Impossible Odds: Rescue Team Nine

Chapter 5

Cloey

That arrogant, self-loving, son of a— my mind wants to hate him. I want to commit all types of murder, but my heart is contradicting what my brain wants to accept. Bringing my mind back to the present, I look in my review mirror. Either the day is taking a toll on me, or I'm being followed. I kick myself for not paying attention. I'm not stupid. I meant it when I told Dice that. My brother was an evil man. There's no telling the business dealings he was a part of.

Sighing, I pull into a parking space at Mayberry Café and get out. Maybe a cup of coffee will help me form a plan. I need to find out how to placate this guy while keeping myself alive. Maybe a cup of coffee will help me form a plan. I can sense the air's heaviness when I watch the vehicle that has been trailing me speed by. I pride myself in my ability to take care of myself, but right now I'm feeling open and vulnerable. Another truck catches my attention. Instead of speeding up, it pulls in and parks in the parking lot in the far corner. The man behind the wheel gives me a crooked grin which makes me want to run across the lot and smack the hell out of him. Dice. I should have known he wouldn't give in so easily. This is going to cause a problem.

__________________________________

No amount of coffee can sweep away the bad mood I carry with me into the next morning. Staring out the window with my mug in hand, I can see Dice huddled over his steering wheel. He followed me home from the café yesterday and hasn't moved since. I try unsuccessfully to ignore his presence. Ranch hands watch him with a wary expression on their face while they attend to their morning chores. Sometime during the night, he repositioned his vehicle closer to my house, and now he sits monitoring everyone who walks by. If his plan is to be intimidating, it's working. There's not a man on his team that doesn't intimidate one way or another. I sigh. I didn't sleep well. It's not because I don't feel safe. There's no doubt that Dice is doing what he does best. Still, I'm worried. I paced the floor all night long succumbing to the tears again. Finally spent from crying, I'd fallen into a restless sleep. I'm scared and that's an emotion I hate to admit.

The threatening notes from Washington are nothing compared to the message I received to my phone last night. The guy has my number. He's stepped up his game.

I missed the first time. It won't happen again.

As much as I want to deny it, I need that man outside. I want to hate him, but the truth is that I'm still madly in love with him. I should go out there and tell him everything but exposing my secret could potentially destroy it all. I ask myself if it's worth it, but I already know the answer. Yes, because he can protect her where I can't. Taking a sip of my coffee I lean my head back and allow my mind to transport me to another time when two people were trying to forget.

"Okay, your turn."

We're cloud –gazing. The late afternoon sun shines bright through a cluster of trees. The land borders Wayward and Henderson Ranch. It's the perfect meeting spot.

"A heart."

Turning my face, I glance at him. He's staring at the sky. "A heart?"

Squinting, I study the clouds he's gazing at. Angling my head to the side, I frown.

"I don't see it."

He chuckles before grabbing my hand. Raising it up, he points.

"Not the sappy, Valentine's Day typical heart, Henderson."

I love the way he says my last name. He makes it sound like I'm the most important person in the world. It's masculine, yet I can hear a hint of his upbringing in it. It has class.