Chapter 20: Micah

As I watch Robyn storm off on foot, I glance at my sister, who’s now standing beside my car door. “Damn it, Ruth. How do I fix this? I thought I was doing a good thing, but obviously not.”

“ You thought it was a good thing. She clearly didn’t.”

I let out a heavy breath. “So, what do I do now?”

“Well, first of all, you apologize to Robyn for deceiving her.”

“What? I didn’t deceive her. I would never—”

“Did you, or did you not, go behind her back by asking Jenny to hire her?”

“Well, yes.”

“Robyn’s right. You are a terrible businessman.”

“I am not!” Why do I suddenly feel like the little brother who’s in an unwinnable argument with his big sister? “My auto repair shop is highly profitable, and you know it.”

“But Robyn’s right, and you know it. Now she has a job—a real job—where she’s actually going to earn money so she can pay you for her transmission. Apologize to her, Micah. Tell her you meant well. She’ll understand—once she calms down. Just give her some time.”

I nod. “Of course I’ll apologize.” I put the truck in reverse. “Would you do me a favor and tell Jenny what’s happened. Let her know Robyn won’t be coming back.”

Ruth nods. “I’ll tell her. Where are you going?”

“To follow Robyn home, to make sure she gets back safely.”

I drive slowly down the road back toward the auto shop, keeping my distance, but staying close enough to keep her in my sights. Knowing that she’s been tracked here makes it far too risky for her to be walking anywhere alone. Plenty of cars and trucks pass me on the road, but I hang back. I can just spot her up ahead walking on the shoulder.

I see when she turns into my lot and disappears from sight. When I pull in, I find her waiting for me at the shop door.

I park and walk over to her. Her eyes are red from crying, and her cheeks are pink from the exertion of walking home in the cold.

I look her in the eye. “Robyn, I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to go behind your back and ask Jenny to hire you. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m sorry, too,” she says. “I shouldn’t have jumped on you like that. I know you were only trying to help me. Still, you shouldn’t have done it.”

I refrain from smiling at her half-apology, half-not. “Please don’t hold it against Jenny,” I say. “She was only doing what I asked her to do.”

“I don’t blame her.”

“So, do you accept my apology?”

She smiles reluctantly. “Yes. I know you meant well, but I don’t want charity from you.”

“Got it.” On impulse, I add, “What do you want from me?”

“Just be upfront with me. No secrets.”

“I will.” I brush back her windblown hair, tucking some loose strands behind her ear. “I promise.”

She draws in a swift breath and takes a step closer so that she’s standing right in front of me. When the tip of her tongue slips out to wet her bottom lip, my brain misfires, and my heart starts pounding. “And, it wouldn’t hurt if you kissed me,” she says.

“You don’t have to ask me twice.” I kiss her then, relieved that she’s no longer mad at me.

I reach out to cup the back of her head and pull her closer. She reaches up and cups my cheek.

We break apart when we hear a shrill whistle coming from inside the garage. I roll my eyes. “That’s Tony.”

She smiles. “I guess I’ll go to the cabin, while you finish up work.”

I’m tempted to go with her right now, but I need to make more progress on her car. “I’ll see you later. How about tacos for dinner tonight? You like tacos, right?” I’m not above bribing her with food.

Her eyes narrow on me as if she suspects this is a trick question. “Yes.”

“Good. I’ll see you at six.”

Pete and Tony are both busy with work when I walk into the garage bay in my coveralls and get back to working on Robyn’s transmission. The radio’s playing a 1970s music station. Damn, they had good music in the 70s.

I focus on the project at hand, going through the motions I’ve performed a hundred times as I listen to the music with half an ear, while my brain is fixated on the girl in my cabin. She’s independent and strong-willed. She’s proud and clearly offended by the idea of someone giving her charity. I know a lot of girls who like it when a guy takes the reins, but Robyn is different. Which means I need to be different.

Margie is just locking up the office for the day when she comes to the connecting door and pokes her head in. “Micah?”

There’s something in the tone of her voice that makes me stop what I’m doing to give her my full attention. She looks unsure. Nervous even. “What is it, Margie?”

“You said to keep a look out for an SUV with darkly-tinted windows.”

My heart skips a beat. “Yes? What about it?”

“There are two of them parked across the road right now.”

Two? Shit. “Did you see anyone?”

“No.”

I step into the office with Margie. Sure enough, there are two black SUVs parked on the shoulder of the road across from my shop. “ Fuck. Margie, lock all the doors. Turn off all the lights and close the blinds.” I pop my head into the garage and yell, “Close the garage doors now !”

Pete looks up from whatever he’s doing, takes one look at my face, and jumps to it. He rushes to the controls and pushes the buttons to lower the doors.

Tony glances over at me. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve got trouble out front.” I call Chris. “They’re back. Two SUVs out front right now. We’re locking everything down.”

“Where’s Robyn?” he asks.

“She’s in the cabin.” I need to warn her to stay put and turn on the security system.

“I’m on my way, with backup,” he says.

“Thanks. Come in hot. The sirens might chase them off.” I hang up and call Jack. “They’re back. Two vehicles this time.”

“ Fuck! I’m coming. Where’s Robyn?”

“In the cabin.”

“Micah!” Margie’s shout as she peers through a gap in the blinds turns my blood cold.

As soon as I reach her side, I gaze through the gap she’s using to see that the SUVs have moved closer. They’re in my parking lot now. All their doors open and four men dressed in black, their faces covered with ski masks, stream out of the SUVs and take cover behind their vehicles.

Pete and Tony rush into the front office.

“Micah, what the fuck?” Tony asks as he peers outside. “What do we do now?”

“Tony, go get my Glock from the top desk drawer in my office. Bring the extra ammo, too.”

Tony races off to do as I asked.

When he returns, I tell Margie, “I want you to go into my office and lock the door. Turn the lights off and stay away from the windows until one of us comes to get you.”

Pete joins me at the window. “Did you call someone?”

“Yes. The sheriff and Jack.”

“Micah, there’s four of them and three of us. And we have only two guns.”

“I know.” I dial Robyn’s phone. She answers on the first ring

“Hey!” she says. “Were your ears burning? I was just thinking about you.”

“Robyn, they’re here, and they’re armed. Make sure the alarm is set and get your gun. Make sure it’s loaded.”

She’s silent for a moment. “Micah?” Her voice is shaking.

“Just do it, sweetheart. I’ve called for backup. Hang tight. Everything’ll be all right. They don’t know where you are.”

When the shooting starts, I end the call. The perps open fire on the shop, shooting out the big plate glass windows in an attempt to intimidate us.

The driver of one of the vehicles signals to two others to break away from the vehicles and flank the building, one on each side. They’re probably looking for another way in. But I realize as soon as they reach the back of the building, they’ll see the cabin. It won’t take much for them to realize Robyn might be in there.

I text Robyn.

They’re coming your way. Run and hide. You know where to go.

Tony’s at my side, holding my backup Glock. He sets a box of ammo on Margie’s desk. “There was only one box.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t exactly planning on a siege.”

We hear sirens approaching now, which means things are going to get even more interesting real fast.

More shots are fired from the SUVs, shattering what’s left of the front windows, forcing us back to stay out of sight.

One of the perps rushes the front of the shop, heading for the front door. He’s armed, giving me no choice other than to fire. I was hoping to avoid this, but I can’t risk Margie and the guys getting hurt. I fire, hitting him square in the chest. He drops to the ground, writhing in pain as blood pools on the ground beneath him. I’m surprised he’s not wearing bullet-proof armor. These guys are amateurs. Deadly amateurs.

“Shit,” Tony says. “They’re not fucking around.”

“No, they’re not.”

A shot rings out, and Tony flies backward, hitting the ground hard. “Oh, man,” he groans, clutching his shoulder as bright red blood seeps through his fingers. “Those fuckers shot me.”

I drop to the floor beside him to examine the wound. “Pete, grab some towels, quick!”

Pete hands me a couple of hand towels. I fold them in half and press them to the wound. Tony cries out in pain.

“Pete, apply pressure to the wound.”

Chris arrives on the scene, along with two more police cars. They park behind the SUVs, pinning them in. Now the remaining gunman is facing two fronts—the shop and the cops behind him.

My blood runs cold when I hear gunfire coming from behind the building. “Pete, keep pressure on Tony’s wound until the medics get here. I’m going after Robyn.”