Chapter Three
Texas, the Hill Country
“Damn!” Kate slammed the hood of her car shut and pounded it in frustration. Well, she’d told the disgusting salesman at Highway Harry’s she’d drive the car until it dropped. She just hadn’t expected it to happen at night in Texas in the middle of nowhere.
Driving steadily since leaving L.A., fueled by gallons of coffee, she’d allowed herself only a few hours rest at a cheap motel. Her nerves were raw, she was riding a caffeine high, and now here she was, stranded and exposed on a highway somewhere in the middle of Texas.
Her head throbbed, every bone and muscle in her body screamed for relief, and the hamburger from the drive-through hours ago still sat like lead in her stomach. More than anything she wanted to curl up in a corner somewhere and hide from everything.
All her life she’d allowed herself to follow what other people had decided for her and look where it had gotten her. She’d mistaken her father’s obsessive attitude for one of protection and Peter’s attentions for affection and safety. Look where that had gotten her.
She stared at the car.
God, could things possibly get any worse?
She’d kept it together day after day, even during those narrow escapes. She couldn’t believe the ease with which she’d created her new identity. All it took was watching enough television and having a little ingenuity. Was it all going to fall apart now because of this stupid car? She’d hoped to get as far as Houston or Dallas. What a pipe dream that was. The last sign on the highway said San Antonio was forty miles away, but it might as well be a thousand.
On top of it all, her body was coming down from the adrenaline high that had kept her going after L.A. and fatigue was weaving its way through her system. She was hanging on by a thread, and this latest disaster was threatening to snap it. She bit her lip so hard she wondered why she didn’t draw blood.
Reaching into her car, she pulled out her throwaway cell phone but stopped before she could punch in any numbers. Who did she think she was going to call, anyway? It wasn’t as if she had road service, for crying out loud. She didn’t even have a clue where the closest town was between here and San Antonio.
Cars whizzed by her on the highway in both directions. Kate didn’t know whether to be glad or mad no one stopped. She didn’t think she’d left any leads for Peter to pick up, but after Los Angeles she wasn’t counting on anything. She swallowed the panic that kept clogging her throat. Here she was, out here in the open, vulnerable to anyone—
A blinding flash of headlights and the crunching of tires on gravel startled her, freezing her in place. Her stomach clenched, and the familiar taste of fear crawled up her throat as a door slammed and a tall figure outlined in the lights moved toward her. God, could they have found her this easily? No, stop and take a breath, dummy. They’ve had all the miles since L.A. to catch her. Why wait for now?
Then who had stopped? Someone just as bad?
Kate looked frantically around her for a place to hide.
Too late. Here he came, whoever he was, a dark shadow moving toward her with panther-like grace.
“You look as if you could use some help.” The disembodied voice was deep, rusty, as if it wasn’t used much, and she detected a hint of a drawl.
Then he was in front of her, materializing like smoke out of the blackness of the night. Kate took a deep breath. Her heart was banging against her ribs like a jackhammer and not just from fear. The unexpected visceral punch of his powerful male presence caught her totally off guard.
It was the fatigue. It had to be. She hadn’t felt sexual awareness in more months than she could count, but now? Now, when she was in the worst jam of her life, her body stood up and shouted hurrah for a stranger? She actually had to squeeze her thighs together to still the tingling in her belly, even as she wondered if this man meant her any harm.
I have truly lost my mind.
“Sorry I scared you.” His voice was deep and gravelly, the sound resonating through her. “I spotted you over here on the side of the highway and figured you had car trouble.”
“Y-Yes.” She cleared her throat. “Yes, I do.” As he came closer and the truck’s headlights shown on him, she got a better look.
Holy Mother!
When was the last time in the mess her life had become that a man had affected her this way? He was tall and lean, a black T-shirt and worn black jeans molding his body, outlining every muscle. The jeans brushed the tops of scuffed western boots. Thick dark hair, just a little bit long and so inky it barely reflected the headlights, accentuated a lean face full of sharp planes and angles. She had an almost uncontrollable need to reach up and run her fingers through it.
Dark stubble shadowed his jaw, and deep lines bracketed his mouth and the corners of his eyes. Not the face of someone who smiled often. His black eyes, looking out from beneath thick, dark lashes, were like coal that had been chipped from the earth.
Why wasn’t she running from him, scared to death? Why was she trying to imagine what he looked like without those clothes? She had truly lost her mind. What was wrong with her hormones, anyway?
“Let’s see what kind of problem we’ve got here.” He looked her over from head to toe with a critical eye, then started toward her car. Two steps, and he was right next to her, all that masculinity overpowering her and crowding her space. The faint scent of sandalwood and man tantalized her nostrils.
“I’m fine,” she said, backing up to the side of her car, desperately needing to put space between them. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
Right. Who am I kidding here?
“I’m pretty good with engines,” he said, as if she hadn’t even spoken. “Move over and I’ll take a look.”
When he put his hands on her arms to shift her out of the way she jerked as if he’d touched her with a match. Heat traveled through her, liquefying her muscles.
“I’m sorry.” He studied her face, frowning. “I just want to pop the hood of your car, and you’re standing in the way.”
She rubbed her arms nervously. This man was all rough edges. Take it or leave it, his attitude said. She didn’t want to take it, and she was afraid she couldn’t leave it. She had managed to get herself in a stupid predicament, leaving herself exposed not just to Peter and his hunters but to any predatory male who came along. Was that what this man was? A hunter?
She sucked in a huge breath and somehow pulled herself together. “Oh. Okay.”
He took a cautious step forward again. “I’ll see if I can find out what’s wrong here.”
“I-I hate to bother you,” she stammered.
What if her car really wasn’t broken and he did something to it? What if somehow he was…no! She had to wipe those crazy ideas from her mind. She was seeing demons where there weren’t any. Except that was how she’d been staying alive, watching every corner for shadows.
“It’s no trouble.” His voice was flat, neither friendly nor unfriendly. She could have been a telephone pole he was talking to. “Anyway, I’m already here, so let me eyeball this. Maybe I can spot something and fix it easily.”
“All right.” She backed up, needing to put space between them. Her skin still sizzled where he’d touched her, and her pulse was still thumping erratically. “Thank you.”
His gaze raked over her face, something indefinable flashing briefly in his eyes. Then he blinked, and it was gone. Whatever it was, she was sure she’d imagined it.
He turned back to the car, popped the hood, and looked inside. In just a few minutes, he closed it again, shaking his head. “I don’t know where you got this piece of junk, but I hope you didn’t pay too much. You can’t drive this anywhere tonight.”
All her carefully constructed defenses were beginning to fall apart, and the effect of this man on her senses wasn’t helping. She tightened her hands into fists, desperate for some shred of control. Now was not the time to lose it. She’d known the car would die sooner or later. She’d just hoped it would be later, and not in the middle of no place without any other options.
“Are you positive it won’t move?” She shoved her hands into her pockets, knowing how stupid the question sounded. “Maybe you missed something?”
He looked at her, his eyes now like black ice, so intense she shivered slightly.
“Believe me,” he insisted, “I’m sure. I know cars. The carburetor is a mess, and I think the engine block’s cracked. Neither of those are good.”
“You’re kidding.” Crap.
“Unfortunately, I’m not. Do you by some chance have anyone you can call?” He looked at his watch. “Because at this hour every garage close enough is closed. You’re at least an hour from San Antonio, and unless you’ve got some kind of road service you’d have a hard time getting anyone out here this time of night.”
“N-No road service,” she told him, feeling more and more like an idiot. But running for your life didn’t allow for amenities or anything that would leave tracks for people to follow.
He studied the car. “Those plates are from California. Did you drive from there in this piece of junk?”
“It’s…just temporary. I’m traveling.” He had to know she was lying. God, maybe she’d be better if he just went off and left her.
No! That would leave you with no options at all.
The look he gave her seemed to see right into her. “Not in this car you’re not.” He kicked at a front tire. “I’m surprised you made it this far.”
“It’s what I have,” she said with what little bit of defiance she could muster. “I just need to figure out how to fix it.”
Again he stared at her with that penetrating look. “I don’t suppose this happens to be the area where you were heading, is it? Maybe you have some friends around here you can call?”
The only ‘friends’ I have right now are busy trying to kill me. I don’t think I’ll be calling them.
She wet her suddenly dry lips with the tip of her tongue. “No. There’s no one.”
He slammed the hood shut. “Whoever you are, this vehicle isn’t going to move and you sure as hell can’t sit here on the side of the road. Too many predators out there. Come on.” He touched her arm, lightly, as if expecting her to jump away. “I’ll take you somewhere safe.”
“Take me somewhere? Why would I just go off with you?” She yanked her hands from her pockets and wrapped her arms around herself, her body quaking as the full impact of her situation hit her.
“You’re trembling.” There was a faint note of surprise in his voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you, but this is a ridiculous situation. You can’t stay out here, and I can’t go off and leave you like this. The next person who comes along here might not be as harmless as me.”
Harmless. Right. Wrapped in a blanket of pure sexual masculinity.
When she still didn’t move, he drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Look. I’m just worried about you, okay?”
“Why? I’m no one to you. Besides, where would you take me?” More crap. Just what she didn’t need. “I mean, I don’t know you. Why should I trust you? And what am I supposed to do with the car?”
“You can’t drive this thing so you’ll need to get it towed and—”
“Towed?” The word stuck in her throat. “Who would I call to tow it? You said yourself everyone’s closed around here.”
A muscle jumped in his cheek. “I can help you with that if you’ll let me finish here.”
“Okay. I’m sorry.” Did her voice sound as shaky to him as it did to her?
“I have a friend who’ll do me a favor on the tow, and there’s a place you can stay for the night. Like a motel,” he explained with exaggerated patience. “Lucky for you there’s one just a few minutes away. I’ll drive you there. Okay?”
“A motel?” God, I sound like a moron.
“Jesus. Yes. A motel. You know. Where people rent rooms and go to sleep? Which, by the way, is something you look like you haven’t done for a long time.” His eyes scanned her from head to toe. “Can you even afford a room? Maybe we should think of something else.”
“I can handle it. No problem. I have money.”
She forced herself not to touch the fanny pack where she’d stashed all her cash rolled up in tight bundles, along with the all-important flash drive. Hidden beneath her shirt, the pack burned against her skin like live coals.
He waited the space of one heartbeat. Two. “That answer all your questions? Can we go now?”
The calm, reasonable tone in his voice washed over her, taking the edge off her anxiety. She had to trust someone. She couldn’t keep running aimlessly around the country with death breathing down her neck. Minutes ago, she’d prayed for someone to help her. Here he was, and in a minute, he’d decide she was too much of a pain in the ass and leave her stranded. It would serve her right.
“This isn’t an open-ended offer.” Irritation was obviously getting the best of him. “If you want to just hang out here on the highway, be my guest. But it’s late and I’m tired, so what are we doing here? You staying or coming with me?”
For the first time, she noticed the fatigue shadowing his eyes and deepening the grooves in his face. He’d stopped at this late hour to see if she, a total stranger, needed help, yet here she was, giving him nothing but grief. He had no way of knowing why she was so terrified and that trusting him would be a real leap of faith for her.
But it wasn’t so much whether she could trust him, as whether she could trust herself with him.
At that moment, as if to underscore the tenuousness of her situation, fat raindrops began to splatter everywhere—the shoulder of the road, the highway, her rattletrap car, and most of all, the two of them.
“Oh, great,” she muttered, shivering as the density of the rain increased. In a moment, she was soaked, rubbing her arms to chase away the chill.
“Okay. If you want to stay out here in the rain, fine by me, but I’ve got better sense than that.” He started to turn away.
No. Don’t go.
She almost shouted the words. She sure didn’t have a lot of choices. It was either stay here like a stupid fool catching pneumonia in wet clothes or take a chance with a complete stranger. A complete sexy stranger.
“O-Okay.” The rain was coming down more heavily, and her clothes were plastered to her. “Th-Thank you.”
“The first thing to do is get you out of this rain and dried off. Come on.” He held out his hand and reluctantly, she took it. They jogged to his truck, a black leviathan as dark and dangerous-looking as he was. He opened the passenger door and practically threw her inside.
Guiltily she realized he was as drenched as she was.
He opened the back door of the dual cab and pulled out a torn towel and an old blanket.
“I always carry odds and ends,” he told her. “Dry yourself as much as you can with the towel and wrap the blanket around yourself. Do you have anything you need in your car?”
“A duffel. A tote bag. Oh, and my cell phone.”
“A cell phone.” He grunted. “At least you have one necessity. I’ll get them and be right back.”
Kate didn’t argue with him. She had no desire to get out in the rain again, and there was nothing in the car that could give away her real identity or she’d never have let him near it. She was scrupulous about not leaving anything lying around that could identify her or scratch at someone’s curiosity.
She blotted the rain on her clothes and hair, then wrapped the ragged blanket around her shuddering body. She was huddling into it when the door on the driver’s side opened, the man climbed in and tossed her tote and duffel in the back seat. Digging around, he pulled up another towel that he used to wipe himself off as best he could.
“I’ll turn on the heat in a minute,” he told her, “and see if we can ward off pneumonia.”
Suddenly, she was so tired she could hardly keep her eyes open. “Where did you say this motel is you’re taking me to?”
“There’s a little town where I live just off the next exit. The motel’s on the main street. You’ll be safe there.”
No place is safe for me. But maybe…
Okay, here goes nothing.
Silently praying she’d made the right decision, she wrapped the blanket more tightly around herself…and was immediately hit with another problem. He must have slept on this at some time or wrapped himself in it, because a distinctive, tantalizing male scent clung to it. And in the unexpected intimacy of the cab, this dark and mysterious man was having a sudden effect on her. There was an air of raw sex about him that stole her breath.
Great. She was exhausted, terrified, soaking wet, and hanging onto the end of a frayed rope, and now her hormones decided to wake up. She inched as close to the door as her seat belt would allow.
When he started the engine and pulled out onto the highway, she cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but I don’t even know your name.”
He glanced sideways at her but said nothing.
“This isn’t a trick question,” she pushed. “You do have a name, don’t you?”
After another long silence, he spoke. “Quinn. My name is Quinn.”