Ryan draped the coat over the seat and shook his head. Then he closed the door without another word, straightening his broad shoulders as he confidently walked toward the screen door of the old wooden building.
Makayla realized she was staring, but for the life of her couldn’t tear her gaze away or stop herself from wondering what made this man tick. Halfway to the building, he tucked his hands into the pocket of his jeans, the muscles of his arms and back flexing through the thin cotton material of his button down shirt and darned if the most illogical thoughts didn’t start floating through her head.
She swallowed back the knot building at the base of her throat. All her life, she’d dreamed of having someone, a male someone, protect her, hold her, tell her things would be okay. Not having a father growing up had messed with her head. She’d missed feeling secure and loved on some kind of level her mom just couldn’t provide.
Good grief. What was wrong with her?
Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Steven? She’d overlooked dangerous signs, major flaws in his character, in order to find that security.
She couldn’t afford to let her guard down and let it happen again.
The sound of the door squeaked behind her as Michael got out of the car with a puzzled expression and walked up, tippy toeing to see inside her window. She opened her door slowly and spoke softly, trying to assure him he was safe.
“It’s all right. We’re just making a potty stop.”
“But I don’t have to potty, Momma.”
She watched Ryan inside the store through the dusty window. He was walking down the aisles, picking up things and then putting them back. No apparent alarm or worries that she might take off and run. That was a good sign. He was definitely not on Steven’s payroll. He’d never let her out of his sight like this if that was the case. Ryan kept winning points whether she wanted him to or not.
“Come on, sweetie. We’re gonna try. Let’s hurry.” Michael reached up to grab her hand, still unsure about the situation, but willing to trust her. If only she could be that innocent again.
As she walked through the door of the convenience store, she noticed Ryan take a head to toe glance in her direction. Chills raced down her spine at what resembled a glint of masculine approval in those deep blue depths and she quickly looked away.
For the life of her, she couldn’t imagine what he could possibly find attractive with her current appearance. Her short bob had to be a complete mess, her tired eyes smudged with mascara and eyeliner. Yet something sparked his interest and dang if she didn’t like the idea. Warmth spread inside her like a shot of whisky, all the way down.
Not good. Not good at all. Find a phone. That’s all she had to do. Once she contacted her mother, she could make new plans. Forget all these crazy feelings and start a new life.
She tried to swallow, but it took enormous effort.
Pitiful
. She was scarred-for-life pitiful. Preparing herself to fight off the crazy dizziness swirling the air around her, she dared to meet his gaze again. Ryan’s face was void of any emotion now and she questioned if she’d read more into it. Disappointment oozed all over her body
. Stop
, she scolded. He’s a man. All men are scum, remember?
But for some odd reason, deep down, she didn’t want this man to be scum and the mere thought scared her to death.
She guided Michael to the back of the store toward the sign that read restroom. A payphone hung on the back wall and her spirits lifted. But the excitement was short lived. Upon further inspection, she noticed that the cord had been pulled out of the receiver and now dangled almost to the floor.
“No.” A heavy sigh escaped with the whispered word. Why did vandals get a kick out of stuff like this? She could just never wrap her mind around that one. The outside of the building hadn’t given her much hope of even finding a phone so this frustration was magnified by the fact she’d come so close.
Neat, clean and organized, the inside of the building looked a hundred percent better than any of the stations she’d ever been to. It smelled of cinnamon and vanilla and thankfully the tiny bathroom followed suit, void of any defacement or damage.
A few minutes later, they were cruising the aisles looking for Michael’s favorite candy bar, her nerves a bit more at ease, but her senses on high alert.
“You ready?” A large hand grazed her shoulder blades. The gentle touch set off a flurry of confusing sensations. “We need to keep moving,” Ryan said. Then added, “In case the storm catches up with us.”
Biting her bottom lip, she punished herself for liking his touch, his voice, his presence. She couldn’t risk trusting him too much. They needed to part ways. The sooner the better.
“Yes, I was looking for something to keep Michael occupied.” She smiled, tilting her head for a better view of his face as he walked past. But instead of moving, he stood his ground behind her, capturing her complete attention for several seconds. What was it she saw in those amazing eyes? A silent plea? A longing to tell her something?
Her throat shriveled dry at just what that might be, and she could barely inhale due to the fact with each breath the tantalizing scent of his cologne, mixed with cinnamon and vanilla, played havoc with her resolve. A spicy musk smell that spoke of integrity and passion. Lots of passion.
She realized his hand still lingered on her back, so light it tickled and soothed at the same time and she had to stifle the urge to grab Michael and run right then and there. Every second spent with this man was dangerous in more ways than one. Oh, boy. She was in more trouble than she cared to admit. Her emotions reminded her of a yo-yo with a very short string.
“Mommy, I found it!” Michael broke the intense moment with his excited chatter and Makayla thought her knees would buckle from relief.
“That’s great, honey. Let’s pay for it and get you buckled back in the car.” Without another word or glance, she took a step to slip past Ryan, but he stopped her, his warm hand moving to capture her elbow. Chills the size of golf balls bombarded her at all the horrific memories that surfaced. But although Ryan’s grip was firm, it was anything but threatening. His harmless action contradicted everything she was accustomed to. The pain. The malicious intent.
“No. Let me get that for him.” As if sensing he’d made her uncomfortable, he released her arm slowly. Rough calloused fingers all but caressed her skin and her heart skipped beats.
“Oh, I couldn’t ask you…”
“I want to,” he said. His deep voice resonated deep within her with so much sincerity, she had to swallow hard and remind herself he was a stranger.
This was not normal behavior for a man. At least not any she’d ever known. Even in high school, the boys had always been so immature and full of it. Then as she’d made her way through college, she’d discovered them to be self-centered and concerned about one thing. The one thing she was unwilling to give. That usually ended relationships real quick.
That’s why Steven had been able to fool her so easily. He’d been one of the few willing to wait. If their honeymoon was any indication of how that first time would have been before marriage, his reasons made perfect sense. He would not have been kind. Even then.
Unable to speak over the nauseating sensations swarming her, she nodded her approval reluctantly. Then she pushed Michael toward the door and tried to erase the feel of Ryan’s soft touch from her mind.
What she so wanted and needed just couldn’t be.
As they drove out of the parking lot, Michael giggled in the backseat at the toy airplane Ryan secretly purchased for him along with the candy bar. Was this guy for real?
“You didn’t have to do that,” Makayla said, now eyeing Ryan with great interest. She wanted to get inside his head more than ever before. Just what made this man tick and what was he trying to prove?
“No problem.”
The one sentence answers were back along with the tough masculine façade from the airport. She decided it wasn’t that bad. At least it saved her from having to explain anything else in detail.
They drove in silence for the next fifty miles. Then she saw the sign she’d been looking for. Las Vegas. That’s where she and Michael got off this emotional roller coaster ride.
Mind made up, Makayla breathed a sigh of relief. Soon she would be able to just worry about the two of them. Steven would never be the wiser, never know about Ryan and how he’d helped her get out of the airport. Luck was still shining on them.
***
“Steven Prichard, please come to the front desk.”
Makayla’s entire body froze as she skimmed through the toys in the gift shop of the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas with Michael. Did they just call her husband’s name over the intercom? No. That was impossible. How would he know which way she’d headed after leaving Carson City in that terrible storm?
And then she heard it again. “Steven Prichard, please come to the front ticket counter.”
She swallowed hard, giving Ryan a quick glance as he talked with the man at the rental car desk a few yards away. He was getting her a car. Just as he promised. His tall sturdy frame leaned casually against the counter, his right foot crossed over the other.
Panic whipped through her.
Had she let another part of her anatomy cloud her judgment? Trusted the wrong person?
A million thoughts rushed her at once, but her gut feeling was stronger. Ryan wasn’t pushing her to stay with him. Oh, he’d offered to take her all the way to her destination, but he was honoring her wishes and even insisted on paying for the car since he’d inconvenienced her earlier. This was not the behavior she’d expect from someone trying to pull a fast one.
So that meant one thing. Steven was there. Right now. Looking for them.
If she didn’t act fast, she and her precious son would be on their way to a life even worse than what they’d left. Ryan’s life would end—in the most gruesome way possible.
“Ryan, wait!” She grabbed Michael by the hand and joined Ryan at the car counter. “I have to tell you something.”
He turned and gave her a pleasant smile. “Have you changed your mind?”
Her heart ached for him as fear swelled inside her chest. They didn’t have much time. She had to tell him everything. “Look, I know you offered to help out of some kind of warped macho code of ethics, but I can’t let you do it without telling you the truth.”
“What truth?” His entire demeanor transformed as he straightened to his full height, maximizing the intensity of his masculinity and strength. She inhaled deeply, contemplating her options. What would she do if he changed his mind? If it turned out Ryan was the one who’d called Steven?
“Michael, you play with your new truck and airplane right here at the table, okay?” She didn’t want her son to hear what she was about to say, but she didn’t have a choice. Michael plopped down on the floor without a single complaint and began making his best rendition of a truck on steroids.
Now all she had to do was get Ryan on board.
She looked up to find Ryan watching, his brow furrowed. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out slowly before trying to speak. “My husband’s name is Steven Prichard.” She waited for comprehension to hit, but the implication never registered. “He’s a very bad man. He will kill you on sight for helping us and won’t be kind.”
Still nothing.
“Doesn’t that bother you?” she asked.
“We’ve been on the road for over twelve hours. Why tell me now?”
Well, that certainly wasn’t the reaction she expected. Or was it? He had every right to be mad. “I know. I wanted to tell you, was going to, honest. But I couldn’t figure out how to start.” She glanced over her shoulder hoping not to find Steven glaring back at her. “They just paged Steven over the intercom. Oh, dear God. He could be watching us right now.” She gave the terminal another once over, made sure Michael was still where he was supposed to be and then turned all her attention back to Ryan. “He won’t be alone, Ryan. Michael and I have to leave now.”
“I see.” Instantly, his entire demeanor transformed back into the man she’d met that night at the airport. All businesslike, emotionless, short sentences.
I guess that was her answer. He was going to break all ties and she didn’t blame him.
She adjusted the strap on her purse and started to walk toward Michael. Do it quickly, like a Band-Aid and it won’t hurt so much. Besides they didn’t have a second to waste.
“Wait.” Ryan grabbed her arm, stopping her progress. “Where are you going?” His fingers burned tiny prickles of heat into her skin.
“I’m saving your life. Now, just let me go before it’s too late.”
“Makayla, I can help.”
“No. I thought I could do it. I thought if I told you what was at stake and you still stuck around then any consequences you suffered would be your fault. But I can’t do it. You don’t know Steven like I do. He’s not even human.” Tears trickled down both cheeks as she watched her son still playing at the table.
Ryan released her arm and wiped away the tears with the back of his hand. “Don’t cry. Let me help you.”
She shook her head no, unable to form the word.
“Makayla. Listen to me.” He lifted her chin with the tip of his finger so that she was looking directly into his eyes. “I’m a private investigator. I can make you disappear.”