Stuck in the damn one horse town. That's all I'd ever felt, the town was dead, the people were dead, and life was dead. The damn depression made sure of that, all it ever was anymore was hot, so goddamn hot you didn't, no couldn't do anything but pray it would be over. Except wait, you had to find a way to get a job, let alone keep the job so you could stay in the goddamned house in the goddamned one horse town. Lucky to have the job as a waitress, that's what they all said, she was lucky she even had the job. Hell, there's no denying a job is better then no job. But I had plans to leave, to live, to have that grand adventure, but nothing ever happened in the damned one horse town. Something had to give, anything, but something had to happen before I died of boredom.
The sound of a car door opening drew me from the inner ravings. Her mother was asleep with a migraine, besides the old bat couldn't drive the car even if she wanted to. Quickly I stepped to the window, the thing was open to try to get some air in the hot room, of course there wasn't any wind though. No that would make life a little more bearable, therefore it would never happen. Down by the car there was the most handsome man I had ever seen, he looked like he walked right out of a big city and had the money to have fun living up there. I backed away from the window, it took all of three seconds to decide to go talk to the man, decides what could he do? Shoot me? Good it would put me out of my misery. I ran to the closet to grab a dress to put on then ran down the steps to the front door.
He was still there, checking out the car, as if he was deciding what to do with it. I stepped out onto the porch and let the screen door fall shut with a bang. "Are you really gonna steal an old ladies car?"
When he looked up my eyes met the single most beautiful shade of green they had ever seen, he was even more handsome in person then he was from the window. He smirked at me, "Well I was thinking about it, you see I need the car to complete a jail break. I have some friends that need sprung."
I walked down the steps slowly towards him; up close he looked awfully familiar like I had seen his face somewhere. The man wasn't lying I could tell that much, he intended to really spring some men from jail. "What's your name?"
His eyes traveled my body from head to toe and stopped again on my face, "Evan. So you gonna call the cops? Or just stand there and look pretty?"
He stood the picture of ease in my front yard, about to steal my mamma's car, telling me about how he was going to stage a break out at the pen. "Neither. Take me with you." I stepped closer to him. Evan he said was his name, but it was a lie, I knew it was. The name didn't role off of his tongue like it should have if it were his.
He had the nerve to laugh out loud, "Sorry girl, no can do. I don't take problems with me. And you look like you would be a problem." He smirked, "Then again you sure have a lot of nerve. Do you have a name?"
"Yes. I wouldn't be a problem. I can shoot, and I won't squeal. As soon as we get to a city I'll be gone."
"How do you know I'm going to a city?" he smirked again.
"You sure as hell don't belong out here in the sticks, besides you look like the criminal type, no crime out here." I took another step closer; I could reach out and touch him if I wanted. And boy did I want to, but the little voice in my head said not to.
"What's your name girl?" he leaned against the car.
"Alice Brandon. And you need a car and I need out of this town. I think we can help each other out." I leaned against the car next to him and glanced up from through my eyelashes.
As momma would say I was playing with fire and would get burned. Hell she would say I was making a deal with Satan himself. At that moment I realized I didn't care if I got burned, this man drew me to him, and I couldn't stand another minute in this town. It all worked out in my head. He stared at me, as if he was thinking and calculating the risks of me coming along. Of how far I would go, and the biggest if, if I would sell him and his friends out. I had no idea who this man was, what type of crime he was in. But I guess it doesn't matter. Still something about him looked so familiar, like I had seen his face thousands of times without really paying much attention to it.
"Well Miss Brandon looks like you're coming with me don't it?" he walked to the other side of the car to open the door for me to get in. I walked over and slid into the seat, "Don't cross me."
That was my warning, the only warning I would get I supposed. He walked over to the driver's side and started the car. He drove out to the main highway, out of town. "So Evan, where are you from?" The name stuck in my throat for a second, his real name wanting to come out if only I knew it.
He looked over at me, "It's Jasper. Jasper Whitlock. Not Evan."
I could feel my eyes grow wide at his omission. The Jasper Whitlock. He had robbed so many banks, killed people. That was where I saw his face, the wanted posters, the picture. "Well then Mr. Whitlock, where are you from?"
He laughed out loud, "So you're not gonna high tail it and run? Not going to want a picture?"
I stared at him, "Nope. I told you, I want out of that stupid town, hell I want out of this goddamned state. You are my ticket out." His hands tightened on the steering wheel. "I still won't sell you out, I won't tell no one."
He smirked again, "Missouri. I'm from Missouri. And I don't think that you Ms. Brandon are ever going to have the chance to tell anyone a thing. Want to know why?"
Suddenly I was nervous, afraid of what he might do to me. I was alone with him in the middle of no where, with nothing but the clothes on my back. "Why?"
The smirk grew more pronounced as I stuttered through my response, "I don't think I'm going to let you go. I see something I like, and when I do I have to have it."
I felt my cheeks get warm over what he had said, "I don't think I quite understand you Mr. Griswold."
"I could take care of you. Give you anything you ever wanted. Make you so happy. All you have to do is agree, and not walk out on me." He turned his head to look at my face.
I knew that my face would give my shock, my surprise, all of my feelings away. "But I don't even know you. You don't know me."
"I grew up in a small town in Missouri, my mother died when I was young, my father, well he hated me. I worked my younger years, then I robbed a general store. Spent nine years in the federal pen for it. And as they say, well the rest if history. Or I'm sure you at least know the rest. What more is there to know?" he looked over at me again.
Jasper Whitlock wanted me to be his girl, why the hell was I stalling? He could give me anything and everything that I could ever want. Not leaving him was not a steep price, loving him would be easy. Just from hearing about him on the radio and the papers I had a small crush on him. Being in the car with him, the man was charming, disarmingly so. So what held me back? All of it, I would get to live in the city, have the wealth that I wanted, or at least the life that I wanted. What stopped me? I knew what it was, I refused to be arm candy. I was better then that.
"I want in on it. All of it."
He immediately knew what I was talking about. "Hell no. You could get hurt, or killed. No."
I smirked at him, "Give me a trial run with this little jail spring, trust me."
He looked over at me for a few minutes, effectively scaring the crap outta me. "Watch the road!" I yelled as he swerved to avoid another car.
He smirked at me, "You ain't got what it takes to spring a man from jail. You may in time, but you ain't got it now Ms. Brandon." He looked out at the empty dirt road that stretched between empty dust bowl towns in the Texas pan handle. "You could help me out though."
I tried my damnedest not to look like I was too pleased with myself. Just act cool and collected. "And what would that be?" I quirked an eyebrow at him.
"All you got to do is distract some of the fine law men while a spring some guys. And when you hear something bolt." He paused and looked at me again, "and I mean bolt. I don't mind leaving you behind."
All that about being his girl. About wanting me, it was all a load of crap I could've known it. I pouted, tough I was, but I am girl through and through. And golly to be built up like that then thrown out with yesterday's garbage, well I was better then pig slop. "Look here Mr. Whitlock, you may be used to being all high and mighty out in the city. But guess what you can't push me around. I'm either in this or not. You can't be a pushy bastard and not expect someone to react. You don't rule the world." I yelled out my rant.
Momma always said I needed to learn to control my temper. But lord almighty if this man didn't infuriate me. He quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road. As soon as the car was stopped he got out and slammed the door behind him. Ah hell, I'd pissed off the world's most notorious bank robber and murderer. I'd pissed him off in the middle of no where with no help or witnesses.
He was over at my side of the car and wrenching open the door in seconds. His face was a mask of fury where minutes ago had been a calm cool demeanor. I know understood the feared man. He pulled me roughly out of the car. "Now look here you one horse town no body. Do you realize exactly who I am? Well do you?" He shook my arm.
I nodded slowly.
"Well good. Let my tell you something I can have anything I want in this entire goddamned country, cause it's there for my taking. I will get what I want and no one will get in my way. Understand me? Especially not some little tart from nowhere that hasn't proven shit yet. If you plan on mouthing off like that I suggest that you find a way to get back to that piece of crap life you was living. It may have worked for them boys but you ain't gonna rule me."
I stared at him in shock. No one had ever spoken to me that way. I always had the upper hand. It was unsettling being on the other side. "Let go of my arm, that will bruise." I yanked my arm free. I'd be damned if I'd apologize to this man that was infuriatingly attractive. I walked back to my seat in the car and sat glaring at him. "I thought you had some men to break out?" I sneered at him.
And just like the first time he was over to me to seconds pulling me from the car. "You got a smart mouth girl." He pressed himself closer to me.
"I ain't dumb Mr. Whitlock." I pressed back against him.
He smirked at me, "You'll do fine Alice. You'll do fine."
"What the hell is that-" He cut my off with his mouth pressing on to mine.
His lips forced mine open as our tongues met and battled. His hands released there grip on my arms and traveled down to my hips and further down to my backside. His hands gripped me and lifted me off the ground so that I had to wrap my legs around his waist. His mouth left mine.
"Can you shoot?" he asked.
I winked at him, "Of course. I can hit a can at fifty yards."