The rain picked up again, battering the windshield as he drove back toward Iron Springs. The slap, slap of the wipers filled the quiet inside the cab.
Carly remained silent.
Worried, Linc started talking, telling her how they had found her, hoping his words would somehow make things easier.
“After you left Frank at the market, he decided to stop by your house, make sure you’d gotten home okay. When you didn’t show up, he went back to the Stop and Shop and tracked you from there. He found your pickup on the side of the road, but you weren’t in it so he called Townsend, who’s staying at the ranch. Ross and I went back to your truck and started trying to track you from there.”
She looked up at him. “I’m glad you didn’t call the sheriff. If the cops had shown up . . .” She let the sentence trail off, went back to staring out the window.
“That’s the reason I didn’t call. I was afraid it would only make things worse for you.”
She leaned back in the seat, kept her eyes fixed on the beads of rain rolling down the glass.
“They took my gun,” she said softly. “I got off a few shots, but there were four of them. They pinned me down and the shots went wild.”
He clamped down on his temper. If she realized how upset he really was, it would only make things worse. “Where did they take you?”
“I don’t know. I was blindfolded. The only thing I know about El Jefe is he wears thousand-dollar high-top sneakers and they were at least a size twelve.”
“So you never got a look at him.”
“No. But the guy has kind of a deep raspy voice and he speaks with a Spanish accent. I remember his feet pointed in like he was slightly pigeon-toed.”
“He hit you?” he asked, making the question sound casual when he was feeling exactly the opposite.
“He slapped me a few times to make his point.”
His hands tightened around the wheel. “Which was?”
“He wants Drake Trucking to start working for him. We’re supposed to haul his goods—whatever they are—take them wherever he wants them taken. No questions asked. In return, he pays me a boatload of money.”
“And if you don’t do it?”
“He didn’t say exactly, but I’m guessing he kills me.”
* * *
Carly let Linc help her out of the truck and walk her into the house. He checked the place over while Ross Townsend parked her pickup in the garage and drove off with Frank.
“Nobody here,” Linc said. “Doesn’t look like there has been.”
“I think they’ll leave me alone for a while.” She crossed the living room to the front door. She needed him to leave. She needed to get herself together. “I really appreciate everything you did tonight. You’ve been a good friend, Linc. Grandpa Joe would be very grateful.”
She started to open the door, but Linc pushed it closed.
“Why don’t you go in and take a shower? Get cleaned up and go to bed? I’ll sleep out here on the sofa.”
She started shaking her head. “You don’t have to do that. Those guys aren’t coming back tonight. El Jefe delivered his message loud and clear. You can go home. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m not leaving, Carly. Not tonight. I need to be here. I need to be sure you’re okay.”
There was something in those green eyes she couldn’t read. Worry, perhaps? Regret that he hadn’t been able to protect her?
She reached toward him, set her palm against his cheek, felt the roughness of his late-night beard. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, Linc, I really do, but—”
“I’m staying,” he said, and all the soft feelings those green eyes summoned flew right out the window.
“You’re leaving and that’s the end of it.” She took a couple of steps and jerked open the door.
