Page 75 of Back To Our Beginning

“Where am I?”

“In the garage.”

I looked around a little more and realized I was in a one stall garage. I saw there was one little window on the garage door.

“I meant whose house?”

“My grandpa’s house.” She sat down in the chair at the workbench.

“Where is it?”

“Bitch, I’m not answering any more of your damn questions, just eat your damn food.” She stretched out her leg and toed the plate with a sandwich on it. There was no way I was going to be able to lift that to my mouth. Not with the way my shoulders were cramped up.

“My name is Maddie,” I said, hoping to establish a connection.

“I don’t care what your damn name is. I’m just supposed to feed you and take you to the bathroom. Shit like that. You’ve got one night here before you’re on the road again.”

“Can I have water?”

The blonde heaved out a long breath. She looked around the workroom as if expecting water to magically appear.

“Wait here.” She heaved herself out of the chair. Then she stomped to the door in her motorcycle boots and flung it open. She was wearing really tight jeans and a tank top that didn’t quite cover her left breast. She wasn’t wearing a bra. She left the door open and I heard voices.

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to will away the pain that suffused my body. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but I was able to lift my shirt to see if I could yank out the piece of glass, but it wasn’t jutting out.

This was not good.

“Yeah, she’s awake,” the woman hollered. “I wouldn’t be out here getting water for her, otherwise, now would I?”

I heard the grumble of a male voice, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. His voice was too low of a register, but the woman? Her screechy voice I could hear just fine.

“Fuck yeah, I cut her loose. I wasn’t going to spoon feed her, for God’s sake.”

I heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh.

“Ow, that hurt!” she squealed.

More mumbling.

“How long are you going to stay this time, Grizz?” I couldn’t stand the whine in her voice.

There was a long silence.

“Can’t you take me with you? You’re going to need help with her, ain’t you?”

“Lana, shut up already!” Grizz shouted.

“All right. All right.”

I heard her heels on the wood floor before I saw her in the doorway. I could see the red hand mark on her face.

“I hope you’re happy,” she muttered as she threw the bottle of water at me. It bounced off my chest. I grabbed at it before it rolled away. As I did, my side howled in agony. Dammit, if the bleeding didn’t stop, or the glass shifted deeper, I wasn’t just stuck. I was screwed.

Shut it, Avery. Focus.

At least my arms were somewhat working, so I could move and eat and hopefully try to do something to get myself out of this mess.

“Thank you,” I whispered.