Yeah. Driving looked easy until you tried it. Still, getting behind the wheel was the only way to learn. She pulled over to the side of the road and switched places with him, taking the gun from him to put on her lap. “We can’t let the others get too far ahead of us.”
He put the Jeep in gear and guided it back onto the road, adjusting the seat and the mirrors as he drove. Surprising. He hadn’t seemed to be paying attention during that part of her lecture.
She expected him to give the Jeep either too much or not enough gas, but he drove effortlessly and even managed to stay on the right side of the road. He expertly avoided potholes as he caught up to the rest of the caravan.
She folded her arms. “You could’ve just told me that you already knew how to drive.”
He shot her a smile. “I wanted to look like a fast learner so you’d think I was good at something. Is it working?”
She was sure he was good at many things. “So how did a data entry worker learn how to drive? I thought everyone in the cities rode bikes or took buses.”
“Not everybody. Some people have cars.”
She snorted. “Only the rich.” The thought made her sit straighter. “Wait, you’re not rich, are you?” She slumped into her seat. He must be, and she’d just sounded so dismissive. She tried again to ask the question without insulting him. “How is itthat someone wealthy enough to own a car had to get a job with harvesters?”
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he chose his words. “It’s a long story.”
“You’re in luck, you’ve got three hours to tell it.”
He didn’t answer.
Milo’s accusations came to mind, and she huffed out a breath. “Are you some sort of criminal? Is the government going to come looking for you?”
“No,” he said too quickly. “Is that something that’s a problem for your co-op—the government poking around?”
He was worried about the government. She tilted her head back and rubbed her temple. “Youarea criminal, aren’t you?”
His gaze snapped to hers. “No. Why would you think that?”
“Because why else would you ask if the government is a problem for us?”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened. “I told you I had to leave my job because of a data entry issue.”
“The government wouldn’t chase you down for that. They have more important things to do.”
He shrugged. “How would I know that? I haven’t had a lot of experience being a fugitive.”
Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he’d been a straight arrow all of his life, and the threat from his boss had made him panic. Perhaps she’d read too much into that confident swagger of his that hinted he lived by his own rules. “So why did a rich city boy decide to become a harvester?”
“I’m not rich. Sorry to disappoint you.” He chewed on his words for a moment. “Before I did data entry, I spent some time as a driver for a senator.”
“Which senator?” She didn’t know much about any of the senators beyond what the news reported. She asked because if someone lied, they usually tripped up in the details.
“Senator Hodges.”
“I haven’t heard of that one.”
The muscles in his jaw flexed. “That’s because terrorists killed him in an attack several years ago. An explosion took down his building.” Enzo’s jaw remained tight. The subject was clearly painful for him, and she’d pushed him into it. Milo’s suspicions had made her act like a jerk.
“Sorry,” she said. “That’s horrible.”
He nodded, looking straight ahead at the road and not at her. All his playfulness had vanished.
They rode in silence for a few minutes. She wanted to say, “If you had connections to a senator, couldn’t someone help you when you got fired?” But she shouldn’t put ideas in his head that might make him want to leave. “Do you have any family around?” she asked.
“No. I’m an only child and both my parents are dead.”
“I’m sorry.” She’d brought up a second clearly painful subject. She ought to have known he didn’t have anywhere he could turn, or he wouldn’t have left the city. She should just be quiet now. Except that would make this ride even more awkward. The dashboard clock showed they still had two and a half hours until they reached their destination.