“Maybe I should permanently move in here with you,” Holly suggested. “It’s not like I ever have plans, and I’m usually in bed before ten o’clock. I don’t play loud music or throw raucous parties.”
“You’re also far too young to qualify, sweetie.” Her mom handed her a china cup on a saucer. “And you’re selling yourself short. Just because this guy, whoever he is, has a date with another girl—”
“It’s more than that.”
“Is it?” Only a mother could raise an eyebrow in that special way, an expression no child could stand up to. Not even a full-grown adult child.
Holly blew out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, it’s that. It’s entirely that. Sometimes, when we look at each other, there’s this spark. I get goosebumps. I know it sounds silly, but it’s the truth. I know how I feel. I only wish he felt the same.”
“There’s no saying he doesn’t.” She tucked a stray curl behind Holly’s ear, curls they shared along with their heart-shaped faces and a strong sense of right and wrong. “It sounds like he went on this date to appease his landlady. That’s a difficult position for anyone to be in. One date does not a relationship make, my dear.”
“Did Shakespeare write that?” Holly grinned.
“No, smarty pants. Your very wise, very understanding mother did. Now, drink your tea.” She nodded to the cup, which Holly knew better than to not pick up and drink from.
By the time she began the drive home, it was past eight. Mason would be at dinner now, wouldn’t he? Even if he did say it was for his cover, would he hit it off with Bridget? She would definitely be more appealing without a child in the picture.
A man like him couldn’t stay single for long. It was a literal impossibility. He was the sort of guy who’d run straight into potential danger, like he had when he’d searched for the person who threw the brick. Who’d then comfort a girl and help clean up the broken glass before nailing plywood over the broken window without being asked.
He was perfect, in other words. It was only a matter of time before someone snagged him.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
“What the—” Holly cut the wheel to the right, her heart thumping and stomach twisting in panic-induced nausea as she nearly lost control of the car. Tire rubber flapped over the ground as she struggled to steer to the shoulder of the otherwise empty back road she always took to and from her mom’s.
She managed to get over to the side of the road, bringing the car to a stop and putting it in park before resting her forehead against the steering wheel. The blood rushed in her ears as she spoke thanks to whoever might hear the gratitude.
She could’ve been killed. Whatever had flattened her tires could’ve killed her.
Once she got herself under control and the shaking had all but stopped, she opened the door and stepped out to take a look at the damage. Using her phone’s flashlight along with the headlights, she took a look at all four wheels.
“Son of a gun!” she shouted into the darkness, kicking one hubcap out of sheer frustration. All four wheels were a bust, completely blown out.
It was a miracle she’d lived through it, she knew now. If she’d been speeding, the results could’ve been quite different.
Her first thought should’ve been to call for a tow truck, and she knew it. But something else had to come first. She walked down the road, still using her flashlight, intent on finding what had caused the blowout. If it could happen to her, it could happen to anyone, and they might not be so lucky.
Something shone in the phone’s light. A spike strip?
She could barely understand what she was seeing, but there was no pretending it wasn’t there. A strip of nails, thrown across the road. Waiting for her.
When had it gotten so cold outside? Why were her teeth chattering?
When another pair of headlights flipped on, almost blinding her, she threw a hand up in front of her face and squinted. They weren’t on the road, but rather parked alongside, facing outward.
Her feet took action before her brain could catch up, and she ran for her car. Somebody had deliberately sabotaged her, and they’d stuck around to see the results.
Chapter 16
“Anyway, that’s when I knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer.” Bridget fiddled with her fork, half her dessert still on the plate. “It was too much stress, and for what? Do you know how many law students graduate each year?”
“A lot, I’ve heard.”
“Exactly. Small fishbowl, lots of fish. So I switched majors to Theatre Arts, and I don’t think my family has forgiven me yet.” He shared a small laugh with her.
“I know how it feels to disappoint family; believe me.” When was she going to finish her dessert and coffee? Bridget was a pleasant person, a good conversationalist and attractive. He’d even enjoyed himself for the most part.
But she wasn’t Holly. Not even close. All he wanted to do was call her, see her, and smooth over the discomfort from earlier in the day.
The only thing keeping him from feeling guilty for comparing the two women was the knowledge that there was never any chance of romance coming from either side of their table.
“Look,” Bridget had offered with a sheepish smile when they’d met in front of the restaurant. “I love my aunt, and I know she put you up to this, but you don’t have to feel any obligation other than sitting through a meal with me so we can both tell her we went through with it. I’m not trying to rope you or whatever you might be thinking.”
They relaxed after that and managed to uncover a lot of common interests, but there was no spark.
“Excuse me,” she said when her phone buzzed. “I should take this. I’ve been trying to get someone to pick up a shift for me tomorrow.” He rose from his chair when she did and then sat back down as she went outside.
He checked his phone while he waited. Something he’d done several times throughout the evening, explaining early on that he was keeping an eye on a client. When Bridget assumed that client was a patient of the clinics, he hadn’t set her straight.
He opened the tracking app paired with the GPS in her car. For a brief moment, he felt guilty for not telling her about the tracking device, but at the time, it wasn’t an argument he wanted to have, and he couldn’t have her forbidding him to do it. It took a few seconds to find her, but soon a red flashing light popped up on a map of the area.
Strange. The car was sitting in one place, not moving a bit, but there was nothing around her. No homes or businesses. Nothing but wooded land, with her car sitting roughly five miles from his phone that was represented by the blue dot.
“She’ll move soon,” he whispered, staring at the dot representing her car. “She’ll move.”
She didn’t.
He called her, disregarding the dirty looks from a nearby diner. The phone rang once. Twice. It rang until her voicemail picked up.
In a flash, he pulled a couple of twenties from his wallet and left them on the table before bolting up. Bridget was still outside and gaped at him in surprise when he ran past.
“I’m so sorry!” he called out. “There’s been an emergency! I left money on the table. Thanks so much for having dinner with me!” Hopefully, she’d see the state he was in and hear the strain in his voice and know this was more than a poor excuse. If that didn’t work, the way he peeled away from the lot and floored the gas when he hit the road would do the trick.
He gripped the wheel as tightly as he could. How long had she been there? Why was she there? What happened? Had they done something to her? What could he have done though? Aside from handcuffing her wrist to his, she was a grown woman and he couldn’t force her to accept protection.
“Hang on,” he pleaded, glancing at the phone again and again, watching as the blue dot moved closer to the red. “Hang on, Holly. Please.”
Chapter 17
“You hear me?” The man in the cap leaned down, looking into her window. “Nod if you hear me and understand.”
Holly nodded, staring straight ahea
d. Sweat rolled down the back of her neck. Her hands were clenched tightly enough that they’d gone numb.
“You stop stirring up trouble for us. Got it?” He slammed his forearm against the window, making her jump. She barely bit back a scream. She was determined not to give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream, though she’d never been so scared in her life.
“Because if you don’t stop telling people about us, we’re gonna pay you a visit. No brick through your window, no spike strip to flatten your tires. We’re gonna go to your apartment, and we’re gonna get very well acquainted. You understand?”
“Y-yes,” she whispered, nodding, afraid to look at him. She didn’t even have the nerve to pick up her phone when it rang, afraid he’d break the window and hurt her. Whatever it took, so long as she got out of this situation unharmed. Physically, anyway.
“I don’t think you’ve learned your lesson,” he decided with a dark laugh. “How about I call my guy over here and we—”
“Yo! There’s someone coming up fast!” The voice came from behind her near the parked car. They’d been waiting there for her. The thought of it made her press her lips together to keep from getting sick.
This time, he slammed his palm into the window. “Don’t make me come looking for you again,” he warned before backing away. The car’s engine revved moments before it sped past.
Holly glanced up at the road ahead. Sure enough, a pair of headlights were bearing down fast. Almost too fast. Brakes squealed, and a car door slammed shut. “Holly!”
“Mason!” she cried out in relief, tumbling out of the car and throwing herself into his waiting arms. “Oh, Mason, I was so scared!”
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” he said, holding her almost tight enough to hurt. It didn’t matter. He was there, just in time, and she didn’t care if he never let go.
“What happened?” he asked, stroking her hair. “Why are you here?”
“My tires…spike strip…they left it there to trap me.” She buried her face in his neck. “I’ve never been so scared in my whole life. They flipped on their lights, and I ran for the car. I barely made it there in time. He chased me. But I locked the doors before he could try to get in. He yelled at me from outside, saying terrible things. They were going to—” Her voice cracked. She couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“I should’ve gone after them.” He groaned.
“No!” She gathered his shirt in her fists. “No, I would’ve been alone. I don’t want to be alone, please. Don’t leave me!”
“I won’t. I won’t leave you. You don’t have to be alone.”
He leaned back, taking her face in his hands. Tears ran down her cheeks. With his thumbs, he gently brushed them away. “I never should’ve let you go alone. I could’ve stayed in the car or followed you. What if you were hurt?”
“I don’t want to think about that,” she whispered.
His eyes locked with hers, and her heart hammered as his lips drew closer to hers. Holly was sure he was going to kiss her, and he’d just been on a date...with another woman. It was a claw down a chalkboard, piercing through whatever moment they were sharing.
She took a step back, outside the circle of his embrace, and cleared her throat. “I’m lucky you got here when you did.”
He looked a little confused about her quick retreat, but he smiled. “I only scared them off. I wish I could’ve done more.”
“You did enough; trust me.” She smiled in return—but it slipped when a question rose to the surface of her mixed-up mind. “How did you know where to find me?”
His smile slipped too and was quickly replaced by a mask of guilt.
She took another step back. “I was practically in the middle of nowhere. Hardly anyone uses this road. Nobody’s come past this whole time. But you knew just where to find me. How is that?”
He frowned, his mouth opening and closing. Finally, he sighed, his shoulders falling. “I don’t suspect you’d buy that I was just lucky, would you?”
“Nope.” She folded her arms. “Tell me. How did you know? Have you been following me around?” Yes, he was supposed to protect her, but not behind her back. She was his client, not his ward.
“No.” He glanced toward the car. “But I installed a tracking device on the car so I could tell where you were. I opened the app during dinner to make sure you were okay.”
Her jaw dropped. Cover or not, he was spying on her while he was on a date with another woman? Just when she was sure she’d seen it all that night, he went and proved her wrong. “I can’t believe you,” she whispered through clenched teeth.
“Look what good it did! This is exactly why I installed the tracker. In case they did something and you needed help. I needed to know where to find you.” He threw his hands into the air with a grunt. “What do you want me to say?”
“That you know you should’ve asked permission instead of breaking into my car? Let’s start there. You could’ve just asked me and I would’ve understood.” She turned on her heel and marched to her car, shaking with rage and betrayal.
He trotted behind her. “Holly, hold on. Where do you think you’re going?”
“To the car so I can call AAA for a tow truck. I’m getting a ride home with them, and you’re leaving me alone.”
“How can you say that? Do you really think I’d leave you alone after this? Holly, be reasonable.” He paced back and forth beside the car as she made the call, then continued to pace as they waited for the tow truck.
She didn’t say another word to Mason the entire time. How was she ever supposed to trust him again when he’d betrayed her this way? They were supposed to be working together. Instead, he was dating women and putting trackers on her car. At the moment, she was seething enough that she couldn’t figure out which made her angrier.
At least she found out now before she let him kiss her. How much worse would it have been to find out after a kiss she’d never forget? Hopefully, she’d be able to forget him.
Even as the thought flitted through her mind, there was no doubt he’d be just as hard to forget as it was to not wonder what it would’ve been like to kiss him.
Chapter 18
She was still awake. At least, the light was on in the front bedroom.
How did Mason know? He’d been sitting there for, according to the clock in his car’s dashboard, three hours. And counting. What else was there to do when she refused to speak to him and went so far as to tell him to leave her alone?
Sitting in front of her house still counted as leaving her alone, which was what he told himself as he sat in his lonely vigil. He wasn’t bothering her by sitting out in front. He was waiting, just in case she needed him.
He was waiting for his own sake as much as hers, since there was little chance of him catching a wink of sleep. She’d nearly been hurt, and he’d almost kissed her. Two things with equal ability to keep him awake all night long. Knowing that, he’d decided to try to be useful by keeping a lookout in front of her place while battling insomnia.
Would she sleep? Eventually, maybe. At least Holly had the choice of whether she would.
He, on the other hand, did not. It wasn’t in him to sit back and do nothing. Granted, sitting behind the wheel of a car that wasn’t even running was hardly doing something, but it was still better than being anywhere else, except inside with her.
No way that was about to happen. He heaved a heavy sigh, staring up at the bedroom window. The light flickered and changed hue, telling him she was watching TV. At least she didn’t have to feel completely alone, even if her companion wasn’t much on conversation. Sometimes, just hearing other voices was enough to make a person feel less alone.
He’d spoken to Noah after the tow truck arrived and Holly deposited herself inside it. Only then had he let himself get good and mad, and he’d vented at his old commanding officer. “I should never have let her out of my sight,” he’d finished, disgusted.
Noah had taken his time before offering a response. “Ei
ther you’ll have to be all-in with her or this will never work. They’ve clearly followed her, made note of her routines. You said the road they chose wasn’t high-traffic?”
“We never saw another car until the truck came,” Mason growled. “So they knew the odds of catching her were good, or else why take the risk of killing an innocent person?”
“I don’t know if I’d go quite that far,” Noah muttered, sounding like he spoke through clenched teeth. “With the lack of respect they have for dogs, I doubt they have much more for people.”
Casting a glance at Holly’s window, Mason replied, “They’ve followed her around.”
“It seems that way, doesn’t it? They knew she was on her way home too. How they knew it is anyone’s guess, though I’d bet on a lookout near her mother’s home. They called their pals on the deserted road, told them she was headed their way, and they rolled out the strip. Sounds fairly uncomplicated.”
That seemed the best explanation Mason could come up with too. And now, after the scare of her getting hurt, he wanted these guys caught immediately. “I want these guys. I want to put an end to them.”
“No more than I do.” Noah fell silent. “Or maybe I’m wrong about that. Maybe you want it a lot more than me.”
Mason hadn’t known what to say to that, so he’d chosen to keep his thoughts to himself. It was safer that way. While he knew Noah fell for Mia virtually minutes after they met—at least, it had seemed that way at the time. He’d only almost shared a kiss with Holly, and now she hated him. It seemed likely whatever might have been happening between them was all but shot at this point.
He wasn’t a man who got the girl. How many times did he have to remind himself? Just the fact that he’d lied about the tracker rather than coming clean proved it. If he had the first clue of how to act in a relationship, how to treat another person so they felt valued, trusted, appreciated, he would’ve treated Holly as an adult instead of going behind her back the way he would for a child.
The Ranger's Destiny (Army Ranger Romance Book 6) Page 7