Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 34931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 116(@300wpm)
“Anywhere in particular?” the driver questioned, giving the beautiful young redhead a once-over. Normally she loved her hair, but it was too distinctive and identifiable.
“No, just go.” He did as she asked, shaking his head in the process. She was running from something or someone for sure, but the man wasn’t interested in getting involved in other people’s problems, so he drove away from the area as if it was any other day. There were things he saw that were none of his business, and he kept it that way. Don’t ask, and you don’t have anything to tell.
Once they had left the area, Hope calmed down and sat straight forward, directing her attention toward the windshield. It surprised her how she managed to escape. A brief moment of relief hit her, then a sense of panic. It had been too easy for her. What if Navarro’s men knew to look for her? She hadn’t met any of them or even what they looked like.
Panic set in so intensely that she started fidgeting with her purse and slunk lower in her seat.
“Ma’am…Miss, Miss. I’m coming to the end of the Market Square.” She’d been so wrapped up in fear of what was to come that it took her a moment to hear the driver.
“Fine. Okay, let me out.”
“That’s fifteen twenty.”
“Okay,” Hope grumbled, pulling a twenty from her bag, then she jumped out, unwilling to look back.
As soon as she began walking around the square, she looked for the large tourist shop. It had been farther than she remembered, but once inside, she picked up a tank and a hoodie with San Antonio emblazoned on them in dark blues. She was a pink kind of girl, so she hoped that the color would make her less obvious to any of the men hunting for her. Next, she picked up a large beach bag with the “Don’t Mess with Texas” branding on it. This would work perfectly to add a couple of extra shirts. The last things on her list were a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap. After half an hour, she paid for her clothes and accessories and walked over to the restrooms.
A quick change later, she didn’t look like a prissy runaway but rather a tourist, ready to go. She hoped they wouldn’t be able to recognize her.
“Now to get a bite to eat and then find a way to get out of town.” She didn’t have a cell phone, so she needed to find another waiting cab to take her to the bus station.
Chapter Four
The ranch ran smoothly with everything in order. Needing to place some orders in San Antonio, Gage planned to meet some friends in law enforcement for lunch in the city just to shoot the breeze since he had a little extra time to kill that day. Most of the property had been upgraded to handle at least two hundred cattle, even if Gage had no intention of adding more than fifty, which he had gotten at the auction. Bill proved he was capable of handling the men he picked out.
After setting up the orders, he got a text from CJ to meet up at a bar and grille at the Market Square. He parked his SUV in the parking garage across from the main entrance and walked toward the restaurant. Two minutes into his walk, he sensed eyes on him. Could it be one of the guys? They liked to goof around like any good-natured people, so he stepped to the side and took a peek. What he didn’t expect was to have a small woman watching him over the top of her shades.
Yes, he was a handsome man, and women often took a couple of glances and even approached, but this was different. She was different. Gage felt a shift in him that shook him to the core. He even forgot to breathe for a second, catching himself with an unexpected gasp. From across the street, she stared at him until his gaze fell hard on hers.
He had no idea why his heart suddenly started acting up. It couldn’t have been because of the woman, he presumed. Perhaps the heat had gotten to him, but since it was spring and only eleven, the sun hadn’t started baking yet. He shook off the feeling in his chest and focused on her. She blanched and pretended to be looking down at a large sign next to her.
Gage moved around to get closer to the woman in the blue tourist getup to get a better look and to test her motives. She stole glances his way as if she was worried he was onto her. Gage had never had someone trailing him, but he associated with a bunch of guys in law enforcement who had crazies willing to attack their families and friends, so he was bound to end up on the radar of some nutcase.