Neil sighed and slumped back onto her bed but Makayla saw the edges of his lips curve into a smile. He liked the idea of working with Adrian. Obviously for different reasons than Makayla, but she was glad that he was excited about the prospect as well. And he was braver than he gave himself credit for.
Blowing off work, since she figured post traumatic stress was as good of an excuse to ditch as anything else, Makayla dressed in regular jeans and a modest t-shirt. Where she was going to go today, she didn’t want anybody ogling her curvy body. Neil sat up when she walked back into her bedroom in casual clothes. “Not working today?”
Makayla grinned ear to ear. “Yeah, I’m working, just not at the bank.”
Neil looked away, then back at her. “You’re going to hunt bounty today? Don’t you need a license or something first?”
Makayla shrugged. “No idea. But I’m sure I can gather information without one.”
Neil stood up as she walked to her dresser and pulled her wavy hair into a ponytail. “Information on whom?”
She raised an eyebrow at him in the mirror above her dresser. “Guess.”
Neil sighed, then straightened. “I’m coming with you.”
Makayla turned and nodded at him. “Good. It’s a long drive. We’ll need to take turns.”
Neil sighed again, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He texted something to someone while Makayla gathered everything they’d need for a road trip to Pennsylvania. Chance had told her the name and location of the man who’d raised him as a father—the man he’d put behind bars—John Smith. And Makayla had a few questions for the man who’d taught Chance everything he knew. The man that Chance claimed had stolen him from his birth parents. Should be an interesting conversation.
After Makayla had a bag ready, including a chunk of the emergency money from her hidden desk drawer—which she would have to be careful with, since she wasn’t sure if she’d have a paying job to return to once this field trip was over—she twisted to Neil. He put his phone back in his pocket. “I texted Natalie. She’s going to cover for us at the bank for a couple of days…” He lifted an eyebrow. “You know, so we don’t lose our day jobs.” He slumped and shook his head. “And she’s going to keep tabs on Adrian for me…”
Makayla nodded and put her hand on his shoulder. “He’ll be alright, Neil.” Neil nodded and Makayla cupped his cheek. “See, this is exactly why I need you on my team…you’re the practical one.”
Neil dropped his head back and groaned. “God, we’re so going to die.”
Makayla chuckled as she grabbed her stuff. “And you’re such an optimist.”
Chapter 22
Answers
An hour later, Neil and Makayla were on the road in her sturdy and reliable Civic. Makayla sighed as she watched her cheery, yellow house shrink in the distance. Chance was a part of that house now. Even if he’d only been in her life for a relatively short amount of time, he’d left his mark. She unconsciously rubbed the tattoo on her hip. He’d left his mark on her body as well as her soul. Makayla knew that some people you meet in life have a profound effect on you, no matter how short a time they are with you. That was the case with Chance. Like a lightning storm, he had brightened her world, but she’d stood too close to him and she’d gotten burned…seared to the core.
Even as she pulled out of Plymouth, the mountains in the background proud and tall, Makayla wondered where Chance was and if he was thinking of her. She thought of everything he had told her since their time together and wondered if any of it had been true. From the beginning he’d lied. He hadn’t gone to the theater to meet a girl for a date. There’d never been a girl, he’d confessed that much to her at the carnival. Looking at it from a con’s point of view, Makayla could appreciate the lie, even though it irritated her.
Being ditched by his date had made him more sympathetic, had made Makayla want to talk to him…it had lowered her defenses. All part of the ruse. Then he’d brazenly stolen from her. Tested her response…her reaction to being violated. He’d probably never expected her to chase him down. He’d probably expected her to do what any normal, sane girl would have done—called the credit card company and had her accounts frozen, maybe filed a police report. Her reaction had been anything but typical. Maybe he’d been intrigued by her after that. Decided right then and there that she would be a better mark than Natalie.
Then he’d pursued her in honest. She’d been weak, lonely, neglected, and he’d taken full advantage of the situation. Fed her every line that made him seem like a thief with a heart of gold, a man struggling with inner demons, a man longing to give up his life of crime. As Makayla watched the bursts of color blurring alongside her car, she wondered if Chance had, at any time, meant his words of seeking redemption. Probably not.
They’d flirted heavily after their date, and the whole time he’d been using her to gain access to the bank. Hands clenched around the steering wheel, Makayla realized why he’d had such a strong desire to meet her for lunch every day. What could be a better excuse to constantly be in a bank than having a girlfriend that worked there? And then his job… God, he’d been right across the street the entire time.
As they got farther away from the city, the traffic eased and Makayla stepped on the gas. The speed helped to cleanse her mind. Neil was silent beside her, lost in his own thoughts. Makayla’s mind shifted to all of the one-on-one moments she’d had with Chance. He’d always seemed a little reluctant to take their relationship to the next level. Makayla had almost felt like the aggressor. That had probably been intentional too…making her want him so bad that she practically forced herself on him.
It had been a little embarrassing at the time, but had made her like him even more, since most men willingly rushed into the sex part. She’d actually respected him for taking it slow, for making sure she was ready. God, he was good.
And then he’d upped the stakes, asked his brother to cream him, all to prove that he was in danger. Makayla wondered if she’d cornered him into that, if finding the stash of money and breaking it off with him had been what spurred the lie about Garrett and his “empire.” The watch had never been Garrett’s…it had probably belonged to some drunk frat boy that he’d pocketed one night. Yeah, that was much more believable.
But his lie had worked and Makayla had completely fallen for him once she’d seen his injuries. They’d given themselves over to each other and Makayla had thought it had meant something. He’d demanded that she said she trust him before they committed the act. She had felt it at the time, so she’d said she did. Then, in the afterglow, they’d said they loved each other. God, what a devious little bastard, using sex as a weapon like he had. And when she’d been so vulnerable too. Well, he’d cured her of that, she’d never be that exposed again.
She’d welcomed him into her home and they’d had a few weeks of peace, and all the while he’d been plotting with Garrett. Well, he claimed that he’d been plotting with Adrian to stop Garrett…but who knew if that was really true. And if it had been true, then he’d failed, because Garrett got his way and the robbery had happened…and Chance had been a part of it. And now he had to pay the price of his lying, deceitful ways, no matter how much that hurt her.
Makayla sighed and Neil looked over at her. “Why are we going to Pennsylvania anyway?”
Makayla looked over at her friend and shrugged. “The State Correctional Institution at Mercer. Chance’s father is in prison there. We’re going to go talk to him.”
Neil leaned his head back against the seat, shaking it while he closed his eyes. “Ah, so he inherited the criminal behavior, huh?”
Makayla gave him a weary smile. “No.”
Cracking an eye open, Neil frowned. Makayla stopped smiling and explained. “According to Chance, the man he’d believed his whole life was his father actually wasn’t. Chance says he was kidnapped and raised into the life against his will.”
Neil laughed, then stopped when he saw she was serious. “You don’
t actually believe that, do you?”
Makayla focused out the window, wondering if that was just another lie in a long string of lies that Chance had told her. “I don’t know, but I think talking to his father is the only way to find out the truth.” She glanced back at Neil. “Chance got him busted and put away, so I doubt he’ll withhold any information if it helps to bring Chance to justice.”
Neil whistled. “Wow, Makayla…you sure can pick ‘em.”
She flicked him an irritated glance. “Hey, don’t forget who your boyfriend is…Pot.”
Neil laughed as he looked out the window. “Yeah, okay, Kettle.” A smile was stuck on his face as Neil thought about Adrian. It was the dimpled grin that Makayla loved, that all the girls at their work loved, Natalie especially, and it was a grin that was only really for Adrian, the man who firmly had Neil’s heart.
They switched driving positions when they stopped halfway through to eat. Makayla took the opportunity to call the prison and find out what rules and regulations there were for visiting an inmate. It would severely damper things if they drove nearly a half of a day to be turned away at the door. She also double-checked that the prisoner in question was even at the prison she was headed towards. A quick conversation with reception verified that he was. John Smith was incarcerated at Mercer. Whether he was Chance’s father or not had yet to be seen, but Makayla really couldn’t understand why Chance would send her on a wild goose chase. He’d wanted her to know the truth about him so he hadn’t lied about it. Well, she was hoping he hadn’t lied. With Chance, you could never really be sure.
It was late into the night by the time they drove into Mercer. Both of them tired and aching, they checked into a rundown Motel not too far from the prison. Makayla did her best to ignore the stains on the sheets as she laid down on them. Being in a motel instantly brought Chance to mind—their first time had been in a seedy dump just like the place she was in now. The memory hurt, but Makayla did her best to push it away. She’d have time for painful reflection later. Right now, she was too close to getting answers.
Bright and early the next morning, Neil and Makayla headed to jail. The penitentiary was a series of squat, brick buildings, all surrounded by an imposing metal fence. Guard towers marked the edges of the fence and Makayla could see the ends of rifles as the guards on patrol in the towers kept a watchful eye over the prison’s populace.
Neil was quiet when they walked in, even quieter when they got searched and filled out the required paperwork. Makayla supposed that he was imagining Adrian spending some time in a place like this. Makayla wanted to assure him that the former con man could take care of himself and he’d be fine, but honestly, the thought of Chance behind bars like these made her shiver too. It was the right thing to do though, and she would strive everyday to make it happen.
Once they were formally cleared to enter the visiting room, they took a seat and waited. They were there as early as they could be, but they weren’t alone. Makayla watched a young girl holding a baby and a middle-aged man with weary, pained eyes. It was easy to forget that just because someone had broken the law and gotten busted for it, it didn’t mean that they weren’t loved. She was proof of that…Neil too. Looking around at the families torn apart by multiple bad choices, Makayla wished for things to work out for the inmates here, wished for their lives to be better upon release. It may be a naive hope, but rehabilitation was as much a part of prison as punishment, and she still believed in that part.
Waiting in a room that sort of resembled her old high school cafeteria…with armed guards…Makayla finally saw her inmate appear. She knew that he was Chance’s father by the way he carried himself. He had the same devil-may-care attitude that Chance had, and it showed in the way he casually strode into the room. The guard by his side told him something and pointed Makayla’s way. She stood, Neil standing with her.
John Smith walked her way, a warm smile on his face like they were old friends and not complete strangers. He was physically very similar to Chance—deep brown hair, dark eyes. While his hair was still dark, the scruff on his face was speckled with gray, belying his age. The eyes also marked him as a man who’d seen the world a few times. Deep-set lines highlighted his features, making him seem distinguished and elegant, even dressed in a fluorescent orange jumpsuit.
Makayla stiffened as he approached the table, but held her ground. But when he strolled around the table to give her a warm hug and a soft kiss on the cheek, she nearly kneed him. Not wanting to get evicted before she even had a chance to speak with him, she halted the need to escape that was flooding her body.
Her glare was vicious as he pulled away. His was charming. Disengaging from her, he glanced at the guards speckled throughout the room, watching them. “I hope that didn’t offend you. We’re only allowed greeting and parting hugs and I don’t often receive female visitors…” His eyes drifted down her body. “And it’s been ages since I’ve held a woman.” He had a southern accent, much like Chance’s, only thicker.
Makayla sat down, her cheeks flushing. “It was fine.”
Neil sat down close to Makayla’s side as John eyed them both. Slowly sitting himself, John folded his hands over each other on top of the table. “So, let me guess…reporter? Doing some hard hitting piece on the life of a felon?”
His charming smile turned amused and Makayla was struck with the similarity to Chance in his face. Related or not, the two were strikingly similar. “No, I’m here about your son.”
The smile instantly fell off John’s face. Leaning back in his chair, he sniffed. “I don’t know where you got your information, but your facts are wrong…I have no children.”
Makayla leaned forward. “No, he’s not your legitimate son, but you raised him as one.”
John laughed softly, raising the corner of his lip into a curl. Makayla thought that even his smile was similar to Chance’s. No wonder he’d been able to pull off that con for most of Chance’s life. Chance had probably never seen the truth coming.
Raising an eyebrow, John asked, “You’ve met Chance?”
Makayla closed her eyes and inhaled, feeling like she was finally getting some truth. She nodded and opened her eyes. “Yes. What can you tell me about him?”
John looked between her and Neil. Biting his lip, he lazily drawled, “Which one of you was the mark?”
Makayla flushed and looked down and John laughed again, clearly getting his answer. Neil leaned forward. “He’s on the run…we want him.” His pale eyes bored into John’s. “How do we catch him?”
Crossing his arms over his chest, John silently appraised Neil and Makayla. “And why do you think I would tell you that?” He let out a derisive sound. “Betray the man I raised as my own flesh and blood?” He gave them a straight face, no emotion, no reaction. “What kind of monster do you think I am?”
Makayla balled her hands into fists, her anger rising. She just wanted some answers, she wanted some help. She didn’t want to play mind games, she didn’t want to con a con into helping her. She just wanted to know where Chance was hiding so she could drag him kicking and screaming into a place just like this one.
Tilting her head, she leaned over the table. “Because Chance betrayed you. He’s the reason you got caught. He’s the reason that you’re rotting behind bars right now!”
John’s face stormed up and he looked away from her. Gritting his jaw, he murmured, “Yeah, I know. I figured that out a long time ago.”
Reaching across the table, Makayla gently put a hand over his. Handholding was allowed here, and she figured if it had been ages since John had held a woman, then it had probably been even longer since he’d had this simple contact. He looked back at her, his eyes wider. When he silently curled his fingers around hers she whispered, “So help me find him.”
He regarded her for a moment in complete silence. Makayla could hear the sounds of multiple soft conversations going on around her but she tuned them out. John was her only source of information on Chance. He was her on
ly opportunity to nail him. But if he had raised Chance as family, then he probably did love him, and even if Chance had betrayed him, he may not want to return the favor.
Inhaling deep, John closed his eyes for a second. When he reopened them, he seemed older, more tired. “You want Chance?” Makayla nodded emphatically and John gave her a one-sided grin. “Then keep coming back here to visit me and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
Makayla felt the relief and electricity fill her body. He was going to help her. She would learn all of his secrets, all of his tricks, and together, they could track him down.
John smiled and released her hand. Crossing his arms over his chest, he shrugged. “And what would you like to know about my son first?”
Makayla only had to think about her answer for a split-second. “What’s his real name?”
John looked down at the table. “I knew Chance would be angry if he ever found out the truth, but I had no idea just how angry he’d be.” He looked up at Makayla, then around the holding area where his fellow men in orange were visiting with friends and loved ones. “I certainly never expected him to set me up.” He glanced back at Makayla, his smile wry. “I was his father for most of his life after all.”