Desert Ice Daddy by Marton, Dana (best motivational novels .txt) 📗

But so far, nobody had raised an alarm. Maybe they thought themselves safe and were resting up for the exchange in the morning.

Taylor glanced back to the guardhouse. “Now there’s one less of them. And we know they are definitely using this place for something.”

Her voice was strained, but she wasn’t falling apart, and he was grateful for that. Then grateful yet again to spot a half-dozen keys on the chain that hung from the ignition. He pulled the truck forward to the gate along the inner fence, ignoring the Posted and Illegal Entry signs, then took the key ring to try his luck with the padlock.

The first key didn’t fit. Neither did the second. If someone looked out from one of the buildings, they would definitely be able to tell that Akeem was not the guy they’d expected.

He glanced toward the pickup. Taylor was watching him. He should have told her to get back down again.

He tried another key, and that one slid in at last, turned in the lock. They were riding through toward the refinery complex within seconds. He kept the headlights turned off.

“Have you been to this place before?” she asked, taking stock of their surroundings.

“Once.”

“Inside?”

“Rode around it. I was camping not far from here for a couple of days.”

He kept an eye on the structures for any sign of danger as he navigated between two large pits then two brick tanks, driving toward the main tower and the utility building. The place looked ready to fall apart. He said as much to Taylor.

“They closed it up in 1980. My grandfather worked here for a while.”

“No kidding?” He glanced at her. “So you know this place?”

“Just heard the tales. Can’t be that many old oil refineries out here. Grandpa said they used to make roofing tar. His team, anyway.”

“He tell you anything else?”

“Not much. He hadn’t worked out here that long. Had a falling-out with the boss over an accident his best friend was involved in.”

He kept going, hoping to spot some other vehicles and figure out where the men were. Nothing. He drove slowly to keep the engine quiet as he weaved among the various structures, some of which looked like they might be ready to collapse at any second.

Long minutes had passed by the time he caught sight of two pickups—same as he was driving—parked under what looked like a covered loading dock.

Taylor leaned forward, gripping the dashboard as she peered ahead. She was growing more tense with every passing second. Then, when he turned off the car, she whispered a question. “Do you think he’s here?”

“We got three out of the five pickups. Sure looks like mission headquarters to me.” He wouldn’t let his concern over the two missing vehicles show.

She was plenty nervous already. And deep in thought.

He was about to get out when she drew her shoulders up, took a deep breath then went completely still the next second. Only her lips moved as she said, “I want you to leave me here.”

“In the pickup?” Might not be a bad idea. As long as she kept down. She might be safer in the vehicle while he looked around out there.

But she was shaking her head, a tone of desperation creeping into her voice. “I want you to take this car and go back.”

At first, he couldn’t comprehend what she meant. Then he understood only too well. She had seen what he’d done at the guardhouse and she no longer felt comfortable around him. Hell, maybe she no longer felt safe around him. One thing was certain—she no longer wanted his help.

Being pushed away by her hurt more than his combined injuries. “You need me here,” he argued. “You might not like who I am, but I’m what you need.” If she thought she was going to calmly waltz in and negotiate with those guys, she was more naïve that he’d judged her to be. “This is what it’s going to come down to, Taylor. Violence. You don’t have to like it, but you’re going to have to let me handle it, because there’s no way in hell I’m leaving you and Christopher behind.”

He grabbed her arm without thinking, then dropped it when he caught himself. “No way in hell.”

HE COULD BE STUBBORN, but so could she. “He’s my son. This is my problem. I want you to go.”

Even in the middle of the night, the moon provided enough light for her to see his blood-soaked leg. He needed help.

At one point along the way, she realized that this wasn’t going to be a simple exchange. People were going to get hurt. Akeem already had. People were going to die. Possibly her, but she could live with that. She was willing to go as far as she possibly could with this, no matter the end. She would get her son back or die trying.

She couldn’t expect the same from Akeem. He wasn’t Christopher’s parent. Scorching kisses and some serious groping notwithstanding, he was nothing but a girlhood crush and her brother’s friend.

“I didn’t ask you to get involved in this,” she snapped at him and watched the gathering storm on his face.

“Too damn bad,” he said tight-lipped.

“You have nothing to do with us,” she said in a fierce whisper.

His lips flattened into an even tighter line, until they all but disappeared. A long second passed before he spoke, his voice low and hard. “Everything that happens to you concerns me, Taylor.”

Her heart slammed against her chest.

She was trying to save him, didn’t he understand? Apparently not, and it was probably a good thing, because if he did, there was no way in hell he would leave.

“Akeem, you—”

He cut her off. “What is your plan?”

“I go in and talk to them. With me alone and unarmed they won’t feel threatened. I’ll tell them where the money is.” She paused. “I swear I’ll pay you back.” She ignored the look he shot her, and went on. “When they rush