He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it again. When he looked away, she knew it was over.
“Goodbye, Rafe.” She stalked around the car, opened the driver’s door and climbed in.
“I’ll follow you until you’re out of the area.” His voice sounded strained, but she didn’t try to figure out why. All she knew was that he’d made no effort to convince her he cared, or that perhaps she’d misunderstood his relationship with Annette. Plain and simple, Rafe wanted her gone.
She slammed the door shut, started the engine and drove away. Through the rear view mirror she could see him getting in his truck and following her. The small cabin faded from sight, lost in a haze of dust from the gravel laneway. She’d enjoyed her time there, even vaguely toyed with the idea of staying, but that wasn’t going to happen now. Eve forced herself to stare straight ahead and ignore the vehicle behind her.
Down the lane to the private road, and then onto the highway. The trip through Grassy Hills was faster than usual, both sets of traffic lights changing to green as she reached them. Apparently, they couldn’t wait to see the back of her either. She drove by the gas station, noting that Mike was pumping gas and Gordie was washing windshields. Going past the lumberyard she wondered if Damien was there buying more lumber for his porch. What would happen to him now that Rafe was closing up? Would the man find another job? A place to stay? A new ache settled in her chest as she contemplated never seeing him again. Dashing a tear from her cheek, she stared at the road ahead of her. Her time here was finished. Once out of the town, the speed limits increased, and she pressed firmly on the accelerator hastening her exit from the area.
Behind her, she could see Rafe pulling off to the side of the road. He’d likely stay there to make sure she didn’t double back. As if. Lifting her chin, she reached over and cranked up the radio, letting the words of a popular song drown out the sadness that filled her heart.
Rafe watched Eve’s car disappear from sight, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly enough that the ancient plastic casing creaked in protest. She was gone and it was for the best. For one impetuous moment back at the cabin he’d thought to keep her with him, to protect her from Damien, even take her along with him to the clinic, thereby introducing her to his real life. But then common sense had taken over. Fate had everything perfectly coordinated. Eve had overheard him talking to Annette and jumped to the wrong conclusion. While the hurt in her eyes had been difficult to see, she now had no reason to disbelieve his sudden closure of the cabins. And thankfully she hadn’t overheard any other part of his conversation. If she’d learned he was a Lycan, things could have become very messy. As it was, she might hate his guts, but they had no future together, and trying to pretend otherwise was pure self-indulgence.
He fingered his cheek, recalling the force of her blow; how his head had snapped to the side and his skin had stung. In a way he was glad she’d slapped him. It made him feel less guilty for how he’d treated her.
When he could no longer see her car, he put his truck in drive. Executing a u-turn, he headed towards Damien’s cabin. Tracking the man down and bringing him in before Rogue Retrieval arrived was now his priority. If Somerset’s team was on its way, he didn’t have time to waste.
When he’d gone to Damien’s cabin to get the truck, the man hadn’t been there though his scent had been relatively fresh. It should be easy to pick it up now and track him down.
Chapter 34
A few miles out of Grassy Hills, the gentle dinging sound of a warning bell interrupted the song that was playing on Eve’s car radio. It was a ballad about love gone wrong and, since she was already feeling sorry for herself, she didn’t mind the distraction. Flicking her gaze to the gauges on the dash, she found the source. The low fuel light was on.
With a curse she pulled over and put the car in park, then leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. Couldn’t anything go right? Her ‘I don’t give a damn’ exit from town was now going to be followed by her slinking back to get gas. Wouldn’t that give Rafe something to laugh about! Maybe she’d be lucky and Rafe wouldn’t still be there. Of course, given the way her life was going, she wouldn’t bet any money on it. For a moment she considered trying to make it to the next town, but it was too chancy, and she didn’t want to be stuck on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck.
Grumbling to herself, she headed back to town.
Grassy Hills’ one and only gas station, the Gas and Go, was located on the corner near the first traffic light. As usual, the place was busy.
“Sorry, Eve, business is booming today.” Gordie called out to her as he cleaned the windshield of the car on the other side of the pumps. Of course, in Grassy Hills busy meant four other cars were there, but she nodded in agreement. “I haven’t seen you around much lately. You been away?”
“No, just busy.” She wasn’t going to say she’d been at Rafe’s hiding from a wolf.
“I saw you leaving town a few minutes ago, but now you’re back. That was a mighty short trip.” He tossed the question at her as he began to check the tire pressure.
“No, I realized I was short on gas. Actually, I’m returning to Calgary. Time to move on.” She blinked against the sting of tears and tried to appear delighted with the prospect.
“Oh.” Gordie stopped what he was doing and stared at her. He appeared about to ask her another question, but the driver of the car he was servicing called his name and he turned to deal with the patron’s request.
Eve sighed in relief. She definitely didn’t want to talk about her reasons for leaving and hoped Gordie would remain occupied until she was gone. Gently rubbing the palm of her hand—it still stung from that slap—she furtively looked around for any sign of Rafe.
Thankfully, it appeared that he hadn’t lingered in town. Facing him again was the last thing she wanted to do…especially after slapping him. She’d never slapped anyone before, had actually scoffed at the very notion when she read about it in a book, but the way he’d grabbed her and growled, and then kissed her as if that would make everything better! No way.
She felt herself tensing up at the memory and forced herself to relax a bit. After all, she was completely happy with that fact she wouldn’t be seeing him again. Her life had been progressing very nicely before they met and it would again. Brushing her hair back, she assumed an airy pose. Men. Ha! Who needed them? Giving a sniff, she tried to distract herself by studying the other vehicles getting gas.
One was a police cruiser. Constable Duffy was leaning against the driver’s door, talking to Mike Privet, the owner of the gas station. Mike was nodding, a serious expression on his face, and Eve speculated what the topic of conversation might be. A local crime wave? Excessive littering and jay-walking? Life in Grassy Hills was pretty calm.
Gordie had finished with the windshield and tires of the next car and was now topping up the washer fluid. Grassy Hills still sported a full-service station. It took a bit longer, but no one was ever in much of a hurry in the small town. Gordie glanced her way, obviously still curious about her news. He held up one finger to let her know he wouldn’t be much longer and she gave a nod of acknowledgement. He was a nice boy and had actually asked her out twice, but at the same time she hoped Mike would be the one to tend her car.
Turning her attention to the nondescript grey vehicle on the other side of the pumps, she noted the occupants were unfamiliar to her. In the few months she’d lived in the area, she’d come to know most of the inhabitants if not by name, then at least recognizing their faces. These men must be new to the area and she began to study them with an artistic eye; after all you never knew where inspiration might be found.
The two inside the vehicle were both male and sported serious expressions. A third man, equally grim looking, was standing near the rear bumper filling the tank, apparently not willing to wait for Mike or Gordie to do the job. Eve began to speculate why they might be in the area. Business? Visiting relatives? Tourists?
The p
olice cruiser in front of her pulled away, and Eve moved her car into place. Mike had now rounded the pumps to talk to the men in the grey car, and Gordie… She looked around for him and saw that he was inside talking on the phone and drinking from a can of soda. Deciding both men might be a while, she climbed out of the car to get her own gas. Yep, full service was great unless you were in a hurry. She opened the tank, inserted the nozzle and began to idly eavesdrop on Mike’s conversation.
“You’re looking for Rafe McRae’s place? Sure, I know where it is. Not many places around here that I’m not familiar with. It’s real easy to find. You just…”
Eve stiffened upon hearing Rafe mentioned. Why were these men looking for him? Not that it was any concern of hers, but they didn’t look like the type who would be renting a fishing cabin. She shifted her position slightly so she could peek at the occupants again.
Their faces would likely crack if they ever tried to smile, and they were all big, bulky types with muscles layered over muscles. For some reason, they reminded her of thugs.
A cold feeling washed over her. Did Rafe owe them some money? Was that why he’d been set on closing the cabins so quickly? Her heart began to race as she pictured two of the men holding Rafe’s arms while the third rammed a fist into his stomach.
She swallowed hard and wondered if they had guns. Inching closer, she tried to look down into the vehicle, almost gasping out loud when she saw a picture of Damien clipped to the front of a folder that one of the men was holding.
What was going on? Her mind racing, she stepped back, not wanting to be caught snooping. Rafe had always told her to stay away from Damien. Was he some sort of criminal? There was a certain dark edge about the man, yet at the same time he seemed broken and vulnerable.
Eve bit her lip; she really wanted to know what was going on. Feeling slightly guilty, she lowered her mental wall, searching for some sense of the men’s emotions. All she wanted was a quick look, some reassurance that everything was okay. Once she had that, she’d put the wall back in place and mind her own business. Forcing herself to relax, she opened up her mind, letting it stretch and spread out, ready to absorb the subtle emotional waves that people continually gave off. Strangely enough, there was nothing coming from the men. There was no sense of emotion at all. That was odd. She took a deep breath and tried again yet still picked up on nothing.
The gas pump clicked off indicating she’d filled her tank. Distractedly, she put the nozzle back in place and replaced the cap. She couldn’t read these men, just like she couldn’t read Rafe or Damien. Could they be Fae as well? She frowned, trying to make sense of things.
Hadn’t Rafe said there were very few Fae left in the world? And yet here was a whole carload of them. Including herself and Rafe, that made five empaths all within the confines a small town like Grassy Hills. That seemed an awfully large percentage to her.
She reached into her car and pulled out her purse so she could pay for the gas, still trying to puzzle through the situation.
Why would Rafe have lied about the prevalence of Fae in the population? And why did those men have Damien’s picture? Had Rafe lied about Damien as well? Was Damien in fact another empath? But what made him dangerous enough that three large men were needed to deal with him?
Question after question swirled through her mind.
“Hey, Eve. How’s it going?”
She gave a start when Mike spoke to her. The grumpy looking stranger was climbing back into his car; he must have paid while she was lost in thought.
“I’m fine, Mike.” Eve nodded towards the car that was now pulling out of the lot. “Tourists?”
“Friends of Dr. McRae’s, or so they say. Mind you they weren’t overly friendly.” Mike shrugged and dismissed them. “Did you hear the news?”
“What news?” She watched as Gordie appeared, and began to check her tire pressure while blatantly listening in on their conversation. He blushed when he caught her looking at him and she gave him a small smile before looking away. No point in encouraging the boy.
“Duffy told me there’s been a loco wolf sighted in the area. Everyone’s supposed to stay inside until it’s caught. Some special group of wolf hunters will be coming into town to capture it.”
“Really?” She tried to appear surprised; that must be what Rafe had meant when he said a wildlife group would take care of the rogue.
“Yep. You better stay inside with your doors locked until they catch the animal.”
Eve agreed, paid for her gas and thanked Mike and Gordie for the service. Once behind the steering wheel she pursed her lips. She should head out of town and continue her journey to Calgary, but she really wanted to know what was going on with Rafe and Damien and the three men. For one moment she hesitated, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, and then turned the vehicle towards Rafe’s.
In her rear view mirror she caught a glimpse of Gordie watching her, a surprised expression on his face. Likely he thought she was heading the wrong way for someone going to Calgary!
Eve followed behind the grey car, staying far enough back that she could just barely keep it in view. When it turned down the private road to Rafe’s cabins she slowed and then pulled off the road. What should she do now? Despite the spring rain, a car travelling down a dirt road still kicked up a trail of dust; there was no way she could continue to follow them surreptitiously.
But…she grinned as an idea came to mind. Did it have to be secretive? Couldn’t she boldly appear and knock on Rafe’s door? She’d left some of her finished art pieces and painting supplies there. Why not claim she’d belatedly remembered that she needed them? Once inside, Rafe would have a hard time not introducing her and who knew what clues she might overhear.
Pleased with her plan, she headed towards Rafe’s.
Frustratingly, her grand idea hit a snag about half a mile later. Her car started to pull to the right and soon the distinctive ca-thunk sound of flat tire could be heard. Turning off the engine, Eve climbed out and rounded the vehicle to stare at the front tire. It was as flat as the birthday cake she’d tried to bake last year. She let loose a string of expletives and kicked the offending tire, feeling only marginally better for the venting.
Now what was she supposed to do? She dragged her fingers through her hair. Calling Rafe was an option, one she didn’t relish. Or she could walk to his place; that would still give her the element of surprise. Mike’s warning about staying inside until the wolf was caught came to mind, and she shivered, recalling the last time she’d been travelling this stretch of road. It hadn’t been too far from here that the rogue wolf had chased her.
Eve looked about nervously, noting how the trees towered overhead, and the clouds partially blocked the sun. It was barely noon, so the sun wouldn’t be setting for a while, but hadn’t the weather forecaster spoke of the likelihood of rain? Perhaps walking wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Rubbing her arms with her hands, she stared at the flat tire. She’d never changed one before and hadn’t the vaguest notion of how to even begin. Her car was old and who knew when one of the wheels was last taken off. Even if she could figure out the instructions to operate the jack, chances were she wouldn’t be strong enough to undo the bolts.
Reluctantly, she climbed back in the car like any sensible person would do. Rafe had called her reckless and impulsive, but see? She wasn’t always; it was only when he was driving her crazy. Pulling out her cell phone, she called Mike Privet. Not only did he own the local gas station, but he had the tow truck contract with the auto club as well.
When he answered, she explained her predicament.
“Gee, I’m sorry Eve, it will be at least an hour or more before I can come and get you. Gordie’s on his lunch break, and if I leave there’s no one here to man the pumps. Usually Monica would help out, but the kids have the ’flu and—”
“That’s okay, Mike. I understand. I’ll wait here for you.”
“Sorry, Eve. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
/>
Eve accepted his apology and ended the call before miming beating her head against the steering wheel. Things like this only happened to her. So much for her sleuthing skills and figuring out what Rafe was up to. Now her only hope was that Mike arrived before the grey car with the wannabe thugs came back this way. Even if they were empaths, she didn’t relish meeting up with them by herself. Checking that the car doors were locked, she hunkered down in her seat and pulled a book out of her purse and began to read to pass the time.
Chapter 35
Damien prowled through the woods, his steps making no sound. It was a skill he’d mastered years ago and was proving to be especially useful right now when he couldn’t travel as a wolf. Having no real idea where Eve was, he didn’t dare chance being vulnerable to her empathic skills. If she were to read his emotional state at the moment it could ruin everything.
When he’d arrived at Rafe’s he’d been surprised that no one was around. It was out of character, based on what he’d observed over the past week. Eve’s car had been gone, too. There weren’t many places to go in the area; they might have travelled into Grassy Hills or perhaps over to Eve’s cabin. He’d decided to check Eve’s place first and was presently making his way there. He chuckled wryly to himself. All the planning and surveillance that had gone into this operation might have been for nothing simply because the main player did something unexpected. Of course, that would never happen in a movie; fictional characters always stayed where they were supposed to be!
He consoled himself with the knowledge that Eve would eventually return. All he had to do was be patient. Unfortunately, wherever she went, Rafe was always close by. The man was determined to protect her, and that couldn’t be allowed. It was a point he’d considered several times and had even mentioned during his last check-in call. The solution that was suggested had been simple. Take him out.
Betrayed: Days of the Rogue Page 26