The Blood In the Beginning by Kim Falconer

cent.’
    Cate sucked in her breath. ‘Oh, thank god!’
    I looked up. A black Cadillac Escalade pulled off the road in front of us. ‘Who’s that?’ Joey and I asked at the same time.
    â€˜Our boss.’
    Daniel Bane stepped out of the car, calm and classy in slacks and a white dress shirt, dark shades. ‘How’d he show up here?’ I wasn’t big on coincidences. This was just weird.
    Cate checked her watch. ‘On his way to the Ranch, I imagine. They have four p.m. meetings every Tuesday.’
    â€˜You his secretary now?’ Joey asked.
    I have to admit, I had the same thought. ‘What’s the Ranch?’
    â€˜Headquarters for the Poseidon owners. They …’
    â€˜Stay here.’ Joey was out of the truck before Cate could finish. What a dick.
    â€˜You’re bleeding,’ I said to her.
    She turned the rear-view mirror toward her and pushed back her hair. ‘I think that happened when we conked heads.’
    â€˜Sorry.’ I leaned over the seat and rummaged in the glovebox for a tissue to mop up the blood. The smell of it was strong with the windows up, air con off. I sat back and cracked my window open, letting in the highway smells, and a bit of onshore wind.
    â€˜Thanks.’
    Joey and Daniel were bending over to look at the tyres. No doubt Joey was giving him the ‘Ava has paranoid schizophrenia’ rave. Great. When they stood up, Joey took out his phone and started tapping in numbers, shooting death-threat glares at me. Daniel put his hands in his pockets and caught my eye. He was at the door a moment later.
    â€˜Hi, Mr Bane,’ Cate said, still blotting blood. She had suddenly gone all chipper. ‘Great timing. I don’t know what we would have done.’
    â€˜Call a tow truck, I imagine,’ I said under my breath. Did she know how hard she was flirting? With the boss?
    â€˜You’ll need a tow, by the look of it.’ He was staring at the smashed flowers over the floor.
    â€˜We had some casualties, but thanks for them.’
    I scooted over when he made to jump in. A hint of fine cologne preceded him.
    â€˜Are you recovering, Ava?’ I couldn’t read his expression behind the sunglasses.
    â€˜She’s much better,’ Cate answered for me. ‘Aren’t you?’
    I opened my mouth to respond.
    â€˜Of course, we had a bit of a freak-out here.’ Cate talked over me. ‘Ava’s being stalked.’
    Bane frowned. ‘So Joey said.’
    Rourke’s caution about keeping this to myself was flying out the window. ‘I’m not sure. Maybe it was nothing.’
    â€˜Nothing?’ Cate’s voice squeaked. ‘Not what you said when the white beemer was about to ram us.’ She smiled at Bane. ‘We’re so lucky you came along. Joey’s not very good in a crisis.’
    When had Cate become such a suck-up? I turned to Bane. ‘You were on your way to where?’
    â€˜A meeting at our head office,’ Bane said. ‘It’s a property a few minutes up the coast. We call it …’
    â€˜The Ranch,’ Cate said when he paused.
    â€˜We do.’ He smiled at her. ‘I saw trouble and pulled over. What a surprise to find it was you.’
    â€˜Total surprise,’ I said. Didn’t quite trust it, but Bane gave me a half smile and, yeah, it seemed genuine. He was a helpful guy.
    Cate dropped the sugary grin when Joey headed back to the truck. I couldn’t work out if it was conscious or not.
    He hopped back in the driver’s seat. ‘Tyre’s shredded. Front fender’s bent, too out of shape to change, and I might have blown a head gasket.’
    I wanted to say tough luck, but my civility was in place. ‘Sorry.’ Maybe I had panicked, but I was sure we were being followed.
    Joey grumbled. ‘Tow truck’ll be at least an hour.’
    There goes my lecture.
    â€˜I can give you ladies a