Impossible Odds: Rescue Team Nine

Chapter 6

Dice

Something's wrong. The monitor on my dash is showing Cloey taking several crazy turns. She'd been playing a game with me earlier. I let her, but my instincts tell me this is different. I hit the gas. The road ahead will intersect with hers. There I can catch up and see what's going on. Just as I make the turn, my cell phone rings. One look at the screen, and I know she's in trouble. If she wasn't, she wouldn't have bothered to call.

"Cloey?"

"I'm being followed, Dice."

"How close is he?" I hear her swear a few times above the sound of tires squealing.

"Too close. He's trying to run me off the road."

Thankfully, quick decisions and plans are my forte. "There's a gas station ahead of you to your left. Pull in and I'll be waiting."

There's a pause. She doesn't ask me how I know where she is. She's smart, and she knows me. That's all I need to know. Bringing my truck to a screeching halt at the station, I jump out.

"Cloey?"

The sound of vehicles speeding down the road causes me to glance up from my phone. I recognize her rental car immediately. Shoving my phone in my pocket, I don't take the time to hang up. I know she's already done so. Watching the man in the truck behind her purposely bump into her pisses me off. He'll have hell to pay if I have anything to say about it. As I remove my gun, Cloey spins her vehicle into the gas station's parking lot and comes to a sudden stop in front of me. Wasting no time, I open her door and pull her next to me and shield us with her car while aiming my weapon at the oncoming assailant. Unfortunately, I'm only able to unload a few bullets before he flees the scene. Turning to check on Cloey, I find her cursing a streak longer than the Mississippi River. I smile. I can't help it. I missed her stubborn streak.

"Are you okay?"

She cuts her eyes in my direction. No smile appears which makes me nod.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Damn," she mutters as she gets up and studies the dent on the other side of her car. She walks around, assessing the damage. "Phil is going to kill me."

I place my gun back in the holster. The man is long gone. "Phil?"

"The owner of Drive Away Rentals."

Running my hand along the exterior of the car, I notice a few dents near the passenger door. I don't give a fuck what the man thinks, I'm only glad she's okay.

"These things are covered by insurance, Cloey. It's not that big a deal."

She avoids my gaze. Is that a blush I detect?

"Yeah, well this is the third vehicle I've had to borrow," she says around a cough.

Raising my eyebrow, I study her. She's cute when she gets embarrassed, but she'll never admit it. "Were all the rentals stalker related?"

"Nope." That's all she'll say. Smiling, I work hard at not laughing. The girl is dangerous to a vehicle. Some of the old Cloey is still there. She moves around the car in order to hide her discomfort.

"Admit it, Cloey. You missed me."

"Okay," she sighs, the sound of it signaling her defeat. "Ground rules. We need ground rules."

My smile widens. "So that means you're okay with me following you around?"

Cloey shakes her head. "I never said that. But I prefer life over death, so I want ground rules."

"I'll take it. Your wish is my command."

"Oh please," Cloey says as she shakes off the gravel that has gathered on her jeans. "Spare me your Dice charm. It doesn't work on me anymore."

I open the door to her vehicle. "And get that smile off your face."

"Yes, ma'am."