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Little Toy Bikers and a Woman on the Run

Chapter 132 Deal

After finishing his dance demo, Jax sat down on the bed near Scarlett's legs facing her. She was sitting with her back against the wall with a pillow behind her.

For some unknown reason, her heart was beating too fast and she was scared. She had no idea why she was feeling this way. Her emotions were not supposed to get out of control. She needed to focus on pitching her idea to Jax. It had to be done just right.

"My father is going to find a physiotherapy place for me to go to. It will probably be an hour away. I figure that I will need four hours to account for the driving time and therapy time. It will probably be less than four hours, but that's the most time I think I will need. Therapy works better if I go more often for fewer weeks, but I'm pretty messed up. I think in six to eight weeks though, I'll be strong enough to drive myself. I want to pay you for driving me to therapy," Scarlett paused and studied Jax's face for a moment to learn whether or not her pitch was working, but Jax's face was impassive.

"You want eight hours of my time for six to eight weeks just to drive you to therapy appointments?"

"It's a little more involved. I need a different car to go with the Annie identity. It needs to be stored somewhere outside Charming, so Annie can't get traced back here. I'll change my appearance and do the car switch. After therapy, I'll switch back. I could hire a driver, but I would have to hide the fact that I'm using a different identity for medical treatment. It's safer for me to have you help me."

"How much were you thinking about paying me?"

"Five thousand."

Jax raised an eyebrow.

"Five thousand for forty-eight to sixty-four hours?"

"No," Scarlett shook her head. "That wouldn't be fair to you. You would have to get off work and that time would have to be blocked into your schedule. It may not always be convenient. I'll try to make it fit into your schedule as much as possible, but you would have to treat it like a real job. I was thinking five thousand each time you drive me."

"That's a lot of money."

"It's for keeping my therapy appointments secret too. It's no one's business whether I'm getting medical treatment or not. After what happened a few months ago, I just want to keep anything medical secret and in a different name. I don't think it's dangerous or anything. I just don't want anyone to know about the identity switch."

When Scarlett decided to ask Jax to drive her, she was unsure of how much money to offer him. She didn't want to offer too little and make him think she wasn't valuing his time and she was afraid to offer too much because she didn't want him to think she was trying to buy him.

"Make it seven thousand each time and you have a deal."

"Done," Scarlett said, heaving a sigh of relief. "I'll also give you an additional seven thousand for finding a car and a place to store it. I can pay you in cash or a business check so you don't have to launder the money or any combination of cash and checks."

"You understand money laundering?"

"Jax, I used to be an accountant," Scarlett said with a smile. "My father and I have been laundering money for the last four years. All the money we took from my ex, has to be laundered. That's why I need a business. It's also the real reason I'm scrapping the coffee shop business. I can run a lot more money through a home décor business."

"Damn, Scarlett, I think you just might be a bigger or better outlaw than me."

"Maybe."

"You are terrible at negotiations though. I can't believe you didn't make a counter offer."

"Money doesn't do me any good if I'm dead. I'd rather pay you what you want than save money. I got what I wanted. That's success to me."

"I plan on getting what I want too," Jax said in a husky whisper.

She knew he wasn't talking about money. Her back injury was saving her from doing something she might regret, but just might enjoy.

I never fall in love, she reminded herself.