didn’t want to get
involved…what was the rest of her story? He had seen the despair in her eyes
this morning and felt her trembling. Her fear shook him more than he dared
admit. He already had second thoughts about sending her out on her own. Dammit.
He had no choice, but if Sara was in
real trouble he couldn’t send her away. Until she told him what they were
dealing with, his hands were tied. Damn, he could go crazy thinking about this.
Murphy pinched the bridge of his nose
and Sara’s face flashed through his head. The relief and gratitude in her eyes
when he’d told her he was going to go get the tires for her. The vulnerability
that made him want to run in the opposite direction. He hated seeing that look
in her eyes. It stirred all kinds of protective instincts inside him. It made
him want to possess and keep her. He had no intentions of doing either.
“Got four used ones.” Al approached
minutes later.
Murphy nodded and pushed his thoughts
away. One day at a time, that was how he had been living since his return from Azbakastan
and that’s how he would handle Sara. If he could survive nine months of
captivity, then he could survive a few days with a beautiful woman.
Murphy drove to Franklin Rentals and
parked out front of the small cabin on the edge of town. He walked up the steps
and pushed through the door, taking in the young woman sitting behind the desk
across from the door. She looked up when he strode in, and pulled back in her
chair, a tiny gasp escaping her lips before she collected herself.
Murphy had grown used to the
reaction--it followed him everywhere he went. He knew the scar running the
length of his face was unsightly.
He approached the desk and watched the
woman slide back in her chair a little more. She’d be on the floor if she moved
back any farther.
“May I help you?” she asked.
“I need to speak to Ed Franklin.”
“May I ask what this is about?”
“No.”
Surprise lit her eyes and she took on a
haughty expression. “Your name, please?”
Murphy glanced over her shoulder just as
a door opened behind her. A short, dark-haired man stepped out and looked at
Murphy with wariness.
“It’s okay, Marla. I’ll see him.”
Marla motioned him past.
Murphy followed Ed Franklin into his
office and closed the door behind him.
“Have a seat.”
Murphy remained standing as the older
man took a seat behind his desk.
“What can I do for you?”
Murphy dropped a stack of bills on the
polished desk. Ed Franklin’s eyes widened before he glanced up at him.
“That should cover the damage to the
cabin on Old Mill road. The lady won’t need it anymore.”
Red-faced, Ed glared at Murphy. “What
happened to my cabin?”
“Someone demolished it. This covers the
repairs and your silence.”
The threat was delivered softly. Murphy
pinned the man with a lethal stare, daring him to refuse. He had never met Ed
Franklin, but one glance at the expensive suit and furnishings told him this
man liked extravagant things. Lifestyles like that needed to be fed. So Murphy
fed him and tossed another hundred on the desk.
The money disappeared into the man’s
hand. On top of the insurance claim, he was making one hell of a profit for his
silence.
“If anyone asks, the woman you rented to
just up and left without notice. Got it?”
Ed Franklin fanned the cash. “Yeah, I
got it. Haven’t seen her. No problem.”
Murphy braced his hands on the desktop
and waited until Ed looked up. His scowl made the man sit back in his chair and
hold the cash protectively against his chest.
“You know nothing and I was never here,”
Murphy said.
The man nodded. “Right. Haven’t seen
her, never met you. Got it.”
“I’ll be back if I hear any different.”
“You won’t have to come back,” Ed said,
sweat beading his brow.
The threat delivered the desired effect.
Murphy straightened and walked out of the office without a backward glance. He
hesitated when he climbed in his truck, the
involved…what was the rest of her story? He had seen the despair in her eyes
this morning and felt her trembling. Her fear shook him more than he dared
admit. He already had second thoughts about sending her out on her own. Dammit.
He had no choice, but if Sara was in
real trouble he couldn’t send her away. Until she told him what they were
dealing with, his hands were tied. Damn, he could go crazy thinking about this.
Murphy pinched the bridge of his nose
and Sara’s face flashed through his head. The relief and gratitude in her eyes
when he’d told her he was going to go get the tires for her. The vulnerability
that made him want to run in the opposite direction. He hated seeing that look
in her eyes. It stirred all kinds of protective instincts inside him. It made
him want to possess and keep her. He had no intentions of doing either.
“Got four used ones.” Al approached
minutes later.
Murphy nodded and pushed his thoughts
away. One day at a time, that was how he had been living since his return from Azbakastan
and that’s how he would handle Sara. If he could survive nine months of
captivity, then he could survive a few days with a beautiful woman.
Murphy drove to Franklin Rentals and
parked out front of the small cabin on the edge of town. He walked up the steps
and pushed through the door, taking in the young woman sitting behind the desk
across from the door. She looked up when he strode in, and pulled back in her
chair, a tiny gasp escaping her lips before she collected herself.
Murphy had grown used to the
reaction--it followed him everywhere he went. He knew the scar running the
length of his face was unsightly.
He approached the desk and watched the
woman slide back in her chair a little more. She’d be on the floor if she moved
back any farther.
“May I help you?” she asked.
“I need to speak to Ed Franklin.”
“May I ask what this is about?”
“No.”
Surprise lit her eyes and she took on a
haughty expression. “Your name, please?”
Murphy glanced over her shoulder just as
a door opened behind her. A short, dark-haired man stepped out and looked at
Murphy with wariness.
“It’s okay, Marla. I’ll see him.”
Marla motioned him past.
Murphy followed Ed Franklin into his
office and closed the door behind him.
“Have a seat.”
Murphy remained standing as the older
man took a seat behind his desk.
“What can I do for you?”
Murphy dropped a stack of bills on the
polished desk. Ed Franklin’s eyes widened before he glanced up at him.
“That should cover the damage to the
cabin on Old Mill road. The lady won’t need it anymore.”
Red-faced, Ed glared at Murphy. “What
happened to my cabin?”
“Someone demolished it. This covers the
repairs and your silence.”
The threat was delivered softly. Murphy
pinned the man with a lethal stare, daring him to refuse. He had never met Ed
Franklin, but one glance at the expensive suit and furnishings told him this
man liked extravagant things. Lifestyles like that needed to be fed. So Murphy
fed him and tossed another hundred on the desk.
The money disappeared into the man’s
hand. On top of the insurance claim, he was making one hell of a profit for his
silence.
“If anyone asks, the woman you rented to
just up and left without notice. Got it?”
Ed Franklin fanned the cash. “Yeah, I
got it. Haven’t seen her. No problem.”
Murphy braced his hands on the desktop
and waited until Ed looked up. His scowl made the man sit back in his chair and
hold the cash protectively against his chest.
“You know nothing and I was never here,”
Murphy said.
The man nodded. “Right. Haven’t seen
her, never met you. Got it.”
“I’ll be back if I hear any different.”
“You won’t have to come back,” Ed said,
sweat beading his brow.
The threat delivered the desired effect.
Murphy straightened and walked out of the office without a backward glance. He
hesitated when he climbed in his truck, the
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