Force of Nature Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4) by Kathi S. Barton Page A

only going to make him madder.”
    Of course she didn’t answer, but continued with what she was doing. Like she gave a shit what his temper was like. CJ was just pushing in the clutch to shift into drive when Dallas put his hand over hers. She looked up at him. “Get out,” she said. It was all she could manage if she didn’t want to go screaming into the night. “Just get out.”
    He seemed to know she was close to losing it, so he nodded and put his hand on the handle. He turned back to her before he got out. “I like you Charlie Jane. Very much so, as a matter of fact. I’m going to enjoy watching the two of you come to terms with this. Because you will have to eventually.” With that, he got out. Before she could move on, Austin got in.
    Without a word, she put it in first gear and moved to the line of trucks where the Preston truck was sitting. She thought if he wanted to come with her, she’d not speak to him.

 
     
    ~ Chapter Ten ~
     
    Austin watched her drive the big semi up the lane. He had an idea what was going on, but didn’t get all the details before she stormed off in the direction of the rig. Isaac had said he was going with her so that he could drive part of the way, but Austin told him that wasn’t happening. The older man seemed to think that was funny, but Austin failed to see the humor in it.
    He watched her back up to the trailer. She did it with ease and expertise. Austin was impressed with the way she seemed to just know when to stop without hitting the trailer, and when she grabbed a pair of heavy gloves and got out, he wasn’t sure if he should follow. He was sort of afraid she meant to leave him, and he wasn’t going to let that happen.
    She was standing on the back of her rig hooking up some wires when he came around to where she was. It looked like she was putting in the electrical harness from the trailer to the rig she was driving. When she hopped down instead of waiting for him to help her, he knew that he was going to have a long ride ahead of him.
    “Here, let me do that.” Austin tried to move her out of the way so that he could wind the heavy looking bar that she was moving. A sharp growl from her made him step back. She finished the job ten minutes later.
    The bar she had been turning seemed to lift the large leg-like things just under the front of the trailer. He was amazed that when she finished hooking the trailer to the rig, it had been so seamless; trailer standing alone, to semi and trailer as one. When she went to the back of the trailer and practically stepped under it to do something, he nearly grabbed her and pulled her out but she was back out from under it a minute later. She did the same to the other side. When she got back in the truck, he hurried to the other side and climbed in. He watched as she moved the truck back until he felt something slam into them from the rear. He looked out the mirror in time to see Isaac moving to the side he was on and knocking on the door.
    “Here you go, kid. There’s over two grand in there for gas and food.” She took the envelope from him. “Your tandems are back and your lights all work. There will be another five grand when you get to the drop.” He handed her a bag. “There’s a cell in there and also a list of phone numbers. Leo or I will call you every two to see where you are. You are gonna see a bunch of cops, but you won’t be stopped. They are on the watch for you. Got it all?”
    She nodded, but Austin had questions. “Where are we going, and who will be watching over her in the mean time? Where will we be staying and how will we get back?”
    Isaac just grinned and shut the door. Austin felt the truck lurch forward, and they were suddenly moving toward the highway.
    Austin thought he’d give her a little while to calm down before he talked to her. He knew they were going to California and that the load they were taking was stolen. What he didn’t know was why she had been chosen and why she had