leather upholstery.”
“Yes, it’s my car. Apology accepted. Happy?”
“Here, have your pie.” He held it out.
“I don’t want the damn pie.”
“It’s good. You could do with the sugar. Round about now you’re going to start feeling incredibly tired as the adrenaline crashes out. Eat the pie.”
“What kind of criminal knows about adrenaline crashes?”
He laughed. “You’re funny.”
“I’m not trying to be funny. I’m terrified.”
“You’ve very calm for someone who’s terrified. You drove like a pro.”
“I don’t need your approval.”
“No. You don’t. But you do need my protection.”
She sighed. “If I wasn’t terrified before, I am now. I just want to drive away from all this. I didn’t see anything. I don’t know anything. I don’t want any trouble.”
“I understand.”
“Do you? How can you possibly understand?”
“It’s complicated.”
“And so we’re back to that. You know what, you seem okay for a guy who might bleed to death. Get out of my car.”
“I wish I could, Driver. About that protection idea.”
“I don’t want your protection. I want to be alone.”
“Yeah, see that’s not a good idea.”
“I thought you said we weren’t being chased. That means whatever happened is over.”
“Can you sit there and listen to me for a minute without interrupting?” He sounded gruff. He must be in pain. He put a hand up. “Ah, don’t tell me to fuck off, just listen for a minute. I have a proposition for you.”
She sipped her coffee and looked away from him, out the driver’s side window. Maybe if she let him talk he’d leave.
“I need to do some travelling.”
She turned back, opened her mouth to tell him exactly where he could stick his travel plans. He held out the pie. “Eat the pie, Driver.” She took the pie in its cardboard wrapper from him. She’d eat the damn pie. Maybe he was right about the sugar crash.
“How would you feel about letting me hire you for ten days? Don’t answer. Eat the pie. It would accommodate my travel plans, and see to my deepest desire to keep you off the streets for a little while.”
“Off the streets? Am I in danger?”
“You’ll be in danger of falling asleep at the wheel if you don’t eat the pie.”
“Are you saying I’m not in danger?”
“Forget the danger thing. Do you want to drive for me for a week? Double the day rate I paid today.”
“Will we be chased?”
“We weren’t chased today.”
“Sure, that’s why you told me to floor it.”
He shook his head. “Eat the pie and think about it.”
Caitlyn closed her eyes. She was suddenly extraordinarily tired, as though all her energy had drained out through her kneecaps. She took a bite of the pie. Not too hot, just right. She wasn’t too tired to add up though, and fourteen thousand dollars was a lot of money. A lot more than she could earn in a well-booked week. Money that would make life much easier.
“Okay, I’m thinking about it. What’s the catch? I won’t do anything illegal.”
“Nothing illegal about it. I need to get to Perth by the end of the month.”
“You haven’t heard of Jetstar?”
“I’m scared of flying.”
God, he was a liar . This was a man with nerves of whatever the hell substance was harder than steel. He was serenely bleeding to death while he ate an apple pie and did his sales pitch. He was not a bloke who was frightened of a little time in a tin can in the clouds.
“You’d have to pay my way back to Sydney.”
“Naturally.”
“Another week, that’s twenty-one grand. That’s ridiculous. You could buy your own car and drive yourself for that amount of money. You could put a deposit on your own jet. Anyway, where would you get that sort of money from? You lost your bag.”
“You didn’t see any bag. I’ve got the money. The money isn’t your issue. I’ll pay you up half upfront, now. You can put it straight in the bank.”
“Right, what bag?” She looked away from him. “It
“Yes, it’s my car. Apology accepted. Happy?”
“Here, have your pie.” He held it out.
“I don’t want the damn pie.”
“It’s good. You could do with the sugar. Round about now you’re going to start feeling incredibly tired as the adrenaline crashes out. Eat the pie.”
“What kind of criminal knows about adrenaline crashes?”
He laughed. “You’re funny.”
“I’m not trying to be funny. I’m terrified.”
“You’ve very calm for someone who’s terrified. You drove like a pro.”
“I don’t need your approval.”
“No. You don’t. But you do need my protection.”
She sighed. “If I wasn’t terrified before, I am now. I just want to drive away from all this. I didn’t see anything. I don’t know anything. I don’t want any trouble.”
“I understand.”
“Do you? How can you possibly understand?”
“It’s complicated.”
“And so we’re back to that. You know what, you seem okay for a guy who might bleed to death. Get out of my car.”
“I wish I could, Driver. About that protection idea.”
“I don’t want your protection. I want to be alone.”
“Yeah, see that’s not a good idea.”
“I thought you said we weren’t being chased. That means whatever happened is over.”
“Can you sit there and listen to me for a minute without interrupting?” He sounded gruff. He must be in pain. He put a hand up. “Ah, don’t tell me to fuck off, just listen for a minute. I have a proposition for you.”
She sipped her coffee and looked away from him, out the driver’s side window. Maybe if she let him talk he’d leave.
“I need to do some travelling.”
She turned back, opened her mouth to tell him exactly where he could stick his travel plans. He held out the pie. “Eat the pie, Driver.” She took the pie in its cardboard wrapper from him. She’d eat the damn pie. Maybe he was right about the sugar crash.
“How would you feel about letting me hire you for ten days? Don’t answer. Eat the pie. It would accommodate my travel plans, and see to my deepest desire to keep you off the streets for a little while.”
“Off the streets? Am I in danger?”
“You’ll be in danger of falling asleep at the wheel if you don’t eat the pie.”
“Are you saying I’m not in danger?”
“Forget the danger thing. Do you want to drive for me for a week? Double the day rate I paid today.”
“Will we be chased?”
“We weren’t chased today.”
“Sure, that’s why you told me to floor it.”
He shook his head. “Eat the pie and think about it.”
Caitlyn closed her eyes. She was suddenly extraordinarily tired, as though all her energy had drained out through her kneecaps. She took a bite of the pie. Not too hot, just right. She wasn’t too tired to add up though, and fourteen thousand dollars was a lot of money. A lot more than she could earn in a well-booked week. Money that would make life much easier.
“Okay, I’m thinking about it. What’s the catch? I won’t do anything illegal.”
“Nothing illegal about it. I need to get to Perth by the end of the month.”
“You haven’t heard of Jetstar?”
“I’m scared of flying.”
God, he was a liar . This was a man with nerves of whatever the hell substance was harder than steel. He was serenely bleeding to death while he ate an apple pie and did his sales pitch. He was not a bloke who was frightened of a little time in a tin can in the clouds.
“You’d have to pay my way back to Sydney.”
“Naturally.”
“Another week, that’s twenty-one grand. That’s ridiculous. You could buy your own car and drive yourself for that amount of money. You could put a deposit on your own jet. Anyway, where would you get that sort of money from? You lost your bag.”
“You didn’t see any bag. I’ve got the money. The money isn’t your issue. I’ll pay you up half upfront, now. You can put it straight in the bank.”
“Right, what bag?” She looked away from him. “It
Similar Books
