STALKED AND STOLEN

Chapter 22

Please remember these are first drafts. I do apologise if you come across any plot holes or issues
-

He had been in conversation with another young man in matching clothing. They were both laughing, but when he saw me he stopped, and his smile slowly disappeared. He stood up straight from leaning against the car and twisted a spanner he was holding around his fingers. He looked scruffy, in grey coveralls, his hands coated with oil and a streak of it down his cheek.

“Give me some privacy, will yous.” he said.

The group of men all looked at me at the same time and I suddenly felt naked. They nodded and mumbled some words, before the group slowly dispersed. One of the men patted Tommy on the shoulder before he walked away.

Tommy and I stared at each other for a lot longer than felt comfortable. Despite my knees feeling weak and my heart racing, I wasn’t going to show him weakness, he didn’t have the upper hand on me anymore.

“What you doing here?” he asked.

“You owe me money,” I said.

“Hey, that was your veggie shit.” He pointed the spanner at me and I pursed my lips. “Wait there, I’ll write you an IOU and you can cash it when pigs fly.”

Augh. He was way too cocky for the things I had on him.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

“I found you —”

“Yeah. I know. You turned up at my nanna’s door.”

“Would you have preferred me to turn up outside your window and serenade you with Gangster’s Paradise?”

Tommy’s lips grew into a wonky smirk and he looked away.

“Right. Come in.” He waved his hand and retreated inside.

I was stupid. I was stupid. I was stupid. The words kept going round and round in my mind, but still, I stepped forward, and I followed him. I was waiting for crazy Pete to grab me, or for something awful to happen.

“Nice top,” Tommy said.

I looked down at the hoody I was wearing, then back at him. Inside the garage one whole wall was filled with shelves and tools. On the floor tool boxes and bits of tools lay scattered everywhere, and in the centre, a silver car with the bonnet up. Tommy walked towards a sink on the far wall, above it a poster of a topless woman.

He picked up a bottle of coke and unscrewed the lid.

“So, really what do you want? How did you even find me?”

“You should be careful what you tell the girls you kidnap.” I stepped over a red tool box and stood a few feet away. Of course I was going to keep my distance. I didn’t trust him. But the funny thing was, I now felt the same about the people in my household.

“You wearing a wire? Come to get a confession? You’ll have a long wait.” He tipped his head back and swigged the pop.

“No. But you have something I want.”

“I have something you want?” he asked. He snorted and raised his eyebrows, like the thought was so unbelievable.

“Information. The truth. What you said to me.”

Tommy’s smile disappeared and he stood up straight, shaking his head.

“Dunno what you’re talking about.”

“You owe me that at least, after what you did. I know there’s something else. Something isn’t right.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing.