Somewhere I'll Find You (30 page)

“You lousy little bitch!  When I’m finished with you . . .”

Richard never had a chance to finish.  Michael’s fist smashed into his jaw, sending him staggering to the floor.

* * * *

Sliding behind the wheel,
Paige tried to conceal her trembling hands.  She didn’t have to look at Michael when she spoke, already aware of the storm brewing in his eyes.  “I told you not to interfere.”

“Too bad,” Michael replied succinctly.

“I don’t want anything from you,” she snapped.  “I can manage quite well on my own.”

“Yes, I can see that,” he replied
dryly
.
 
His fingers tightened on the door as he watched her.  Her face was pale, her shoulders stiff.  She was prickly,
stubborn,
and downright impossible.  And yet all he wanted to do was pull her to him and kiss her senseless. 
No mistake about it, Sinclair,
he thought grimly. 
You’ve blown it this time
.
S
o much for being the impartial bodyguard. 
Glaring down at Paige, he ignored the desire that still battered his body.  “Slide over,” he ordered.  “I’m driving.”

Paige’s hand tightened on the wheel.  “I told you, I’m fine.”

“Like hell you are.”

She couldn’t ignore him, no matter how hard she tried.  His eyes were smoky, his body rigid with barely leas
h
ed
fury
.  He looked angry,
frustrated,
and determined to protect her . . . even from herself.  And his strength was seductive, tempting her to give in, tempting her to allow him to take charge.

But
Paige also knew one more thing:
T
his situation would be temporary.  If she let down her defenses, allowed herself to rely on him, one day
,
she would wake to find him gone.  She’d be left behind, drying tears and trying once more to pick up the shattered pieces of her life.

No,
she
thought grimly. 
Not ever again. 
“Forget it
,
Ace, I’m just fine.”

“Fine? Your hands are shaking so hard you can barely hold on to the wheel,” he snapped.  “I don’t intend on dying
because of
your reckless driving.  Now move over.”

She thought about arguing with him, but the cold light of reason told her he was right.  Her nerves were going into overdrive, leaving the possibility that his predictions could turn out to be more than accurate
.  Sliding over
at last
, she scowled, trying not to notice how his strong fingers wrapped themselves
surely
around the steering wheel.  She hitched a breath before turning her attention to the passing scenery
, which blurred before her vision as tears streaked down her cheeks
.

“Damn it, Paige.”  Cursing,
Michael
pulled the car onto the road’s shoulder before pulling her against his chest.  One tear worked into two, and then more, as she pressed silently against his warmth.  He held her, feeling the heat of her tears on his shirt.  Fighting back his emotions, he held her carefully, a hand sneaking beneath the warm shadow of her hair.

When she pulled away, a pristine handkerchief found its way into her hand.  Sniffing, she gave a watery smile.  “I daresay it’s safe for me to drive now
that I‘ve got that out of me
.
”  She took a few deep breaths.
 
“
Besides, you tend to forget which lane you should be driving in.  Now, move.”

Michael searched her face carefully.  “You’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure, you oaf.”  But she was smiling as he allowed her to switch places.

Well,
Michael thought,
I suppose that, a
s long as she’s smiling, it’s all right.

Paige drove the Cord more by habit than by sight.  She was driving too fast and she knew it, but the shadows moving across the valley left her with a sudden uneasiness and urgency to get back.

As they rounded a bend, a large dog lumbered out of the gathering darkness forcing Paige to jerk hard at the wheel.  Clenching his teeth, Michael thought back to the jungles in Brazil. Of the faceless shadows that
, over the years,
had wanted to take his life. 
But that paled to nothing when compared to what he felt when he was faced with the notion of Paige in the driver’s seat. 

He had known many competent
female drivers over the years; a couple of them had even tipped the odds in his favor during tight situations.  But Paige’s erratic, knee-jerk reactions, coupled with the nauseating sensation that they would round a bend to find a lorry bearing down on them at full bore, was enough to freeze Michael’s heart in his chest.
“
I admit that I’ve not quite shaken the habit of driving on the left – as I am
certain
you would have trouble adjusting to driving in my country because you have spent most of your adult life here – but at least I don’t drive like a maniac.  Slow down, or you’ll get us both killed!
”
He reached out and gripped her shoulder, but when he touched her, she shrugged him violently away, causing the car to swerve once more.

Paige ground her teeth, shoving hard at the brief glimpse she’d caught of Michael’s fear. 
I don’t need that on top of my own!  God, I wish he’d just … just …
She didn’t know what she wished, and that was the problem
.  His very touched evoked a hundred emotions in her, frightening her with their depth and the speed at which everything was crowding in.  It was all happening too quickly.  Michael was getting too close, making her feel things she thought she had buried long
ago.  Things she never wanted to feel again.  Not
ever
. 

I just have to keep things the way they are,
she thought raggedly, trying to focus on her driving so Michael would release his white-knuckled grip on the dash. 
If I can do that – just make certain there are no strings, no promises to break, and no … needing. 
Keep emotions out of it.  Needing someone like Michael Sinclair in my life is not something that’s about to happen, oh no.

Trying to distract herself from her thoughts, she glanced
in the rearview mirror,
noticing
headlights looming in the twilight.
 
They’re coming up fast …
She eased to the other lane, hoping that they would slow down.

Behind her, the lights kept coming, and they were coming faster.

Paige frowned.
  “Michael …”

“I see it, Angel,” Michael murmured with a quiet confidence Paige envied.  “Ease into second
,
and get ready to turn.”

Paige swallowed hard as she heard the iron in Michael’s voice. 
This can’t be happening.  He’s overreacting
again
, just trying to frighten me and find another excuse to interfere in my life.
  It’s just someone who wants to get wherever it is they’re going in more of a hurry than I do.
“You’re joking, right?”

“Eighty percent of all professional kidnappings take place from cars, O’Neal,” Michael answered
,
his
face set in grim lines. “This is no damn
ed joke.
”

Paige heard the roaring of a motor
even through the closed windows of the Cord,
and knew that slowing down was the last thing on the mind of the driver behind them.  “Wh
at if there is no place to turn?
” she asked
weakly, trying and failing to keep the tremor out of her voice
.

“There will b
e. Just hold the wheel
steady.  If we have to ram them, we will.”

“
Ram
them?”
 
She
squeaked indignantly. 
In my
Cord
?  He wants to
ram someone
in my Cord?  Does he know how much money I’ve put into restoring this thing?

“If w
e have to,” Michael repeated softly, scanning
ahead.  “There’s a sharp left up ahead, as I re
call
.  Just after that, you’ll make a quick right down a side street between two small houses.”

He
remembered?
 
Paige sucked in a deep breath and set her shoulders. 
“Tell me when.” Behind them, the lights loomed closer. 
She
blinked
,
sid
l
ing out of the line of reflection, still concentrating on the road.  Beside her, she heard Michael search under the seat
; briefly, she allowed herself a quick glance in his direction
.  “What are you doing?”

“Evening up the odds.
  Keep watching the road.
”

Paige heard a click, but didn’t dare take her eyes from the road.

“Steady
,
Angel.”  His voice was
strangely
reassuring.  “We’re almost there.  Just a few seconds more and . .
.
now
!
”

The same second that Paige jerked left, he pulled a large flashlight from under the seat, leveling a high-intensity beam straight back into their pursuer
’s eyes.  Desperately, Paige braked before skidding right, shooting between the darkened houses.

“Good
.
  Now get ready to pull over and cut your lights.”

Paige’s fingers were trembling on the wheel.  Dimly
,
she felt Michael’s hand grip her knee. 

“You’re doing fine,
” Michael
encouraged.
 
“
Remember, they need us in one piece in order to get whatever it is that they are after.”