“It’s not as bad as it sounds. He didn’t like me at first,” she admitted. “That’s why I’m called ‘Slick’. He thought I was a con artist playing Maria for a job. And on some level I kind of was. Chris offered me a place to stay to keep an eye on me. Then we kind of ended up falling for each other. I moved in right after that, because he said it wasn’t right to take my money.”
Abby smiled. “Well, that’s a hell of a story. People meet each other in all kinds of ways.” On the side of the road, she thought, but kept to herself.
As if Sarah had heard her she suddenly said, “You want to know about Tex.”
Abby took a sip of water. “Is it that obvious?”
“No. I mean, we could be friends. That could be why you’re here. In fact, I really hope we get to be. But, yeah, if I were you, in your shoes, I’d want to know about Tex, too.”
“So, you know,” Abby said, letting it hang in the air in case she was wrong.
Sarah nodded. “He’s pretty open about it. I mean, I don’t know details or anything. But he was always honest with me about...how he is.”
“So, everyone else knows, too? Your husband, the guys at the garage?”
“Yeah. Chris says Mark’s a brother, part of the unit, and so whether he’s gay or straight or...kinky....we just deal with it because we love him.”
“So, you and Chris aren’t...” Abby let the question hang in the air.
“No!” Sarah said immediately. “I mean, no, we aren’t. I could never do that.” Abby frowned at Sarah’s words. “I didn’t mean it like that,” Sarah said quietly. “I meant, I can’t ever do anything like that.”
Sarah picked up a napkin and fiddled with it. “I...well, I don’t like to talk about it, but most people around here know because it was on the news. I was attacked.”
Abby felt her gut twist. “Oh, Sarah.”
“It was years ago. Well, the first time was years ago. I got away, but my boyfriend at the time, he didn’t make it. And I was afraid the man who’d taken us would find me again, so I ran. That’s why I lived in all those places. To stay hidden. And, like I said, I went into a bookstore in Denver and picked up a travel guide with a photo of the Black Hills on the cover and then I bought a bus ticket.
“I met Maria, who gave me a job. And then Chris, who gave me a place to live. And he didn’t like me at first, but then after a while he could see there was something wrong with me. The more we spent time together, the more he figured out on his own. He swore he’d keep me safe, and he did, for a long time. But the man who...raped me...found me again here in Rapid City.”
“Oh, no,” Abby said quietly, reaching for Sarah’s hand. The other woman took it and squeezed, gratefully.
“That’s how people here know about it,” Sarah told Abby. “Because he came to Chris’ house when I was alone and kidnapped me again. I had to kill him,” she whispered.
“Sarah, I’m so sorry. I hadn’t heard any of this. I would never have asked you-”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. But I told you that so you’d understand me when I tell you that when I first came here, besides Chris, Mark was the only other man I bonded with. I mean I got along with Hawk and Caleb. Jimmy and I had a rough start, but we figured it out. But I really liked Mark. He was honest with me about who he was and that he was disappointed that I wasn’t his type of girl.” Sarah smiled. “He likes my cooking.”
Abby made a face. “I can’t cook.”
“No, but you work on cars and believe me, he’s fascinated by it.”
“Really?”
Sarah nodded. “They have Thursday night poker at our place every week, and Tex is always talking about your car and how much you’ve done to it already. Anyway, whatever Tex is into, I was always comfortable around him. And when things got really bad for me and my situation, Chris told Tex if
Abby smiled. “Well, that’s a hell of a story. People meet each other in all kinds of ways.” On the side of the road, she thought, but kept to herself.
As if Sarah had heard her she suddenly said, “You want to know about Tex.”
Abby took a sip of water. “Is it that obvious?”
“No. I mean, we could be friends. That could be why you’re here. In fact, I really hope we get to be. But, yeah, if I were you, in your shoes, I’d want to know about Tex, too.”
“So, you know,” Abby said, letting it hang in the air in case she was wrong.
Sarah nodded. “He’s pretty open about it. I mean, I don’t know details or anything. But he was always honest with me about...how he is.”
“So, everyone else knows, too? Your husband, the guys at the garage?”
“Yeah. Chris says Mark’s a brother, part of the unit, and so whether he’s gay or straight or...kinky....we just deal with it because we love him.”
“So, you and Chris aren’t...” Abby let the question hang in the air.
“No!” Sarah said immediately. “I mean, no, we aren’t. I could never do that.” Abby frowned at Sarah’s words. “I didn’t mean it like that,” Sarah said quietly. “I meant, I can’t ever do anything like that.”
Sarah picked up a napkin and fiddled with it. “I...well, I don’t like to talk about it, but most people around here know because it was on the news. I was attacked.”
Abby felt her gut twist. “Oh, Sarah.”
“It was years ago. Well, the first time was years ago. I got away, but my boyfriend at the time, he didn’t make it. And I was afraid the man who’d taken us would find me again, so I ran. That’s why I lived in all those places. To stay hidden. And, like I said, I went into a bookstore in Denver and picked up a travel guide with a photo of the Black Hills on the cover and then I bought a bus ticket.
“I met Maria, who gave me a job. And then Chris, who gave me a place to live. And he didn’t like me at first, but then after a while he could see there was something wrong with me. The more we spent time together, the more he figured out on his own. He swore he’d keep me safe, and he did, for a long time. But the man who...raped me...found me again here in Rapid City.”
“Oh, no,” Abby said quietly, reaching for Sarah’s hand. The other woman took it and squeezed, gratefully.
“That’s how people here know about it,” Sarah told Abby. “Because he came to Chris’ house when I was alone and kidnapped me again. I had to kill him,” she whispered.
“Sarah, I’m so sorry. I hadn’t heard any of this. I would never have asked you-”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. But I told you that so you’d understand me when I tell you that when I first came here, besides Chris, Mark was the only other man I bonded with. I mean I got along with Hawk and Caleb. Jimmy and I had a rough start, but we figured it out. But I really liked Mark. He was honest with me about who he was and that he was disappointed that I wasn’t his type of girl.” Sarah smiled. “He likes my cooking.”
Abby made a face. “I can’t cook.”
“No, but you work on cars and believe me, he’s fascinated by it.”
“Really?”
Sarah nodded. “They have Thursday night poker at our place every week, and Tex is always talking about your car and how much you’ve done to it already. Anyway, whatever Tex is into, I was always comfortable around him. And when things got really bad for me and my situation, Chris told Tex if
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