by Regina Duke
“Gimme the keys, sweet cheeks. I ain’t gonna hurt you. I just want the keys.” He held out one hand and wiggled his fingers.
“No way,” said Terri, digging deep for her therapy tools. She backed off down the shoulder, moving farther from her car and closer to his. She glanced up and down the road. No traffic yet.
“I ain’t got time for this, sister,” he snarled. He broke into a jog. The heat was taking its toll.
Terri turned and ran to the red car. She stopped at the trunk, planning to keep the vehicle between her and the purse snatcher. “There’s another car coming any second now,” she warned.
He had slowed to a walk. Sweat poured down his face.
“Husbands and wives are allowed to fight,” he sneered. “No one’s gonna help you, girlie.” He was breathing hard, but getting closer.
Terri felt anger well up inside. This jerk was going to tell people he was her husband? That made her want to hurt him, but she knew she couldn’t. She glanced down and had an idea. She took her keys in one hand, unscrewed the cap on the tire stem and pressed the tip of her key against the valve. She wouldn’t be able to ruin the tire in the next few seconds, but she could hopefully cause him a problem later.
“Hey! Stop that!” He forced himself to move faster. then something caught his eye. In an instant, her pursuer’s face changed from that of a predator to that of prey. He pulled open the car door and piled in. A second later the engine started and the tires spit gravel at Terri’s legs as the purse snatcher gunned it and took off. Terri wondered what had scared the man. She looked up and down the highway. And then she saw it.
A silver Mercedes was braking hard, tires squealing on the pavement, but it still overshot the two cars by a hundred feet. Instead of stopping completely, it made a tight turn and accelerated toward Terri until it braked hard on the shoulder directly across from her. A black pick-up truck was coming fast from the west, and she could hear the driver laying on the horn behind the red car. A few moments later the red car and the pick-up were disappearing toward the eastern horizon, and the desert silence felt eerie in the aftermath.
Terri ran to her car. The Mercedes was still across the highway, and she realized by its license number that it was the same one that had followed her from Reno. She wasn’t out of danger yet. She punched the button on her key chain to unlock her car door, but in her haste, she hit the wrong one. The car beeped at her, as if to say, “I’m already locked, idiot.” The door of the Mercedes opened, but she refused to look in that direction. She needed to stay focused on getting away. She punched her key chain again, finally hitting the unlock button, and pulled the door open, but she yanked too hard. The door flew open, then bounced back and hit her arm. She dropped her keys.
“Oh, great,” she snarled at herself and bent down to feel under the car for them.
Then a familiar voice called to her. “Terri! Terri, it’s me, Russ. Are you all right?” He was checking for traffic and trotting to her from across the road.
She straightened up at the welcome sound, but her relief was quickly replaced by anger when she realized she had been worrying about the wrong car all along. “You?! You’re driving the Mercedes?”
Russ looked confused. He scratched his head and glanced back at his car. “Right. I’m driving a Mercedes.” He was close enough to touch her now, and he took hold of her arms with gentle strength. “Are you all right? What were you doing? Did you have engine trouble?”
He looked so worried that Terri regretted snapping at him. How could she be angry with that face? Once again she felt her body responding to his, and she shuffled her feet, hoping the tickle down there would go away. It didn’t. She had to look somewhere else in order to think straight, so she forced her gaze out toward the desert. “I saw that red car by the side of the road, and I thought they were tourists in trouble, so I pulled over to check.”
Now Russ looked angry. “What were you thinking? DaSilva tries to grab your bag in Beatty, and you’re stopping to check on him when his car pulls off the road?” His grip on her arms tightened.
Terri looked alarmed. “Hey, be careful.”
Russ released his hold on her. “Sorry. You just scared the heck out of me.”
Terri took off her sunglasses and looked up at him. “You were worried about me?” Then the rest of what he said registered, and it was her turn to get snippy. “Hey! Wait a minute. You called him DaSilva. You know that guy?”
Russ looked uncomfortable. “Well, yeah. I’m a bounty hunter, remember? I’ve been following him for a couple of days.” He left it vague. This was probably not the best time to tell Terri what his ultimate plan was for DaSilva.
Terri spread her arms and put space between the two of them. “And you didn’t bother to tell me this in Beatty? If you had told me what kind of car he was driving, I wouldn’t have pulled over.”
Russ put his hands in the air in surrender. “You’re right, you’re absolutely right. I’m sorry. I just… I had other things on my mind.” Like those legs, he thought, glancing down. All that smooth skin, just begging to be touched. He jerked his gaze back up to her perfect little nose. “I wasn’t thinking straight. I should have told you.”
Terri folded her arms across her chest and refused to look at him. She focused instead on his chest. His tee shirt clung to the contours of his pecs, and she decided that was not the best spot to stare at, because those contours made her want to run her hands over that firm flesh. Even through the tee shirt, she could count the ridges of his washboard abs. No, she couldn’t let her eyes linger there. She aimed them at her toes instead. “So, you weren’t following me from Reno?”
“No, of course not. I mean, well, in a sense I was, because he was following you and I was following him, but I didn’t know that until he attacked you in Beatty.”
Terri nodded. Another pick-up whizzed by, and a big rig roared along behind it, stirring up the desert with the draft it created.
Russ moved to put his body between Terri and the road gravel tossed up by the big truck. His arms slipped around her, and she found herself cradled against his chest. She was overwhelmed by the feel and the scent of him, and the sight of those tanned biceps accented by the white tee shirt did nothing to quell the tickle deep inside, something she thought she had turned off when things soured with Gavin.
The big rig was gone, but still they stood there, neither one wanting to move. Russ’s voice was very close, smooth and apologetic.
“I’m really sorry, Terri. I was so rattled after I met you, I just couldn’t think straight. I should have told you about DaSilva, but I didn’t want to scare you. And I didn’t even think to warn you about his car because he keeps changing vehicles. This is the third car he’s driven in the past three months. So far they haven’t been stolen. I was able to check on that. But he seems to have several buddies with no concern about loaning him their cars.”
“Oh.” Terri was very aware that Russ hadn’t let her go yet. She wanted to press her cheek against his chest, but she fought the urge. She thought she was supposed to be angry with him, but her irritation was dissolving in the gentle concern of his embrace. A little voice inside reminded her that she did not want any complications in her life, but her resolve seemed to melt whenever he was within three feet of her.
“You’re not saying anything,” said Russ. He pulled away a few inches and tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes. “Are you mad at me about something else?”
The dreamy tone of Terri’s response ruined her attempt to look angry. “Absolutely furious,” she said.
Russ grinned at her. She looked up into his eyes, and she was mesmerized. Another car whizzed by, but she was barely aware of it. Her eyes dropped a couple of inches to Russ’s mouth, and suddenly she had butterflies. The scent of him made her dizzy. That was the only thing that could explain why she leaned into him like that. Then he pulled her close, and they were kissing.
Warm velvet, thought Terri. That’s what his kiss was like. Warm spicy velv
et. Some part of her mind wondered what proof his kisses were, because they were certainly intoxicating. When his tongue traced the contours of her lips, her knees wobbled. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt the little stubbly hairs from a recent hair cut against her wrists. She could smell the faint coconut odor of his sunscreen and the much more prominent aroma of his personal musk. The kiss grew hotter and more intense. She wrapped one bare leg around his denim-clad calf and squirmed against the bulge in his trousers. He groaned into the kiss, and she realized with horror that she was teasing him. She broke off the kiss and planted the palms of her hands on his chest, putting a few inches of distance between them, enough at least to separate her ache from his bulge.
“I take it you forgive me?” Russ’s voice was husky now, and definitely a baritone.
Terri nodded. “Forgive.” She hardly had enough air to speak with.
Russ looked around. “We should get going before some thoughtful highway patrolman pulls over to see what’s going on.”
She nodded again. “Going.”
Russ chuckled. “Okay. I’m putting you in your car now. Are you okay to drive?”
Terri shook off his spell. “I’m fine. I can drive.”
“Good.” His smile was shadowed with concern. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” As if realizing how much he was revealing, he toughened his tone. “And don’t stop for any more stranded cars, okay? Go straight to your hotel.”
“Yes, sir.” She gave a mock salute.
“I’ll pull out after you take off.”
“Okay.” She started her engine and her A/C, then turned off her flashers.
Russ was leaning one arm on her car door and stooping to look in at her. “Why did you stop, anyway? Most women would be afraid to do something like that, while traveling alone.”
Terri shrugged. “I know first aid. I thought maybe someone was hurt. People have been known to help me out now and then, and I just wanted to pass it along.”
Russ nodded. “That’s admirable. But do us both a favor, okay? Until I have DaSilva in custody, put your good Samaritan impulses on hold.”
Terri put her sunglasses back on. “That’s probably a good idea.”
“I’ll pick you up for dinner. We’re still on for dinner, right?”
She smiled. “Definitely.”
“Okay. See you later. And drive carefully.” He closed the car door, then patted the roof before he turned and crossed the highway.
Terri sighed. What was wrong with her anyway? She was letting him talk to her like she was a five-year-old. It had to be the tan. Or maybe it was his muscles. She checked for traffic, then pulled out onto the highway. As she focused on driving, her mind cleared and questions popped up. If Russ was following DaSilva, why hadn’t he captured him yet? He’d been awfully close to him in Beatty and again there by the highway. No, that wasn’t fair. In Beatty, Russ was making sure she was okay. She couldn’t fault him for that. And on the highway, DaSilva was already pulling onto the road and nearly caused an accident with that pickup.
But Russ should have warned her that DaSilva was driving a red car. She would have lots of questions to ask him over dinner, there was no doubt about that. At least she knew it wasn’t Gavin in the red car or the Mercedes.
“Great.” She laid a hand on her tote bag where Reggie’s photos were waiting for her. “Out of all the cars on the highway that could possibly be driven by Gavin, I have eliminated two.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
RUSS STEERED with his left hand and answered his cell phone with his right, half hoping it was Terri, but it was Sara calling from his office. “Russell Camino, when will you learn that you can’t do everything on the spur of the moment?”
“Hi, Sara.”
“Don’t sound so disappointed. You were hoping for a call from a much younger woman.”
He grinned. “Sorry. What’s up?” Then suddenly concerned, “Are the girls okay?”
“They’re fine. I just wanted to let you know that the Grand Canyon Lodge is booked solid nearly a year in advance. The very nice operator told me I can get you a room for this time next year if I make the reservations right away.”
Russ groaned into the phone.
Sara laughed. “What’s the matter, kid? You’ve got that Mercedes. You can always sleep in the back seat. It’s comfy enough.”
“That’s true. But I’m trying to protect someone from DaSilva, and I may need to stay closer than the parking lot.”
“Oh, no, not DaSilva again. Russ, you’ve got to let go of this obsession.”
Russ felt a fit of stubborn coming on. “Sara, we’ve had this talk before. You know how it’s going to end.”
Sara sounded resigned. “Well, if someone needs protection, she should be happy to have you on guard. It is a ‘she,’ right?”
Russ grinned but did not confirm her suspicion. He glanced at all his mirrors. He disliked talking on the cell while he was driving because it distracted him, but he didn’t want to pull over and let Terri get too far ahead.
Sara wasn’t finished. “Any scratches on that car yet?”
Russ groaned. “Not that again. I was seventeen when I had that fender bender. This is what I get for working with an old family friend. You’ll never let me forget it, will you?”
Sara laughed. “I’m sorry. I just like to tease you. Besides, I promised your mom I would always look after you. And reminding you to be careful comes with the territory. Oh, by the way, the Stewarts called. They said they should be home by the end of the week.” She paused. “You know, Russ…”
“Don’t say it. I know. They weren’t expecting me to drive the car clear to the Grand Canyon. I’ll take the mileage off their bill, okay? Besides, I’ve borrowed Adrian Stewart’s car before. I’m hot on this trail, Sara. I have a good feeling about this. I think I’m really on to something this time.”
“I’m glad things are going well,” said Sara. “Just don’t scratch that car.”
“Understood,” said Russ. “I’m driving, Sara. I’ve got to hang up. I’ll check back with you this evening, okay?”
They hung up, and Russ was glad to put the phone down. He’d have to think of something before he got to the Grand Canyon. He needed to be close to Terri if he was going to protect her. Practically speaking, the closer he was to her, the better his chances of catching up with DaSilva. If only he could figure out what DaSilva wanted with Terri. That connection was eluding him, and he already had too many mysteries to juggle where DaSilva was concerned.
CHAPTER EIGHT
TERRI LET out a celebratory whoop as the road expanded to four lanes. Las Vegas and the comfort of her hotel room were only an hour away. She stretched as best she could while hanging on to the steering wheel, then reached for her last bottle of water. While she drove, she decided she should give some serious thought to describing her attacker’s face. If necessary, God forbid, she wanted to be able to provide a description of him to the police.
Then she realized that Russ could do that. He obviously knew who the guy was and what he looked like. He could just point them to DaSilva’s mug shot. Surely he had at least one of those floating around somewhere.
Meanwhile, she had no idea who he was or why he was following her. And what could she possible have that could interest him?
The memory of his red, acne-scarred face would haunt her dreams. She shook it off and replaced it with Russ’s. And along with his face came the memory of that kiss.
It was gentle and passionate at the same time. Gavin had always considered kissing a chore, something to be avoided. She realized now he just didn’t want to be bothered. But Russ kissed her as if he had all the time in the world, as if nothing was more important than getting it right. She sighed deeply.
A second later, her cell phone rang, and she squawked in surprise. “Scared me half to death,” she muttered. She stuck her hand in her tote bag and found the phone by feel. “Hello?”
“Hi, Terri. It’s me, Calin. Are you
in Vegas yet? We’ve got a pool going.”
Terri laughed. A glance at her dash clock showed it was almost six. Calin and the others were closing up shop, checking the surgery patients before leaving, and feeding the resident cat by now. “I’m driving past something called Indian Springs,” said Terri.
Calin repeated, “Indian Springs.” Someone in the background cheered. “That was Dr. Kay. She just won the pool.”
“Congratulate her for me,” said Terri.
“Any sign of Gavin yet?” asked Calin.
“No, not yet.”
“You don’t sound very worried.”
Terri grinned. “Let’s just say I’ve made a friend who wants to protect me.”
“You’ve met some gorgeous man, haven’t you? Oh, I just hate you. Tell me all about him.”
“I’ll tell you later, okay? There’s a lot more traffic here and I need to get off the phone. Congratulate Dr. Kay, and I’ll call you from the motel.”
“All right. Have fun!” Calin hung up.
The rest of the trip to the Motel Six was uneventful, but by the time Terri arrived, she was exhausted. She felt like someone was twisting a knife between her shoulder blades. She still flinched every time she saw a red car, and when she pulled into the Motel Six, she scanned the lot for DaSilva and for Gavin. No sign of either.
She found a space close to the lobby entrance and parked. She pulled her bungee-bound suitcase out of the trunk and headed for the lobby. Her morning trip to the store felt like a hundred years ago.
The male clerk typed her information into the computer and slid a registration slip across the counter for her to sign.
“I’m expecting a friend in a little while,” said Terri. “His name is Russ Camino. He’ll probably ask for my room number.”
“We don’t give out that information,” said the clerk, “but you can leave him a note if you want.”
Terri wrote a quick note for Russ, then took her key and headed for her room.