front of the door. Lily shivered as she climbed into the front seat, and found herself being belted in by lean hands as Flint followed her, planting himself by the door.
“Are you gonna drop me at the Greyhound station?” she asked as Curley climbed into the driver’s seat, and started the big vehicle. Blue eyes shifted from her to Flint, and he shrugged. “We can do better than that, darlin’…”
“You’re headed North?” she asked, her brows knitting.
“For a bit. We’ll take you as far as we go.” Flint’s deep voice murmured above her head, and she found herself leaning comfortably back against his chest, enjoying the warmth of his body.
His arm pulled her closer, and she sighed, feeling warm, safe, and well-fed for the first time in a long while. Curley found a country station that didn’t sound too blue-grass, and before she knew it, she had dozed off, secure in Flint’s gentle embrace.
She awoke to the sound of big tires humming on blacktop, and realized from the sun coming through the windshield that it must be close to noon. Rousing up from where her nose had been pressed into a solid shoulder, she yawned and blinked. “Wow…I must have zonked out totally.” She squinted at the passing scenery as she sat up straight and stretched a bit. “Um…isn’t this hill country? I thought you were headed north…”
“We did go North, sweet thing…” Flint replied, watching her face. “Then we swung onto 290 going west. We should be home in just a few.”
Lily stiffened, and she gasped, “West? I thought you were headed for Fort Worth? Take me back to Austin right now!”
She felt panic well up inside her. She was in a truck with two men, headed for God knows where? How stupid had she been, falling asleep?
“Easy sweet thing…” Flint’s raspy voice had a way of easing her fear, dammit!
“There’s no “easy” about it! Take me back! I wanted to get to Fort Worth!”
“You don’t have anyone there, do you?” His voice was calm and matter of fact.
“No, but that isn’t the point, dammit! I could find a job there…save up enough money to get out of Texas. I really do need to get there…”
“If it’s a job you need, I have a couple you could take on…if you aren’t afraid of hard work, that is.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she hated feeling so out of control. “You don’t understand! I have to get out of Texas. Please take me back so I can take a bus.”
Flint frowned down at her, feeling oddly helpless as tears coursed down her pale cheeks. “You said you weren’t in trouble. You said you didn’t have anyplace to stay. Were you lyin' after all?”
She swallowed hard and glanced from him to Curley, who was pretending to not be listening. He sighed, and caught her chin, gently turning her head toward him. “I take it you are in some kind of mess?”
She nodded jerkily, and he waited quietly for her to elucidate. “Tell me. I might be able to help.”
“No one can help. I have to get the hell out of Texas so they can’t haul me back to him !” His gut tightened, and Curly glanced over with a frown.
“Haul you back to who , darlin’?” Flint asked gently.
“Look…I did run away. I didn’t break any laws, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a long story, and all I can say is, if he finds me, he’ll probably end up really killing me this time around.”
Flint stared down into those swimming, gold eyes, and wondered what kind of fucked up mess his little intruder was in. “Someone tried to kill you? You better tell me everything, sweetness. From the start. I have all the time in the world.”
Chapter Three
Lily desperately needed to tell someone …and the big guy practically wrapped around her really did seem to want to help. Flicking a self-conscious glance at the blond cowboy behind the wheel, she drew a deep breath and told them how she had ended up at the motel…all of it…from how Jake had gotten her recently widowed mom to
“Are you gonna drop me at the Greyhound station?” she asked as Curley climbed into the driver’s seat, and started the big vehicle. Blue eyes shifted from her to Flint, and he shrugged. “We can do better than that, darlin’…”
“You’re headed North?” she asked, her brows knitting.
“For a bit. We’ll take you as far as we go.” Flint’s deep voice murmured above her head, and she found herself leaning comfortably back against his chest, enjoying the warmth of his body.
His arm pulled her closer, and she sighed, feeling warm, safe, and well-fed for the first time in a long while. Curley found a country station that didn’t sound too blue-grass, and before she knew it, she had dozed off, secure in Flint’s gentle embrace.
She awoke to the sound of big tires humming on blacktop, and realized from the sun coming through the windshield that it must be close to noon. Rousing up from where her nose had been pressed into a solid shoulder, she yawned and blinked. “Wow…I must have zonked out totally.” She squinted at the passing scenery as she sat up straight and stretched a bit. “Um…isn’t this hill country? I thought you were headed north…”
“We did go North, sweet thing…” Flint replied, watching her face. “Then we swung onto 290 going west. We should be home in just a few.”
Lily stiffened, and she gasped, “West? I thought you were headed for Fort Worth? Take me back to Austin right now!”
She felt panic well up inside her. She was in a truck with two men, headed for God knows where? How stupid had she been, falling asleep?
“Easy sweet thing…” Flint’s raspy voice had a way of easing her fear, dammit!
“There’s no “easy” about it! Take me back! I wanted to get to Fort Worth!”
“You don’t have anyone there, do you?” His voice was calm and matter of fact.
“No, but that isn’t the point, dammit! I could find a job there…save up enough money to get out of Texas. I really do need to get there…”
“If it’s a job you need, I have a couple you could take on…if you aren’t afraid of hard work, that is.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she hated feeling so out of control. “You don’t understand! I have to get out of Texas. Please take me back so I can take a bus.”
Flint frowned down at her, feeling oddly helpless as tears coursed down her pale cheeks. “You said you weren’t in trouble. You said you didn’t have anyplace to stay. Were you lyin' after all?”
She swallowed hard and glanced from him to Curley, who was pretending to not be listening. He sighed, and caught her chin, gently turning her head toward him. “I take it you are in some kind of mess?”
She nodded jerkily, and he waited quietly for her to elucidate. “Tell me. I might be able to help.”
“No one can help. I have to get the hell out of Texas so they can’t haul me back to him !” His gut tightened, and Curly glanced over with a frown.
“Haul you back to who , darlin’?” Flint asked gently.
“Look…I did run away. I didn’t break any laws, but that doesn’t matter. It’s a long story, and all I can say is, if he finds me, he’ll probably end up really killing me this time around.”
Flint stared down into those swimming, gold eyes, and wondered what kind of fucked up mess his little intruder was in. “Someone tried to kill you? You better tell me everything, sweetness. From the start. I have all the time in the world.”
Chapter Three
Lily desperately needed to tell someone …and the big guy practically wrapped around her really did seem to want to help. Flicking a self-conscious glance at the blond cowboy behind the wheel, she drew a deep breath and told them how she had ended up at the motel…all of it…from how Jake had gotten her recently widowed mom to
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