I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(10)

“Very true.” She nodded. “I like running better though.” She pulled herself out of the pool and I couldn’t help admire her form. She might be skinny, but her muscles were lean and tight. No doubt from all the running. Water cascaded off her curved legs as she reached for her towel. I noticed a thick scar on her left calf muscle and wanted to know the story behind it. It was probably some childhood accident that made for a great tale.

I pulled myself out of the water, hoping I looked half as hot as she did.

“So if you like running so much, why do you bother swimming?” I grabbed my towel and rubbed my face dry.

“Because I’m afraid of the water.” Her voice sounded a little distant and as I pulled my towel away I noticed the end of her expression. She was tucking it away behind a closed mouth smile, but I didn’t miss the flicker in her blue eyes. She hadn’t meant to tell me that.

I smiled, it was my soft mushy one. I could tell. Man, I was so glad Elliot wasn’t here right now.

She waved her hand, going for nonchalant. “It’s no big deal, I just don’t like to let things beat me.”

“That’s really cool.” I nodded, adding another piece to the Dani puzzle.

I knew I was right about her strength, but that look I caught…the tail end of her slip up. I was right about her fragility as well. I just wished I knew why it was there.

She was a strong, confident girl. What did she have to be afraid of?





Chapter 6





LUCY


February 2009





It was near midnight. The only reason Lucy knew that was because the quiet diner she walked into had a round white clock on the wall behind the cash register.

She placed the crumpled five dollar note she’d found in the parking lot on the counter.

“What do you want?” asked the gum chewing waitress with tight curls and a sour frown.

“Um, a Coke and is that enough for a bowl of fries?”

The woman looked at the note then back up at Lucy, the corner of her mouth twitched as she reached for the bill. “It might even be enough for a burger too,” she muttered.

Lucy could have cried on the spot.

“Thank you,” she managed to mouth before heading to a booth in the corner. She sat with her back against the wall and crossed her grimy arms. Every inch of her felt disgusting. She picked at the dirt beneath her fingernails and ran a hand through her greasy tendrils. She was sure she looked and smelled like a homeless tramp.

It tore her gut to think the homeless part was right. Fear swirled though her system every time her mind wandered towards the future and what it held for her. Taking in a few quick breaths through her nose, she kept the tears at bay and jumped from the booth.

She made a beeline for the bathroom and spent a few minutes washing her hands and face. Her movements were frantic and jerky, but that’s all she seemed to manage at the moment. If she stayed still for too long her mind would conjure up crystal clear images that were soul destroying.

Her mother’s screaming would forever ring in her ears.

The way her father’s limp body flopped as he was kicked by his killer had been permanently embedded in her memory.

The sick fear on his face as he told her to hide.

Had he known he was about to die?

Lucy stopped the questions before they could go any further. She didn’t want to think about what he had on the tall murderer. She didn’t want to think about the fact that her father had inadvertently gotten himself and his wife killed. He said he feared the risks and he had every right to.

Lucy shut off the faucet with a sharp snap and gazed at herself in the mirror.

Thirteen.

She was a kid.

A wild-eyed, pale, pasty kid.

Her fingers shook as she rearranged her long tendrils of hair, knowing she needed to get back into the diner before she missed her first proper meal in what felt like forever. She didn’t know how long she’d been running for. She guessed about a week.

The first night was a blur of tears and fear. When her bare feet were near bleeding, she stumbled into a crop of trees on the edge of a park. Huddling against a tree trunk, she disappeared into the shadows, wrapping her trembling arms around herself and praying it was just a dream.

But the sun rose and her haunted sleep was brought to a terrifying end. The light exposed her, making her feel vulnerable. She’d crept through the park, ducking out of sight whenever she heard the slightest noise. Much to her disdain, she’d jumped a fence and pilfered someone’s clothesline. Three houses later, she’d stolen a pair of sneakers. They fit okay considering she was wearing socks that were too big for her.

Adjusting the black T-shirt and straightening the rain jacket, she eased back into the diner, sliding into her booth as the meal was placed before her.

Her mouth filled with saliva.

“Your first since running away, huh?” Sourface’s expression had softened considerably.

“I guess.” Lucy kept her eyes on the burger.

“You look pretty young, you sure you don’t want to head back home?”

“I’m sure,” she croaked.

“I can call your parents or someone else if you need me to.”

“No, that’s okay.” Lucy finally looked up. “I’ll be fine.” She pushed a smile over her lips, but she knew it didn’t even look like one. She was too worn and ragged to pull off anything.