Aimée Thurlo - Restless Wind

She yawned, leaning back, her eyes automatically closing. “It’ll end soon. It has to,” she murmured, then drifted off to sleep.

Ranger glanced at Dana. She was exhausted and he didn’t have the heart to wake her.

DANA WOKE UP when the truck came to a stop. The lights of the parking lot were bright and it was hard to stop squinting and get her eyes to focus.

Ranger placed a hand on her shoulder. “Wait for me here. I’m not going far.”

Her senses numbed with exhaustion, she tried to concentrate on the conversation he was having with the other man.

“If you want to stay below the radar for a few days, I’ll be glad to pass along a message to your brother,” the man she took to be Tony Birdsong said.

“Not necessary. But thanks for bringing the car.”

Hearing a bunch of car details that meant absolutely nothing to her, Dana drifted off to sleep again. In a sleepy haze, she felt strong arms lifting her out of the pickup. Without even opening her eyes she knew it was Ranger. He had a special outdoor woodsy scent about him that seemed to fit in perfectly with the man he was. Dana rested her head against his shoulder, comforted by the warmth of his strong, male body.

Awareness and desire ribboned around her-and that suddenly brought her back to a state of alertness. “Put me down, Ranger,” she said, her eyes wide open. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.”

He laughed. “Enjoy the luxury while you can. You’re so tired you can’t see straight.”

“You’ve got to be worn out yourself, and if you faint from exhaustion, I’ll need a forklift to carry you.”

The chuckle started like a low rumble in his chest, then became a full-throated laugh as Ranger set her down.

For a brief second Dana stared at the old car, wondering if Ranger was playing a joke on her. The two-door sedan had its original finish-a medium blue that was nearly gray in places from oxidation.

The interior, from what she could see from her position by the passenger’s side, was original, not including the almost matching blue tape that covered several splits in the vinyl dashboard. The upholstery was covered with stretchy terry cloth in a pale green-machine washable, no doubt. A battery-powered radio, one of those probably offered free with a magazine subscription, occupied a portion of the gaping hole in the front dash where the original radio had once been installed.

She burst out laughing when she saw the crocheted pink baby booties hanging from the rearview mirror. “You steal this from the senior center, or was it just abandoned, say in 1973?”

“Don’t be fooled by what you see. This hunk of iron has plenty of modifications. Did half of ’ em myself. And it’s got run-flat tires. No spares needed for this little jewel.”

“Little jewel? Are you sure you’re not hallucinating from extreme fatigue?”

“Wait till she shows you what she’s got.” He had to struggle to open the passenger door and when he did, the metal squealed like an old iron gate. “A little lithium grease will take care of that,” he mumbled.

As she got in, she was grateful to note that the bench seats were surprisingly comfortable, and the seat belts were in good shape. “Are you sure about this? Your truck seems to be running fine to me.”

“That’s not the problem. My pickup has been ID’d by whoever’s after you. We’re better off in a forgettable car-one without bullet holes.”

“If that’s the goal, then you’ve succeeded.”

As he switched on the engine, her eyes widened. The deep-throated growl sounded more like a racing engine that the lawn mower putt-putt she’d expected to hear.

He glanced over and gave her a killer smile. “See? Trust me. A gentle touch and a little perseverance always works wonders.”

His gaze slid down her slowly, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Suppressing the delicious shiver that touched her spine, Dana took a deep breath and focused on the car. She was tired, that was all. Her brain was getting scrambled. “So where to now? Hopefully a place with a bed.”

Seeing his slow grin, she nearly choked. “I meant a bed to sleep in. Alone. For hours.”

As they reached the highway, the little sedan picked up speed quickly, giving them a remarkably smooth ride. For a long time neither of them spoke, each hiding behind the curtain of their own thoughts. He’d sensed that she carried a secret, but she also knew that he had his own as well. Those secrets were now creating a wall between them.

After a half hour, she glanced at him. “You never said where we’re going, did you?”

“To a friend’s place. No one will be able to find us there. It’s just off the reservation.”

She closed her eyes, intending just to rest, but in seconds she fell asleep.

SEEING HE HAD no cell phone service where they were, Ranger decided to stop and make a call on a public phone just outside a convenience store. As he glanced over at her, he realized that there was not much chance he’d wake Dana up when he got out of the car.

People reacted to stress differently. He was still amped up and angry that he’d been taken out when the kidnapping went down. He wouldn’t have been able to sleep on a bet.

Ranger parked the car, then glanced over at Dana. She didn’t even stir. Watching her as she slept, he felt a tug deep inside him, a gentling of sorts. He pushed the feeling back instantly. He couldn’t afford the luxury of distractions now.

Moving as silently as the wind, he stepped out of the car, grateful that his door moved smoothly. Seconds later he heard his brother’s voice on the phone.

“I need a sit rep,” Hunter said, asking for a situation report. Ranger noted that his twin sounded tired, but alert.

Ranger updated him quickly. “Dana’s holding something back. I suspect that she may have overheard what was forced out of our medicine man.”

“If he’d thought that had happened, he would have sworn her to secrecy,” Hunter said.

“Exactly. My guess is she’s doing her best to honor that,” Ranger replied.

“Is it possible she was involved in the kidnapping?”

“I can’t be sure at this stage, but I doubt it,” Ranger answered.

“Does she know about the Brotherhood of Warriors, or suspect you’re one of us?” Hunter pressed.

“If she does, then she’s pretty good at hiding it.”

“We have to assume that the medicine man was tortured into giving them names. That means that some, or all of the brotherhood, may be in mortal danger. We’ve got to find out everything she knows about this. You’ve never failed to get whatever you want from a woman. What’s so different about this one?”

“She’s on a mission of sorts, and she appears to be very loyal. I’ll stay on it and get back to you with anything I manage to learn.”

After he hung up, Wind walked back to the car, gazing at the lights of the city to the east. The medicine man had known there was something special about Dana. He was sure now that was why Hastiin Sani had asked him for a ride from the school. He hadn’t been above playing matchmaker.

Ranger’s gaze drifted to the sleeping woman as he slipped back into the car. He’d never even been tempted to become a one-woman man, but Dana made him feel things he’d never felt before. He wanted to keep her safe, and not just because it had become part of his mission.

Dana stirred when he closed the door. “This car may look like a wreck, but these old bench-style seats are sure comfortable.”

“You’re just dead tired.”

“I am, but I shouldn’t have drifted off.” She looked around. “You stopped to make a call, huh? Cell phones are always iffy out here. Where are we going now?”

“To a house on Farmington ’s east side. But I want to make sure no one’s tailing us, so we’ll be taking the long way around on the back roads. Get more sleep if you can. We’ll be there by first light.”