ready to be sociable yet. I understand. But here we are, just you and me.” He gave a wry smile. “At least we’re heading in the right direction.”
Maddie blinked. “Excuse me?”
He slanted a swift look at her. “I was headed up to Paradise Valley for a couple of weeks of fishing. I’ll drop you wherever it is you want to go, and maybe I can still reach my cabin before it gets too late.”
Maddie stared at him in disbelief. “I can’t let you go. You know that.”
He kept his gaze straight ahead. “Why not? I promise you, darlin’, you sure as hell don’t want the kind of trouble I’ll bring you.”
Was that a threat or just a general comment about the hazards of taking hostages? Maddie pressed herself closer against the passenger door. “Look, I really don’t want any trouble. I—I just need to do something, okay? Once it’s done, I’ll let you go.”
“Oh, yeah?” A small smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “What’s so important that you’d risk your life, huh? Why were you going to hold up the diner? Is it drugs?” His gaze swept over her, sharply assessing. “Or do you need to pay off a bookie?”
Maddie blanched at his words, but he’d turned his attention back to the road and didn’t see her sudden panic. She glanced out the window at the desert rushing past. As soon as he’d mentioned his cabin in Paradise Valley, she’d known exactly what she needed to do. Her grandfather had a cabin in the hills, and he’d once said that he had a fortune hidden there. She had no idea if that was true, but she needed to check it out, although it required turning off the main road. But she couldn’t afford to have her focus diverted by this man. She needed to unload him and get on with her mission. If she ditched him here, on the main road, he’d have a better chance of hitching a ride with someone. Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to leave him in the foothills, where a day’s hike without sufficient water could mean death in these temperatures.
“Pull the truck over.” Her voice sounded low and strained, even to her own ears.
Colton gave a disbelieving laugh. “What?”
Maddie jabbed the gun in his direction. “You heard me. I said pull over.”
His lips compressed as he steered the truck off the road and onto the soft shoulder in a cloud of billowing dust. He thrust the vehicle into Park, but didn’t turn off the engine.
“Now what?” He turned his head slowly and gave her a level look. “You tell me to get out and I start hiking across the desert?” He shook his head. “Ain’t going to happen, lady. Besides, I thought you said you couldn’t let me go.”
Maddie frowned. “I’ve—I’ve changed my mind. I don’t need you, just your truck.” She made a motion with the gun, willing her hands not to tremble. “Get out. You don’t have to walk across the desert or anything, you just have to get out. Someone will come by eventually, and you can hitch a ride.”
She watched, stunned, as he laughed softly. He turned to her, still grinning. She tried to ignore the mesmerizing dimples that appeared in either lean cheek.
“No way, ma’am. Absolutely no freaking way am I getting out of this truck.”
Maddie stared at him. “What are you, crazy?” She gestured threateningly with the toy gun. “I could shoot you right now.”
He spread his arms wide. “Well, then, you go right ahead, darlin’, because the only way I’m leaving this truck is if I’m dead.”
Maddie blinked, appalled. “You’re not serious.”
“I sure as hell am.” He slapped the dashboard. “This baby is brand-new. I worked damned hard for her, and there’s no way I’m giving her up. You want her, you gotta shoot me first.”
This couldn’t really be happening. Maddie swept a trembling hand across her eyes, trying to hide the panic she was feeling. She couldn’t afford to have this man involved, didn’t want him involved. She glanced again at the seemingly endless expanse of desert
Maddie blinked. “Excuse me?”
He slanted a swift look at her. “I was headed up to Paradise Valley for a couple of weeks of fishing. I’ll drop you wherever it is you want to go, and maybe I can still reach my cabin before it gets too late.”
Maddie stared at him in disbelief. “I can’t let you go. You know that.”
He kept his gaze straight ahead. “Why not? I promise you, darlin’, you sure as hell don’t want the kind of trouble I’ll bring you.”
Was that a threat or just a general comment about the hazards of taking hostages? Maddie pressed herself closer against the passenger door. “Look, I really don’t want any trouble. I—I just need to do something, okay? Once it’s done, I’ll let you go.”
“Oh, yeah?” A small smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “What’s so important that you’d risk your life, huh? Why were you going to hold up the diner? Is it drugs?” His gaze swept over her, sharply assessing. “Or do you need to pay off a bookie?”
Maddie blanched at his words, but he’d turned his attention back to the road and didn’t see her sudden panic. She glanced out the window at the desert rushing past. As soon as he’d mentioned his cabin in Paradise Valley, she’d known exactly what she needed to do. Her grandfather had a cabin in the hills, and he’d once said that he had a fortune hidden there. She had no idea if that was true, but she needed to check it out, although it required turning off the main road. But she couldn’t afford to have her focus diverted by this man. She needed to unload him and get on with her mission. If she ditched him here, on the main road, he’d have a better chance of hitching a ride with someone. Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to leave him in the foothills, where a day’s hike without sufficient water could mean death in these temperatures.
“Pull the truck over.” Her voice sounded low and strained, even to her own ears.
Colton gave a disbelieving laugh. “What?”
Maddie jabbed the gun in his direction. “You heard me. I said pull over.”
His lips compressed as he steered the truck off the road and onto the soft shoulder in a cloud of billowing dust. He thrust the vehicle into Park, but didn’t turn off the engine.
“Now what?” He turned his head slowly and gave her a level look. “You tell me to get out and I start hiking across the desert?” He shook his head. “Ain’t going to happen, lady. Besides, I thought you said you couldn’t let me go.”
Maddie frowned. “I’ve—I’ve changed my mind. I don’t need you, just your truck.” She made a motion with the gun, willing her hands not to tremble. “Get out. You don’t have to walk across the desert or anything, you just have to get out. Someone will come by eventually, and you can hitch a ride.”
She watched, stunned, as he laughed softly. He turned to her, still grinning. She tried to ignore the mesmerizing dimples that appeared in either lean cheek.
“No way, ma’am. Absolutely no freaking way am I getting out of this truck.”
Maddie stared at him. “What are you, crazy?” She gestured threateningly with the toy gun. “I could shoot you right now.”
He spread his arms wide. “Well, then, you go right ahead, darlin’, because the only way I’m leaving this truck is if I’m dead.”
Maddie blinked, appalled. “You’re not serious.”
“I sure as hell am.” He slapped the dashboard. “This baby is brand-new. I worked damned hard for her, and there’s no way I’m giving her up. You want her, you gotta shoot me first.”
This couldn’t really be happening. Maddie swept a trembling hand across her eyes, trying to hide the panic she was feeling. She couldn’t afford to have this man involved, didn’t want him involved. She glanced again at the seemingly endless expanse of desert
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