“Eat.”
Ginny licked her dry lips. “I need ketchup.” She made a move to slide out of the booth.
Two packets of ketchup were plonked down in front of her.
“Do you need salt?”
“No,” she mumbled.
Opening her bag, she took out her nuggets and fries, not knowing what to do next. She didn’t remember seeing a window in the bathroom. Maybe he would have to go—
“Don’t even think about it,” he advised her.
She had never believed she could be afraid of Gavin, but she kind of was now by the cold way he was talking to her.
“I’m not hungry anymore.”
“You should eat. I’m not planning on stopping until we need gas.”
“I’m not going with you.” Ginny finally lifted her eyes to meet his.
Gavin took out his food and started eating.
Ginny eyed the humongous sandwich he bought. “That burger took two cows to make.”
“There’s another one in the bag. I haven’t eaten in two days.”
Ginny guiltily picked up a chicken nugget. “How did you find me?”
“Wasn’t easy. Do you know how many fucking people drive the same type of car you bought?”
He went on before she could respond.
“A shit ton. I wouldn’t have been able to catch you if you hadn’t been pulled over for speeding last night.”
“It was a speed trap,” she said without remorse. It was easier to play the blame game instead of admitting outright to herself that her foot had been a tad heavy on the gas pedal. “I was tired, or I wouldn’t have signed the ticket.”
“We won’t go into how fucking tired I am, or how sore my ass is.”
Ginny winced at the thought. She knew how sore hers was, and she had a comfortable seat.
“Are you mad at me?”
Gavin moved on to his other burger. “Let’s put it this way …” Gavin placed his burger on the table before lowering his voice. “Be glad that I don’t believe we’re soul mates, or you’d be driving to Treepoint with an ass as sore as mine.”
Ginny frowned. “That’s not possible. The car I bought is very comfortab— Oh.” Ginny flushed when it dawned on her what Gavin was intimidating. Then anger came to her aid, easing the embarrassing thought of being bent over Gavin’s knee. “You and whose army?” she snapped. Her appetite lost, she began bagging up her leftover food.
“I don’t need an army when one hand of mine will do the job.”
“Are you for real?” Folding her hands on the table, Ginny leaned forward, clearly pronouncing every word coming out of her mouth. “Let me tell you something, Mr. I-Better-Get-A-Grip. I’ve only been spanked once in my life, and that was by my brother. You ever try to spank me, I’ll … I’ll …” Ginny trailed off, trying to come up with a threat scary enough to make him think twice about spanking her.
“You’ll what?” he mocked, starting to eat his burger again.
“I’ll … I’ll set a glass of milk out to spoil with something you touched, and then everything you eat will taste sour.”
“I’m scared,” he scoffed.
“You better be. I did it once when I was mad at Jodi, and it took a year for it to wear off.”
“I’ve got news for you, I don’t believe in your cock and bull superstitions.”
Ginny broke a small packet of salt and threw it over her shoulder for good luck. “You better,” she warned.
Gavin rolled his eyes at her, clearly not taking her beliefs seriously.
Ginny shrugged. “Then try to spank me and find out.”
Gavin stuffed the remainder of his burger in his mouth, then bagged his trash. “Maybe after I have a nap. You can drive for a couple hours.”
“I am not going with you,” she hissed. “Don’t make me call the police on you.” Taking out her cell phone, she wiggled it in front of his face. “I won’t want to, but I will.”
Gavin shrugged. “Go ahead. You’ll be arrested if you do.”
Ginny frowned. “Why would I be arrested?”
“The car you’re driving was reported stolen.”
The satisfied smirk he gave her lifted some of the heaviness she’d been feeling her in chest since she left Nashville.
“I didn’t steal the car I’m driving. I bought it.”
“The Utah State Police has it listed as hot. You can spend the next few days driving to Treepoint with me or spend the next two days in jail until Viper can get here to clear you.”
“Or …,” Ginny said, giving him a better alternative, “I can call Viper, and we can handle this over the phone. Then we both can go on our merry ways.”
“Viper doesn’t want to discuss your situation over the phone.”
“The situation I’m in is no longer any concern of Viper’s.” Ginny firmly refused to budge from the course she had set for herself. “Gavin, you know I’m right. Cutting myself off from everyone I know is the best way to deal with who is stalking me.”
“No, I don’t. I think it will make it easier for him to get to you. Who would be there to protect you?”
“Other than 911?” Ginny gave him a wry smile, then stopped when he glowered at her. “I can take care of myself—”
“Since you were twelve?”
“My foster parents took me so they’d get nominated for more town committees.”
“Were they abusive to you?”
Gavin’s sharp question had Ginny jumping in her seat.
“No, I can’t say they were abusive. I really can’t explain what it was like. They didn’t do anything I could report as abuse. They were just cold, and when I lived with them, I was cold all the time. When I was finally able to leave, it was like walking out to the middle of summer. I promised myself that I would never be cold again. Since Shade told me I had a stalker, I feel like I need a coat every minute of the day and night. I want to be warm again, Gavin. I can’t be in Treepoint or Queen City, and it isn’t fair of me to continue letting The Last Riders buffer me from the cold. I can do this on my own. All you have to do is let me walk out that door.”
“I’m not going to lie to Viper.”
“Then I guess we’re in an impasse until Viper gets here.”
“You’re getting in the car with me, and we’re driving back to Treepoint.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Believe it or not, the world doesn’t revolve around you. Viper has a business to run, with some shit about to go down. He has a more important agenda he needs to exert his efforts on rather than running after you.”
Ginny stiffened in her seat as Gavin’s already serious expression became inflexible.
“I don’t think the world revolves around me.”
“Then fucking act and like it! You took off without us knowing where you were going. The WHO issued a public alert overseas for a viral outbreak. How in the fuck were we supposed to know if you had flown out of the country? Can we agree his efforts are more important at the factory right now than trying to convince you to come home?
The outbreak is making everyone sick, and it doesn’t give a fuck if hospitals and medical facilities have their ducks in a row. People are going to die, Ginny. You’ll be safer in Treepoint than wherever you were going. Different states will be at different risk levels. Do you really want to be stuck in bumfuck Egypt if you get sick, or find someone you care about is and you’re hundreds of miles away? Fuck, someone here could be infected. Do you want it on your conscience if Viper comes here and then gets sick? Just because there hasn’t been a confirmed case in the US, doesn’t mean shit. I learned that in the military. They’ll blow roses up your ass until they can’t keep the stink down anymore. Which is why I told Kaden get the fuck out of Tennessee early.”