Hidden Sins Read online

  My truck looked like a refuge as I neared the driver’s side. The fancy car next to me was parked incredibly close to my truck, and I found myself juggling the coffee and scone as I opened my door. Just as I snuck in between the door and seat, my coffee cup took a nosedive, spilling on the pavement below.

  “Shoot.” I tossed my scone onto the console and sat in the driver’s seat, closing the door behind me. This wasn’t how I’d imagined rolling into my new town. It had to get better from here, right? Opening my window, I let the warm sea air fill the car as I munched on my scone. I’d have to wait until the car next to me left so I could clean up my mess outside before taking off. Thankfully, I had some water in my car to help wash down the somewhat dry scone that kept sticking in my throat. As I looked around the parking lot and over to the beach, a deep sense of loneliness crept through me. It was a familiar feeling, but this time it was different. I had nothing to hold onto in my new surroundings. There was no one to commiserate with. There was nothing around here that provided grounding or old memories for good or bad. There were palm trees dotting the edge of the parking lot and tiny orange flowers sprinkled along the curb. It was quite different than a foot of dirty snow. I could get used to this.

  I heard footsteps behind my car and glanced in the rearview. My heart sped up as I spotted the guy from inside the coffee house. It was definitely my time to exit this parking lot. I quickly put the key into the ignition and turned it, hearing nothing more than a chug and a whir. No turn of the motor. No rev of the engine.

  Great!

  I saw movement out my driver’s window and saw the man walking along the driver’s side of the car that was parked next to me. So that was his car, seemed fitting. I didn’t even recognize what type of car it was. It just screamed expensive. I twisted the key in the ignition once more, and this time I was met with silence. I didn’t even get so much as a grunt from the engine.

  Figured!

  Letting out a sigh, I thumped my forehead onto the steering wheel and began to laugh in disbelief.

  “Excuse me, Hannah?” The man’s bold voice interrupted my internal comedy hour, and I lifted my head to see his concerned gaze.

  “Hey,” I said, pressing my lips together.

  “Do you need a ride somewhere?” he asked, placing his hands on his car roof.

  “No. I’ve got it,” I said, smiling.

  “Do you need me to call a tow truck?” he offered.

  “Nah. I think that would go about as well as my coffee venture.”

  “Oh, I see.” He glanced across the street toward the beach and back at me. “I saw your plates are from New Hampshire. Here on vacation?”

  “Um. Kind of. No. Not really.”

  I didn’t need to be having this conversation with him or anyone.

  “Are you sure I can’t help get you to where you’re going? I don’t feel right about buying a woman a cup of coffee and then leaving her stranded in a parking lot.” His smile was dazzling and it was everything I could do not to take him up on his offer. But I couldn’t afford to owe anyone anything else, let alone having him know where I was going.

  He walked around the front of his car and inched his way between our two vehicles before his eyes landed on my coffee on the pavement. He was now standing directly next to me, and the breeze carried the soft scent of his cologne into the car. God, he smelled good. It was like a mixture of ocean and something else wonderful.

  “Today has not been your day, has it?” A slight smirk appeared on his lips as he reached into his suit jacket, grabbing his wallet. “Listen. Here’s my card. If you need anything, give me a call. California’s a huge state. One wrong turn and you’re in a place you really don’t want to be.”

  I took the card from him and he smiled.

  “Thanks,” I muttered, glancing at the card.

  Luke Fletcher

  Fletcher Security

  Private Security, Risk Management, and Counter Terrorism

  “You know,” he began, bending over and picking up the empty cup. “I can’t, in good faith, let you leave here without a cup of coffee. I’ll be right back.”

  “No,” I called, but it was too late. He was already out of earshot on his way back into the coffee shop.

  I leaned my head against the headrest and let out a garbled groan as I thought about how screwed up things were. How could things go so wonderfully well over the last several days only to end up in the worst possible scenario, without a running car and no money? I needed to get out of here before he came back. He was too much. All of it was too much. I turned the key again and this time the engine almost turned over. I counted to ten and tried again.

  “Come on,” I muttered.

  “Trying to escape?” I heard Luke laughing as he brought me my cup of coffee.

  “Uh, no. I mean,” I laughed. “Maybe. That was faster than I thought.”

  “They remembered me and gave it to me free of charge.” He smiled.

  I took the cup of coffee from him and placed it in the coffee holder. I might’ve been sheltered for the last twenty-two years of my life, but I wasn’t stupid. I wouldn’t be drinking something from some strange guy, no matter how appealing he was. The more I looked at him, the closer I felt to him, which was just as dangerous.

  “I’ve got to get going,” I muttered, waving him away, but all I was met with was deep laughter.

  “Are you planning on Flintstoning it out of here?” he asked, his brow arching. “I really don’t mind giving you a ride.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” I said, glaring at him, but I couldn’t help but laugh. “But no thanks.”

  “Oh, right. That was my cue. Listen, you have my business card. I don’t want to make your day any worse so I’ll let you do what you think you’ve gotta do, but if you change your mind… Call me and I’ll get a cab to come for you.”

  I nodded and watched as he walked away from my window. He was distracting enough that the loneliness had somewhat dissipated until I realized he was leaving. Then it slowly seeped back in.

  I was stranded in a parking lot twenty minutes away from where I needed to be. I had a debit card that was completely useless, and a guy who was willing to help me out. Was I determined to make my life difficult?

  “Umm. Maybe, I’ll save the call and say I’d love a cab ride, and once I’m on my feet, I’ll be sure to—”

  “You owe me nothing.” He shook his head and smiled, grabbing his phone out of his pants. I watched him as he called for a cab and wondered how I’d gotten so lucky to meet such a kind soul. I had flown past embarrassment a long time ago, and I was just hoping nothing more would go wrong.

  “I’ll wait until the car shows up, and I’ll help you haul everything from your truck into the vehicle. You don’t want to leave anything in the open, even if it’s tied down. What we can’t fit in we’ll put in the cab of your truck,” he said, his eyes meeting mine.

  “Thanks.” I bit my lip and thought about what to say to this stranger who’d shown me more kindness in the last thirty minutes than I’d encountered in a long time. “This is really nice of you.”

  He shook his head, stripping off his jacket before walking over to the truck bed. I gently maneuvered between our two vehicles and stood next to him, my eyes dropping to his chest. I could literally see the ripple of the fabric from the definition of his muscles. I couldn’t even imagine what that must look like underneath.

  He caught my gaze and a tiny curl of his lip surfaced before I turned away, feeling the flush roll up my body.

  “You like to park close to things,” I teased, as I worked on untying one of the ropes.

  “It’s a bad habit. I tend to get wrapped up in my own world.” He loosened a knot and began on another one.

  “I find that incredibly hard to believe,” I said, glancing at him. His awareness and willingness to help me out of my predicament told me otherwise.

  “Well, there’s always exceptions to the rule, I suppose,” he said, letting the firs
t set of ropes fall to the side of the truck bed. “Especially if someone is as eye-catching as you.”

  I laughed and shook my head. I knew he was only being kind, considering what I looked like compared to the rest of the microcosm. My cheeks warmed as I worked my fingers against the knot, finally loosening it enough to let it fall.

  Luke was on the other side of the truck bed, untying the last of the rope when I saw a black Escalade come up behind him and park.

  That was odd.

  “Your chariot awaits,” Luke said, smiling from across the truck bed.

  “That’s a cab?” I asked.

  “It’s umm a car service I use and trust,” Luke corrected, his gaze dropping away from mine. “I thought we’d have a better chance of fitting everything inside. Less hassle for you that way.”

  My chest constricted with the idea of leaving this kind stranger behind. His compassion was the first genuine gesture I’d experienced in a very long time. But maybe that was how it was in the real world. Maybe my new beginning would be full of Lukes.

  “So it is,” I said, nodding. “Thank you.”

  There were only five boxes and a suitcase in the truck bed, along with an old wooden chair I couldn’t part with, which in hindsight, seemed pretty odd.

  Luke grabbed the first box I pointed to as the driver appeared, ready to help load his SUV with my belongings. The driver was a portly, older man with dark hair, graying around the edges, and he was dressed in a black suit.

  I grabbed my suitcase and pushed it into the vehicle. I went back to the cab of my truck, grabbed everything off the seat and inside the console and shoved it into a bag. It felt odd leaving the truck behind. It had become home over the last week and it was mine; one of the few things that was. The moment I figured out what happened with my bank account, I’d get my truck, but for now, I needed to get to the house and internet. I shoved my bag and purse onto the floor of the front seat.

  Everything had been transferred to the SUV and relief spread through me, knowing I wouldn’t have to leave anything behind in the truck. I climbed into the SUV as the driver did the same.

  Luke walked over to me and stood next to the open door. “Remember, if anything else comes up, you have my number.”

  “Why are you being so kind?” I asked softly.

  His eyes locked on mine and he smiled.

  “You looked like you could use a little kindness in your world. Welcome to California.” Luke closed the door and took a step back, waving as the driver turned on the ignition and stepped on the accelerator.

  “Where to, Miss?” the driver asked.

  I gave him the address and his jaw tensed. “Are you sure about that address?”

  “That’s the one I was given. Why?” I asked.

  “It’s not a good part of town. That’s all.”

  “Oh. Well, that’s where I’m headed.”

  “Very well,” the driver said, turning the vehicle onto the main road.

  I looked out the window and saw Luke still following the vehicle with his gaze. I gave him a quick nod and prayed that whatever was waiting for me wouldn’t be worse than what I left back home.

  Luke

  I watched as the car turned onto the main street, whisking Hannah and her few belongings away. I swear to God I could almost feel her heartbeat pounding out of her chest from here. She was running from something. That much I knew. Her beautiful smile haunted me as I let out a deep sigh, realizing I wasn’t going to walk away. I felt somewhat bad about lying to her about a car service, but I didn’t want her to feel awkward if she knew I had my own driver. I jogged over to her truck and peered through the window, noticing she’d left the coffee behind.

  “Damn,” I muttered.

  This girl’s luck seemed to have run out a long time ago and that made me nervous. I had three hours before I needed to be at the airport, but there was something pulling me to make sure she made it okay to wherever it was she was going. Charles, my driver, assured me that he’d call me and give me the address of where she was staying. And I was counting the minutes. But something told me I wasn’t going to like his report.

  In my business, I’ve dealt with a lot of fear and paranoia, most of it unfounded. Not with Hannah. I could almost taste the fear that was rolling off her. It was genuine fear. The kind I only see in very desperate situations, very dangerous situations. The way she constantly glanced over her shoulder or did a double take on any passerby told me her fear was legit.

  I jimmied the lock and opened the truck door, hoping to find something that would give me answers in the little amount of time before I had to hop on the plane. My sister seemed to think I liked to block out all the commotion inside my head by taking on other people’s problems. She also would follow it up by telling me I needed to deal with my own issues but that was no fun, now was it?

  I slid my hand under the driver’s seat, feeling the carpet and nothing more. I leaned over and did the same to the passenger seat, but this time my hand landed on a packet. Pulling it out quickly, I glanced at the envelope and opened it. There were several important documents, and I doubted she meant to leave them in the truck. I glanced at her car insurance, registration, and storage locker information. Definitely not something that she’d want to leave in the truck. But I certainly couldn’t show up on her doorstep with everything. She was freaked out enough without me adding to her unsettled “everyone’s a stalker” mentality. I didn’t need to add to her problems. I noticed a New Hampshire address on some of the documents and noted it in my phone. Maybe I could shoot by her old address this week when I was in New England. Or not. I shouldn’t get myself involved, but I was never one to take my own advice.

  I also spotted two different last names, Hannah Walker and Hannah Martin. Definitely a woman on the run. I shoved all the documents back into the envelope before sliding it back under the seat. I locked the door and shut it before crawling in my own car, waiting for the call from Charlie.

  Hannah had gotten under my skin. There was no doubt about it. The moment I saw her standing in line, I was fascinated, but my gut turned inside out once her card was rejected. Feeling the embarrassment ooze out of her almost killed me. I wanted to swoop in and take it away. Once her eyes connected with mine, I knew she was carrying ghosts with her. Now I just needed to find out how to release them and free her from her troubles. I’d been in the security business long enough to know that if the predator didn’t kill the person, the stress of thinking could—would.

  My phone buzzed and I glanced down at the screen. It was Charlie. I turned the key on my Tesla and backed out of the parking spot as I answered the phone on speaker.

  “What do you have, Charlie?” I asked.

  “You’re not gonna like it one bit.”

  “I was afraid of that.” I pulled onto the road, turning in the opposite direction of Hannah. I needed to grab my bags from home before I headed to the airport.

  “She lives on Hawthorne and Maple,” Charlie explained, “and I felt horrible about leaving her there. I’d bet money on it being a halfway house or maybe even a safe house of some sort.”

  “What? A halfway house? Come on. You don’t think she’s a druggie…” My voice elevated more than I realized. That wasn’t her demon.

  “No, sir. I don’t. To be perfectly candid, I think she’s in hiding and in over her head.”

  I settled a bit at his admission.

  “Agreed. Text over the address. Can you arrange for her truck to be towed to where she’s living?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I’ll have an envelope waiting on my kitchen counter that I’d like you to get to the tow truck driver to give her. Does that work?” I asked, pulling onto the Pacific Coast Highway.

  “I’ll be sure to grab it,” he assured. “And, sir, one bit of advice.”

  “What’s that Charlie?”

  “You can’t save everyone.”

  Hannah

  The longer we drove, the more apparent the changes in the s
urroundings became. Rather than manicured business parks and strip malls sprinkled in every direction, homes with chain-link fences and bars on the windows appeared. We’d only driven about fifteen minutes, but apparently, it was fifteen minutes in the wrong direction. Many of the homes were small, one-story stucco buildings; the yards overgrown with grass and weeds. Every so often there’d be a home that was taken care of, but that wasn’t the neighborhood standard. Concrete block walls were tagged in colorful spray paint murals. My stomach knotted as we drove deeper into the neighborhood I’d be calling home.

  “According to GPS, it looks like we’re about a block away,” the driver said, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Great. Thanks for driving me here,” I replied, still staring at one rundown home after another. The car slowed and my pulse began pounding as the home came into view.

  It occurred to me then that if I’d known where I was going, I might not have come. I let out a deep breath and glanced at the driver who was staring at the house. It was larger than most of the ones we’d passed on the way here. It had a half-built concrete wall and overgrown weeds in the front yard. My mind flashed back to the carefully constructed homes I’d left behind in my community, if you could call it that. Everything was in its place back home. Here it looked like everyone’s dirty laundry was exposed, and maybe that’s what I needed. All of the problems back in New Hampshire were hidden. Secrets filled every crevice and dirtied the soul. Here, maybe things were more transparent from the start, which might be a good thing. There was nothing worse than bearing the weight of hidden sins from another.