Revealing Annie - Freya Barker Page 0,13
to grab the mug. “How do you take it?”
“As it is.” He takes the coffee from my hands and takes a big gulp. I’m amazed he doesn’t burn his mouth. “This guy, his name Brick by chance?”
“That’s him. I have his card somewhere. Do you know him? I wasn’t so sure, but Heidi said I could trust him.”
“You can. He’s a good guy.”
I have to admit, that makes me feel a little better.
“Isn’t he part of that motorcycle gang? Arrow’s Edge?”
To my surprise Sumo smiles, the steel gone from his eyes.
“It’s a club. They own a bunch of businesses in town. Including that yoga studio you were at.”
“I see.” Interesting investment for a bunch of bikers. Turning around, I set to making my own cup and stare out the small window over the sink, rubbing my eyes.
“How are you gonna get around?”
I’d been wondering myself. Edward’s old Buick is parked on the other side of his trailer; maybe I can use that until mine is fixed. I’ll check with Mrs. Sokoloff, see what she says.
“Why do you wear glasses?”
My hands fly immediately to the top of my head and slide them down on my nose. I’d completely forgotten about them.
“Uh…distance.”
“Hmm.”
I freeze when I hear him get up and move up to the counter beside me, but all he does is set his empty cup in the small sink.
“Annie?”
“Yeah?” I reluctantly turn his way.
His face is much closer than I’d anticipated and I feel my cheeks flush. His eyes are intense, making me feel exposed and my gaze lowers to those full lips.
“Got a pen and paper?”
The unexpected question pulls me right out of the trance I was sliding under.
“Yes, uh, of course.”
I squeeze past him and walk into the living room. I grab the pad and pencil from the small side table and hand them to him. He quickly scribbles something before ripping off the top sheet and handing it to me. There are two phone numbers and a name on the paper. Kyle Matsumoto.
“That’s me,” he explains unnecessarily, I’d guessed. “Top number is mine, the second one is the station in case I’m out on a call.”
“Okay, but why—”
He cuts me off and what he says knocks the breath right out of me.
“Not sure what or who you’re hiding from and you have no reason to trust me…yet,” he adds with meaning, “which is why I’m not asking for your number, but next time someone messes with your car, or anything else happens, I want you to call me.” When I don’t answer right away—mostly because my mouth is hanging open—he puts his hands on my shoulders, giving me a light shake. “Annie?”
“Fine.”
He cracks that gorgeous smile and leans close. For a moment I think he’s going to kiss me, but instead he taps the tip of my nose with his finger.
“Get some sleep.”
With that he walks out of my door, leaving me to gape after him.
It’s not until later, after I’ve collected and walked Blossom and am getting ready for bed, when I look in the mirror and gasp.
One brown and one blue eye stare back at me.
Shit.
Sumo
It makes sense now.
The reason why those brown eyes seemed so flat against her glowing skin is because she’s wearing colored contacts. Her real eye color, a gorgeous cornflower blue, suits her perfectly.
I don’t think she even realized she’d displaced one, rubbing her eyes.
It had been on my lips to ask her about it, but I thought better of it. She’ll find out soon enough and acknowledging it might have freaked her out. Don’t get me wrong, I want to know what or who she seems to be hiding from, but I’d rather she tell me voluntarily than strong-arm it out of her.
Still, the moment I get home I call the shop up at the Arrow’s Edge MC compound.
“You towed a car from the yoga studio parking lot last night?” I ask when Brick answers the phone.
“I did. She someone you know?”
“Yeah. Did you have a chance to look at it? She says her wires were tampered with.”
“About to, and for the record, those wires were cut. Not someone with a lot of knowledge, ‘cause he cut whatever he could get his hands on when only one would’a done to disable the car.”
“Disable? You’re sure about that?”
“Why else cut wires? If you just wanna mess with someone, you slice tires or throw a brick through a window.”
He makes a good point, one that makes me more uneasy than I already was.
“Fuck.”
“Whoever