4

Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

Chapter 24 Recall

Scarlett told Jax that she needed to make a call privately and left him. The shaking in her hands as she entered the phone number into her cell was nothing compared to the trembling that was going on inside her. This could be the call that would force her to run again.

"I got your text," Scarlett said.

"I think I know how he found you. That job you had was the first one you had with medical benefits."

"That's why this call was urgent?"

"Uh-huh."

Scarlett let out a long sigh. She had been holding her breath without realizing it.

"I was imagining worse. I'm relieved," she said. "You think he found me through some data breach? He wouldn't have known the name I was using."

"No, I think he had someone bribe people at major health insurance companies. How many girls your height, age, eye color have your surgical history?"

Scarlett thought about that for a few moments.

"The doctor I was seeing had my medical history. I wouldn't think that would go to the insurance company."

"You had a lot of physio on your back a few months before that event."

That event was a reference to Scarlett finding her co-workers dead a few months ago.

"You're right. They could have come up with a pool of possibles that roughly matched my physical description who had physio."

"That would be a manageable number to investigate."

"That's a relief. I couldn't figure out how he could have found me. I have been so careful."

"If you need medical attention, use a different name and pay cash. That way you will fly under the internet radar."

"I messed up my back a little. I was thinking about getting some physio."

"And that's why this was an urgent call."

Scarlett smiled.

"Thanks, dad. Love you."

"Be careful. Love you too."

Scarlett ended the phone call. As she walked through the crowds, slowly and painfully, to catch up to Jax, she was considering what she was going to tell him.

If she made no mention of the call, it would give her some mystery. That could be useful. She could also make up a story about the phone call and tell him that. That would make her look honest and straight forward. She decided to take the second approach mainly because she'd never tried it.

She saw a couple of girls clustered around a tall blonde guy with his back to her. She wondered how many seconds it took before the first girl attached herself to him. Scarlett walked around so she was facing him.

Jax shooed the girls away and Scarlett shook her head and smiled at Jax.

"You didn't have to get rid of your groupies on my account," Scarlett said.

"I'd rather just be with you," Jax said. For a moment, he seemed taken aback by this admission.

"Yeah, I don't like crowds much either."

Jax took her elbow and he led her to an empty picnic table. He moved the bench so Scarlett could sit with her back to the picnic table using the table top's edge to support her back. He then helped her sit down, letting her use his arm to lower her body to the bench in stages.

He did surprise her with how thoughtfully and gently he treated her. She wouldn't have expected that kind of treatment from a badass biker. He knew that she wasn't going to sleep with him, but he still spent time with her anyway. Maybe there was more to Jax Teller than she initially thought.

He brought hot dogs and Cokes and they sat at the picnic table. Scarlett told her about the phone call from her father. She explained that her mother had suffered a stroke and she was afraid her father was calling to tell bad news about her mother. Instead, he just wanted her to know that they were going on a trip to New Orleans and to call on their cell phones if she needed to reach them.

Scarlett had already come up with this back story when she created her new identity. She discovered it was easier to make up a complete new identity instead of making up pieces of it as needed.

When they got back to her motel, Jax came inside briefly.

"I had a great time today," Scarlett said.

She had that awkward, uncomfortable feeling she always got on a date. She wasn't really dating Jax, she reminded herself. He was a means to an end. She was targeting him, not dating him. That's different.

"I did too with the possible exception of when you left me alone with my ex."

"Will you ever forgive me for that?"

"Possibly after I loofah you."

"You are a cruel man, Jax Teller."

"May I kiss you good-night?"

Scarlett tipped her head back and looked at Jax from half-closed eyes while she thought about it.

"OK."

"Such enthusiasm," Jax said with a little sarcasm.

He tilted her chin up and kissed her lightly one the cheek. He grinned letting her know that he knew she expected more of a kiss.

"That's the best you can do?" she demanded.

"That's the best you're getting tonight. Now be a good girl, take your medication for your back, get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning."

"I didn't think guys liked good girls."

"I like good girls. They're the only ones worth chasing."

"Are you chasing me?"

"What do you think, darlin'?"