewalk with her in tow.
“I can walk by myself,” she hissed, though she didn’t fight his grip. He rubbed his thumb against hers, keeping a brisk but casual pace down the sidewalk. Their tails seemed content to follow at the moment, which is exactly what he’d hoped for.
“I know you can,” he said, stopping for a moment to look in a store window. “But this makes us look like a couple.” He raised their joined hands and met her confused stare, placing a light kiss on hers. She shuddered, her eyes going wide as he let their hands drop between them and started walking again. Just up ahead, he spied the hotel awning they’d passed earlier.
“Why would that matter?” she asked, trying to reclaim her hand. “These guys know who we are, so I don’t get--”
Max stopped under the awning, pulled her close and snaked an arm around her waist. Leaning down, he captured her surprised mouth in no-holds-barred kiss, male pride surging as she melted in his embrace.
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
format every Friday right here on the blog for free. When the story is
done, it will be edited, polished and available for sale at all your
favorite online retailers.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 |
Jasmine Betrayal
Part 6
Max considered himself lucky for two reasons. First, Genevieve had pulled her foot back for a brief second as he’d gotten in the truck, rather than ramming her foot to the floor, which probably would have sent him spinning into the field next to the hotel. Whether she was just startled, or being charitable, he appreciated not being dead.
Second, she hadn’t stopped the truck and ordered him out yet. Not that it would do her any good, but maybe she wasn’t as keen on leaving him behind as she’d like him to believe.
Maybe she was starting to trust him.
“How do I get back to the city?” she asked, her drawl more pronounced than it had been the night before. He’d always been a sucker for a woman with an accent.
“Little Rock? Southeast from here about twenty miles. But I’d really advise going the other way, if I were you. We could be in Oklahoma City by early afternoon, which would be a better place to lay low and call that lawyer.”
Genevieve shook her head, pony tail swishing side to side. She looked like she had something to say, but hesitated a long moment as she followed green signs to the highway and merged south onto Interstate 40.
“I have a place in Little Rock,” she finally said. “Not under my name. Everything’s there - the books, the title, everything I need to prove the diner’s mine.”
Max nodded. “And you didn’t tell me this last night because?”
“You wanted me to lock myself in a freezer, and then basically kidnapped me while men were crawling all over my property with guns, supposedly trying to kill me. Why, exactly, would I trust anyone in that situation?”
She had a point.
“So why tell me now?” he asked.
She glanced at him and then looked back at the road, her expression guarded. Weary.
“You said my father saved your life. If that’s true, he must have trusted you.”
Max nodded. “Pete was a good man. Always believed the best of people.”
He could see her watching him from the corner of her eye, and he knew what she wanted. He couldn’t give it to her though. Not until he knew she was safe. No way would she stick around, much less let him help if she knew her father’s heart attack hadn’t just happened naturally.
And that Max had been there the day it happened.
“You’re gonna have to tell me sometime,” she said on a sigh. “Whatever it is, I can take it.”
Max studied the long, bare line of her neck as she tilted her head side to side, stretching. His fingers itched to explore that delicate column. More so knowing he’d probably never get the chance.
“I will,” he said, forcing himself to look away. “After this is over, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Why not now?” She exited into the city and he surveyed the unfamiliar buildings as they went by. He hadn’t exactly been conscious the last time he’d been in the city, and when he’d come to, it had been in Pete’s trailer behind the diner.
“Because we need to focus on what’s important right now, and that’s making sure you stay alive.” He felt a prickle at the back of his neck, and checked the side mirror as Genevieve made another turn.
“How close are we to your apartment?” he asked, noting a silver sedan making the same turn a few seconds after them.
“A block and a half or so. Why?”
“Turn left at the next corner, then right after that. I think we’re being followed.”
She did as he requested, the silver car just a couple of cars behind them the whole way.
“I see it,” she said, tension in her voice. “What do you want me to do?”
In any other context, Max would have enjoyed hearing that from her lips. He forced himself to focus.
“Look for a restaurant or shop, and park in front. We’ll have better luck losing them on foot, I think. Was there anything at the diner that could connect you to your apartment here? Anything at all?”
She shook her head, pulling into a parking space in front of a clothing shop. Cutting the engine, she reached for the door.
“Hang on a second,” Max said, watching the sedan pick a spot farther down the street. “Which way are we going?”
She pointed towards the window in the passenger door. “It’s two blocks back that way and another block to the right after that.”
Four men got out of the sedan and split up, two on one side of the street, two on the other. Max motioned for Genevieve to slide across the seat.
“Come this way. Be ready to run.” He slid out of the truck and held the door as she followed. Grabbing her hand, he held tight as he walked briskly toward the sidewalk with her in tow.
“I can walk by myself,” she hissed, though she didn’t fight his grip. He rubbed his thumb against hers, keeping a brisk but casual pace down the sidewalk. Their tails seemed content to follow at the moment, which is exactly what he’d hoped for.
“I know you can,” he said, stopping for a moment to look in a store window. “But this makes us look like a couple.” He raised their joined hands and met her confused stare, placing a light kiss on hers. She shuddered, her eyes going wide as he let their hands drop between them and started walking again. Just up ahead, he spied the hotel awning they’d passed earlier.
“Why would that matter?” she asked, trying to reclaim her hand. “These guys know who we are, so I don’t get--”
Max stopped under the awning, pulled her close and snaked an arm around her waist. Leaning down, he captured her surprised mouth in no-holds-barred kiss, male pride surging as she melted in his embrace.
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