Flee From Evil Read online

  Could there be a more perfect man?

  Sky turned and caught her staring. His smile lengthened as he gave Tibo one last splash and muss of the hair. “Gotta play with your sister now, big guy.” He held up his hand for a high-five, and Tibo obliged before bouncing a few times then went back to twirling.

  “So.” Water glistened from his thick eyelashes. “You gonna take me up on the driving lessons or not?”

  Did she hear right? “I thought you were kidding when you offered the other day.”

  “No.” He lifted a shoulder. “I think it’ll be fun.”

  “Or you have a death wish.”

  “That too. But let’s start with fun. Do you think your mom’ll be cool with it?”

  “As long as we stay in the school parking lot, she’ll be fine.” The image of her mother rushing out to meet one of Tibo’s therapists, then another of her leaning over all that special needs information stacked on the table, passed through mind. “She’ll probably be relieved she doesn’t have to do it herself.”

  “Great. I’ll pick you up on Sunday morning.”

  Sophie pressed her lips together, wondering if this was the right time to suggest it.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I have to go to church on Sunday.” Why did she make it sound like a chore?

  “Won’t your mom let you take one Sunday off,” he lifted a shoulder, “ … to do something for yourself?”

  “Actually,” She felt a little timid now. “I like going to church. I don’t wanna miss.”

  His brows drew together, and his mouth pursed into a funny smile. “Are you serious?”

  Sophie nodded. She’d have loved to explain the church activities she and her dad had been involved in. Doing God’s work in the homeless shelters. Playing baseball with kids in the slums after helping them clean up trash from the street. Her mom had been there too, but these were the moments she cherished most with her father.

  Gone forever.

  “We can go after. Just tell me when to pick you up.”

  “Why don’t you come with us?” There. The words were out.

  The funny smile and brow crunching were back. She waited as he took his time considering the idea. What conversation played in his head? “Should I go? Shouldn’t I go? Should I go? Shouldn’t I go?” Which one would win? She almost tapped her toe under the water.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” Was he serious?

  Sky chuckled. “Yes. Okay. Just tell me what time, and I’ll be there.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Hurry up and finish, dear.”

  Sophie eyed Grandma, then the eight legged, crustacean—as her former Earth Science teacher called it—staring lifelessly from the table. How does someone hurry eating crabs? She wasn’t sure she understood Marylanders who worked so hard for tiny bits of meat. Steak and potatoes. That’s what they ate back home in PA. She missed that. Here, there was no A-1 sauce in sight.

  Grandma grabbed the crab carcass. “Let me show you again.” She pulled the legs out, snapped, hammered, pried, and gathered the sparse protein into a little pile. “There.”

  This was the seventh shelled creature Grandma picked out for her, and Sophie’s stomach still growled. If it wasn’t for the salty seasoning she’d have surrendered long ago, and filled up on hush puppies. Now those made sense. “Why are we hurrying anyway? Do you have a big date or something?”

  “Oh, pooh,” Grandma slapped her hand.

  Mom fished more corn chips to Tibo from the gluten-free stash she always carried in her purse, in case restaurants didn’t provide an alternative. “Yeah. Why are we rushing?”

  Grandma’s gaze seemed to follow a boat motoring up to the pier alongside The Dock Bar and Grill. “Well, the clientele gets a little rough after dinner hours.”

  “What do you mean rough?” Mom speared Grandma with that glare that brought shivers to Sophie’s spine.

  Grandma cleared her throat. “Seedy. Drunken. Not-quite-law-abiding.” She nodded toward the guys tying up the boat, and Sophie suddenly wondered what was in those back packs they carried.

  “Criminals?” Mom’s eyes went wide.

  “Shh.” Grandma waved her hand. “Not so loud.”

  “Mom, you brought us to a haven for the underworld?” she whispered with force. “Why would you do that?”

  Grandma wiped her mouth with the paper crab-eating bib, folded it, and placed it on the table. “They have the best crabs in town.”

  The front door opened and Pastor Vince entered. Mom’s jaw hardened. “More riff-raff. What’s your pastor doing here?”

  What did Mom have against the guy? He was always nice to Sophie.

  “Pastor Vince comes often. He became friends with a lot of folk here when he dealt drugs.” The words sounded funny coming from Grandma’s mouth. Like it was an okay part of his life.

  Sophie still couldn’t believe the man had been a dealer. He looked so tidy, upper-crusty too.

  Grandma nodded to the pastor. “See the guy he’s talking to at the table? He shared a jail cell with Vince.”

  The pastor passed to the bar.

  “And that guy owns a pawn shop around the corner. Most people think it’s a fence for stolen goods.”

  Mom’s mouth hung. “This is your pastor?”

  A lot different from Pastor Johnson back in Philly. But Sophie kind of liked the guy. She thought about what her father would’ve said. “Isn’t that what Jesus would do, Mom? Hang out with tax collectors and sinners.”

  Mom threw her bib on the plate. “You mean the IRS is here too? Sheesh! What a dump.”

  Sophie rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

  Mom’s smile felt like love as she patted Sophie’s hand. “Yes, I do. And you’re right about Jesus. It’s just that pastor I question.”

  ~*~

  Vince felt her presence even before he saw her. She’d always had that power over him—one he thought he could control when he made that bet with Drew—his once best friend—so many years ago. He’d conquer Cassandra, The Pure. He’d reasoned it would be like fighting fire with fire, taking control of his growing feelings—the ones that made men weak—according to his father, at least.

  She was like a magnet, drawing his gaze, but he fought it while he grasped the hand of his former cell mate, Chen, who’d done time for burglarizing homes. Vince felt her stare, and knew the hurried speech of her mother filled in his connection to the guy. He almost shook his head with the realization it was another black mark against him. He looked to the ceiling reminding himself he’d been washed of those.

  Really? What did it matter anyway? She’d hate him forever for what he did. Why should he care that she’d found out about his jail time?

  He slapped a handshake with Eddie at the bar.

  “S’up, man.” Eddie glanced at the family preparing to leave before his eyebrow twitched.

  Cass stood and blew a curl from her face. Something about the gesture pulled at a memory of her serving his table at the country club. He’d smiled at her as she cleared the table, and she’d done a double-take. He’d chuckled at the incredulous expression on her face as she turned away and hoofed it to the kitchen.

  His father had almost stopped the conversation with his business partner to congratulate him on his ability to fluster the female help. Dear ole Dad saw that as Vince’s greatest asset—charming the ladies to get them to do whatever he wanted. That’s the other reason the bet with Drew had appealed to him. It seemed a slam-dunk. Easy money.

  Cass brushed at her skirt, straightened, and took her son into the Ladies’ Room.

  “Hey Vince.” Eddie cocked a brow. “Chick’s hot, but she’s gone now.” He snapped his fingers. “I was talking to you.”

  Vince smiled. “Just cause I’m a pastor now, doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the finer things in life.”

  “She was fine. That’s for sure.” He waved over Vince’s head. “Hey, Lew, over here.”

  Vince turned to se
e Archibald Lewis, Billy’s father. Thoughts of all the petitions Billy and Kat said on that man’s behalf at prayer meetings filled his mind as the man stared daggers into Vince’s skull.

  “Not sittin’ with the preacher.” He smoothed back his thinning black hair. “Lilly-whites always give me the creeps.”

  Eddie patted the stool on the other side. “You won’t be sittin’ with the preacher. You’ll be sittin’ with me,” he jabbed a thumb to the side, “and Vince.”

  Vince raised his palms in surrender. “I promise I won’t ply you with Bible verses.”

  The man rolled his eyes so hard his head moved the circle with them. He thumped his thick fingers on the bar. “Scotch.” The bartender complied. Lew looked down his nose. “What you drinkin’ preacher?”

  Vince held up the glass and patted his middle. “Diet Coke. Gotta watch the waistline.”

  “Hmph.”

  “C’mon Lew, the guy’s cool.” Eddie gave Vince a once-over. “Even if his hands are too soft.”

  “Hey, I’ve got callouses now. Look.” Vince flipped his hands to display his most prized possessions.

  “Whoa. Where’d you get those?”

  Vince smiled with pride. “Church projects. Repairing houses.”

  “Widows and orphans, huh?”

  “Something like that.”

  Lew downed his shot. “Yeah, you guys always look so good.” He leered. “Saving cats from trees, and helping old ladies cross streets in public.” His cheek twitched. “Probl’y beat yer kids in the basement.”

  Vince almost choked on his soda. “Sorry to disappoint you, Lew, but I don’t have any kids.”

  Eddie gulped his beer. “I wish someone’d come out and help my ole lady. Not exactly a widow, since she never married, but she’s been real sick lately. Can hardly get outta bed.”

  Vince fished a pen out of his pocket and slid a cocktail napkin over to him. “Put her name and number on here, and I’ll make sure she gets a meal.”

  Eddie’s lip curled. “You serious? Someone’ll bring her food? My brother doesn’t even do that, and he lives with her.”

  “I tell you what, I’ll take the dish to her myself.”

  Eddie scribbled on the napkin as if to challenge Vince to follow through.

  Lew grumbled beside him. “Do you all ever actually work for a living? Billy’s been trying to sucker me into volunteering for his car-care ministry.”

  “Yep. We’d love to have you.” Vince tried to make eye contact, but the man’s gaze ran the length of the bar. “He says you’re a whiz with engines. You can fix them, build them, and race them.” Billy was so proud of his father’s ability he even showed videos of his old dirt-track events.

  Lew nodded to the bartender for a refill. He tipped it back and slammed the empty shot glass on the bar. “Long time ago.” He watched dregs of amber liquid puddle at the bottom. “Reflexes slow with age.”

  Or too much drink.

  Vince held that thought to himself. “You don’t need good reflexes to fix cars.”

  Lew’s expression soured. “Especially for old ladies and poor people.”

  “Is that beneath you?” Vince hadn’t realized the challenge in his voice until he saw the reaction in the man’s eyes.

  “Beneath me?” He slipped off the stool and hovered his wiry frame over Vince, breath thick with Scotch between them. “Let’s not talk levels here, Country Club. I knew your set.” Spit flung as he slurred. “I knew yer dad, too.”

  Those last words bit. Couldn’t be a star endorsement on his resume.

  “Don’t act like yer gonna swoop in and give me God.” Lew thumbed his chest. “I know what I’m worth, and I don’t need you to tell me.”

  Vince’s gaze traveled the stubbled chin, down the stained T-shirt and dirty jeans, wondering what kind of worth the man had calculated for himself.

  God saw so much more.

  Lew glared as if noting the perusal and coming up wanting.

  “Vrooooooom!” Cass’s young son bolted from the bathroom, and headed straight toward Vince. He wove around one table, then another. Did the boy recognize him from church?

  Cass’s eyes went wide as she took after him.“Tibo,” She called with a look of mortification on her face.

  Vince readied himself to catch the boy until …

  “Umpf!”

  ~*~

  Crazy kid.

  Lew wrapped his arms around the boy to make sure they both didn’t land on the beer-soaked floor.

  “Tibo!” The woman turned a pleading look to Lew. “I’m so sorry. He has autism. He doesn’t always do what he’s supposed to.”

  Tibo peeked up from Lew’s grasp and let out a roiling giggle. Something about it swirled around Lew making him want to join in the joke. “That’s okay. Kid just wants to drive fast, that’s all.” Lew could understand.

  “Mrs. Whitaker, this is Billy Lewis’s dad, Lew.” Preacher boy barely made eye contact with the lady as he introduced them.

  She jutted out her hand. “Please, call me Cassandra.”

  You’d have thought the preacher’d been stuck by a sword the way he looked when she used her first name. Did the guy not like her being familiar with the likes of him?

  “Kat tells me you’re really good fixing cars.”

  He grunted. What was he supposed to say—oh, yes, I’m the best?

  Tibo pulled on Lew’s T-shirt, like he wanted the man to join him in a race around the bar. Lew resisted the urge.

  “Tibo, leave the man alone.”

  Lew held up his hand. “That’s okay. He’s not bothering me.” Something about the kid made him want to crack a smile—just a little. He glanced between Vince and Cassandra, and realized they’d never really looked at each other. He suspected a soap opera there.

  “Well, I was just leavin’.” Lew tousled the boy’s hair. “See ya round, kid.”

  Cassandra pulled on her son and turned. “Us too. Nice meeting you, Lew.”

  “Yep.”

  She never said a word to the man staring after her as she walked out the door.

  Chapter Nine

  Sophie gripped the fabric of her skirt as Sky parked his Honda Civic in front of Water’s Edge High School. She peeked sideways at the guy looking very dressed up in his polo and dress pants. It felt too quiet in the car. “You look nice today.”

  He chuckled. “Never thought I’d need these clothes again. My uncle bought them for a funeral we had to go to.”

  Should she ask who died? “Your uncle?”

  “He’s my guardian.”

  So many questions ran through Sophie’s mind as her eyes got caught up in his. He seemed to dare her to ask and warn her of the repercussions at the same time. She waited.

  Finally, he dropped his gaze to the arm rest between them. “Social Services took me from my mom when I was ten.” The words came out as if he were speaking of someone else. “I spent some time with a foster family.” A wistful smile spread as he stared at the bottom of the steering wheel. “They were real nice. Eventually, I was placed with my uncle …”

  Was he disappointed?

  “… since he’s family.”

  What could she say to that? “I’m sorry,” was all she could think of as several other questions swirled in her head, like where is your mother now? And is your father in the picture at all?

  His laugh rumbled in his chest. “I think I was the only guy not wearing jeans there.”

  She guessed this was not the time to ask. “There were some people dressed up. But yeah, the church is kind of casual.”

  Sky popped the latch. “Let’s get started.” He jogged around and opened her door before she knew what hit her. “It’s your turn to drive.”

  Sophie’s mouth dropped open. “Already?”

  “Of course. Did you think I was going to demonstrate from the driver’s seat?”

  Sophie gave herself a mental slap as she stepped from the vehicle, palms clammy, and swapped places with Sky. She stared at the buttons
, knobs and levers all around the steering column. “What do I do?” Could she hear his words over the pulse in her ears?

  “Your mother really hasn’t taken you driving at all?”

  She suddenly felt defensive for her mom who was super busy all the time. “She’s been kind of distracted.”

  “Okay. First, you turn the key in the ignition while you gently pump the gas.” His instructive tone made her feel safe, like he knew what he was doing.

  She cranked the starter, and flinched at the car’s hard rev. Sky’s slow grin calmed her. Sophie exhaled as the Honda’s roar settled into a hum.

  “Now, put your foot on the brake, and shift into gear.”

  Sophie loved the way he went step-by-step without making her feel like an idiot. She followed his instruction, moving the car forward in fits and starts.

  He took the motion well. “Just make that—” jerk “—left turn—” he grabbed the dash “—around the gym. Lighter on the pedals, there.”

  She turned the wheel, and the car lurched to the left.

  “Whoa! Not so much. Take it easy.” He grimaced. “We’re in no hurry to get to the other side of the school.” Except his crooked smile seemed to block all transmission from her brain.

  He sucked in a breath and blew it from his full lips.

  “At least there’s no one here I can hit.”

  “Yep. We got that goin’ for us.”

  He led her through the parking lot in one direction three times, then the other direction four. Little by little it became more second nature. Sophie’s breathing calmed, and her grip relaxed on the wheel.

  Sky pointed to the school’s front entrance. “Now park over there.”

  She eased the car up against—Wham!—the curb.

  His brows jumped as he grabbed his seat.

  “Oh! Oh! I’m sorry, Sky. I didn’t hurt anything did I?”

  He winced. “That’s okay.” The words were not convincing. “I think my tires can handle it.” He mumbled, “And hopefully the alignment is still good.”

  Sophie froze. She couldn’t unstick her fingers from the wheel to shift backwards.