Chapter 719 Chapter 719
Oaklyn wrestled with the key. It was worn and she had to fiddle with it each time she unlocked the car.
“Do you think we could go grab something to eat? You know hot and, on a plate, not from a package?”
She looked over the roof at him. When was the last time she’d had a real meal? She couldn’t remember. Eating would be a good idea. Her animal was having a fit inside her. Shifting burned all calories, so she needed to eat to settle her down.
He pointed. “There’s a little restaurant over there.”
Turning, she looked at it. It was one of those that probably had someone’s grandmama in the kitchen cooking. Her stomach rumbled. “Sure. I don’t see why not.” She smiled at him. “We’ll just leave your bag in the car.”
He looked at it and then shrugged. “Okay. Not like anyone is going to try to steal this.” He gave the car a funny look.
“She’s old, but it's better than parking your fanny on a bus for endless hours.”
Zain grinned. “Sounds like you’ve had a few bus rides.”
“A few.” She’d actually done what he had when she’d made the break from her clan. Rode on buses going every which way for four days. By the end of it, she didn’t even know which way was up, so the chances of someone following her were very slim, if not a negative number.
After the run, they were both hungry. Oaklyn let Zain order first because she wasn’t sure what she wanted. Aside from meat and eggs, the menu seemed lacking to her. She hadn’t been home in a very long time and still missed hush puppies. She settled on hashbrowns, but they wouldn’t compare to what she’d rather be eating.
She had never been in a restaurant that had a flowering plant on every table. Flowers, yes. Fake arrangements, sure. Real, fragrant plants was new. She didn’t mind it at all. The scent made her think of spring and anything but the snow outside was a good thing. She sipped her tea and watched him look around every few seconds. Normally, she was the paranoid one watching for someone.
When he paused from scanning the place, he looked at her and shrugged. “A little nervous.”
She tried not to grin but failed. “I noticed.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “The last week has been tense for me.”
“And why is that?”
He looked over at the window to the kitchen. “It’s hard to explain.”
“I don’t know how long it will take to get to this factory, but I believe we have time.”
His eyes flicked back to her for a long assessment. “I don’t know you. I don’t trust people I don’t know.”
“Ditto.” She sat back and held his stare.
“Why don’t you trust people?” He inhaled deeply and then exhaled through his nose. Even though he sat back, she could see in his jaw how tense he was.
“That’s a sorted affair. Many reasons.”
He nodded slowly, but she could tell by the look on his face, he wasn’t going to let it go. What was he really digging for?
“So, you’re on one of the teams? What do you do?”
He glanced out the window and looked around. “I coordinate supplies, trips—” He shrugged. “I work a lot with Shepard Addison.” He jerked his head and looked around inside the restaurant, almost as if he shouldn’t have said his name.
“I look forward to meeting him someday.” She knew better than to toss around the word king around in public.
Zain studied her for a moment, his eyes narrowed briefly before he blanked his expression. “How much has Calum told you about things that are going on?”
She smiled. “We’re not best friends or anything. I just help him out from time to time when he’s busy doin’ other things.”
He nodded his head slowly, a look of deep thought on his face. “So, you don’t know what the teams are doing lately?”
“Do I need to know?”
The waitress came over and set their food on the table. Oaklyn smiled her thanks at her.
Zain rearranged his plate and cutlery, even his cup of coffee then looked at her. “I know he trusts you, or you wouldn’t be taking us where you are—but don’t expect me to share information.”
That intrigued her. Something was going on that could affect her plans for the future, and she needed to know if it was going to ruin her chances of being accepted by the Alliance community. “I see.” She unrolled the paper napkin with her knife and fork in it. “My wish is to be part of one of those teams someday.”
“Really?” He stabbed the sausage on his plate. “Calum knows this?”
Oaklyn nodded and then cut a piece of the hashbrown. She knew it would fill the grease taste she missed, but the flavor was not going to satisfy her at all. Zain liked to talk. Maybe if she just gave him a few crumbs and then let the silence settle between them, he would talk right into the information she wanted to know. “I left my clan because I did not want to mate with a man I did not like.” She put the food in her mouth and chewed it slowly. Definitely needed salt.
His forehead puckered as he digested that little tidbit she’d just dropped. All she needed to do now was let him stew with that and decide that she could be trusted. “I can see by your expression you don’t want to discuss the details.” He relaxed a wee bit. “I just have one question, and then we’ll put a pin in that conversation.”
She didn’t know what exactly he meant but gave him a curious look.
“Was he your mate? Your real one?”
Shaking her head, she picked up her toast and dabbed it into her egg.
“Okay. Well, I’m glad you got away from that situation.” He gave her a quick, fake smile, and then he dug into his food like he hadn’t eaten in a few days.
~
He didn’t pause to say much throughout the meal. When he set his fork down, he looked out the window. “Your car is going to make it, right?”
She gave him a wide-eyed look. “I hope so. She runs fine once it’s going. Just has a few issues starting and stopping.”
“Your brakes…”
“No, the engine.”
“Oh.” He screwed up his face for a brief moment. “I may have an alternative.”
“If you have a car, why were you on the bus?”
He tidied up his plate and other dishes and pushed them to the edge of the table. “I didn’t say I had a car. I said I had alternatives. I’ll check my list when we’re in the car, but we can probably adjust our route to get one of the—” He glanced around. “—Alliance,” he whispered, “vehicles.”
Oaklyn hadn’t expected that. He couldn’t be some office nobody if he had lists for things like that. “You have a list that tells you that?”
Taking out his wallet, he pulled out some bills and dropped them on the table. “Vehicles, safe houses, supply stashes.” He shrugged and stood up.
“How do you know all this?”
His smile was quick. “I arrange it all.” Turning on his heel, he nodded to the waitress and went out the door.
Oaklyn blinked a few times and then followed him. He arranged all of those things? Who was this man? And what had spooked him enough to take off?
She had to fiddle with the key again to get the door unlocked. When she opened hers to unlock his, he smiled at her across the roof. He was a strange one.
Opening his door, he grabbed his bag. “Hey, why don’t you run back in and get a couple of coffees to go.” He crinkled up his nose. “Or tea. I’m just going to get in touch with my team, so they stop worrying.”
She exhaled. Now, he was making sense. She nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
“Mmhmm.” He was looking at his phone.