Safeguarding Miley

by Melissa Kay Clarke

  A pair of headlights cut through the dim rain soaked morning, slowed and pulled in behind her. Miley looked up into the rearview mirror as the driver's door opened and someone started walking toward her. Quickly she wiped the tears from her cheeks and rubbed her nose on a stray napkin. Rolling down the window, she gasped.

  "Alcide?"

  "Miley? You know, for someone who doesn't need saving, you seem to have a knack of getting yourself into situations that demand it."

  She wiped her nose on the napkin again and glared at him. "Who says I'm in a situation?"

  He chuckled as he lifted his hat and reset it on his head. "If it's not a situation, then why are you sitting on the side of the road, in the rain, with a flat tire, a runny nose and red eyes?"

  "I have allergies. Do you always make unflattering comments about people's appearance?"

  "Just you, Miley, just you." He took a step back and nodded toward the flat. Have you called anyone?"

  She shook her head. "My phone's broken. I was on my way to Cody to get another one when this happened. Then it started to rain, and nobody would stop. Today hasn't been one of my best ones."

  He gave her a grin. "I can help with that. Where's your spare? I'll get it changed for you in a heartbeat."

  "That was my spare." She grimaced. "Who knows how long that thing has been underneath? It probably fell apart from rot."

  He grunted and glanced into the back of her truck. Water dripped off the brim of his hat, soaking the shirt he wore and turning it dark. "And this one?"

  Miley lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Occupational hazard?"

  The shower slowed until only a few drops fell. Miley opened the door and got out. "I think you really are stalking me. Surely it's not a coincidence that you were way out here?"

  Alcide reached into the back of her truck and pulled out the tire she had changed earlier. She watched the muscles of his arms and shoulders bunch as he carried it to his truck and dropped it into the bed. "I was on my way to help get Dad home. He's being released. Rissa already went in her car this morning. I stayed behind to get the chores finished." He patted the side of the bed. "Lock up, and we'll get this flat fixed in Cody. I'll bring you back."

  Miley laughed. "I don't think it will make much difference about locking it up." She motioned toward the cardboard. "That most likely won't deter anyone from ransacking it." She opened the door, reached in and withdrew the medical bag she took everywhere along with the CD she was listening to. The quarter she found at Yancy's glinted in the console, so she picked it up and dropped it into her raincoat pocket, muttering about faulty good-luck charms. Locking the door, she went around to the passenger side of his pickup and climbed in. He settled into his seat and waited until she got comfortable and buckled in.

  Miley could feel his eyes on her, and she bit her lip to keep the tears from starting again. The last thing she wanted was to fall apart on him.

  Gently he reached over and plucked her lip out of her mouth "Are you all right?"

  His words were gentle and soothing. The more he looked at her with sympathy shining in his eyes, the more the baggage of her life weighed her down. It was all too much for her to take. The tears started to fall, dripping down her face to land on her shirt. She took great gulping breaths as she fought to get them under control.

  The door beside her opened, and the seatbelt was unfastened. The last drops of the impromptu shower plinked on the truck cab as Alcide pulled her around and encased her in his arms. He gently stroked her hair as he spoke softly to her. "It's ok. Let it out, Miley." It felt good to have someone care. It felt good to lean on him.

  As the sobs subsided to hiccups, she leaned back against her seat. His already damp shirt now contained a larger, darker spot where she had spent her tears. She wiped her face with the bottom of her shirt and gave him another watery smile. "I'm sorry about that. Normally, I don't fall apart so easily. It's just been a stressful few days." She sniffled. "And I think I got snot on your shirt."

  He chuckled and cupped her cheek in his big palm. "I'm not afraid of a little snot. Look, Miley, I don't know what you've been going through, but you don't have to shoulder this alone. I've told you before - Rissa is your friend. I'm your friend. We are here for you, and you can talk to us about anything."

  "No, I can't. I can't talk to anyone about it. I can't risk anyone getting hurt."

  Alcide's eyes darkened. "Who's threatening you, Miley?"

  She shook her head and wiped at her face again. "Let's just go. I need to get to Cody and get my new phone. I'm going to be late getting home. Jessie will have to handle our emergencies, and I need to call him."

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. Handing it over, he told Miley to call and let them know she was having trouble and would be late. She did and got assurance from Chloe that everything was under control.

  She handed him back the phone. "Thanks."

  Alcide smiled. "My pleasure. Now, tell me what's going on. Who's threatening you?"

  She shook her head, then leaned back closing her eyes.

  "Miley." She stayed where she was. She felt his hand gently take her chin and turn her head toward him. "Tell. Me."

  Her bottom jaw trembled. "I can't," she whispered. "They'll hurt you. They'll hurt Marissa or Pop-pop or Jessie. I can't talk to anyone."

  "What about the police?"

  She laughed bitterly. "I don't know who I can trust. Maybe it's nothing, but I don't think so. Things have been happening, and everywhere I look, it seems there's another roadblock. God, listen to me. All I need now is a tin-foil hat and I'm all set."

  Miley heard a growl and opened her eyes. He was glaring at her, and there was fury in his eyes. It was the first time she had seen him pissed off and instead of frightening her, it made her feel warm all over. He wasn't mad at her; he was mad for her.

  "Spill it, Miles." His eyes glinted dangerously.

  "Why? What can you do?"

  "Miley, I'm a Navy SEAL. I've been training for years to take out terrorists, both foreign and domestic. It's ingrained in my soul to protect and serve. Whoever this is, whatever they are doing, I can handle it. I know people that I can trust. People in places that it takes security clearance to know their names. Let me in. Tell me. Let me help."

  There, on the side of the road with the final drops of rain pattering around them and safe in Alcide's arms, she took a leap of faith and let it out. Miley explained about Yancy's cattle and taking the tissue samples that she sent to the laboratory for analysis. She told him about finding the dumping grounds and being threatened by the men from the Double H Ranch. She explained how her window and telephone were smashed. When she revealed the results of the test, he swore softly.

  "Is that why you asked me about our stock?"

  She nodded. "I was going to warn you. I don't know how or what I would say but thankfully you don't get your water from the river."

  He nodded and motioned for her to go on. Miley continued with the events that happened this morning, including her tire being slashed with her smashed cell phone shoved into the hole and being cornered by Tariq Hoxha. She showed him the EPA report which he read quickly.

  When he finished, he gave her the report and pushed his hat back. "Is that why you were so upset Saturday night and was clinging so tightly to me?"

  "Oh sure, someone threatens my life and I give you the chance to go all hero on me and this is the thanks I get? Do you sit up at night trying to find ways to piss me off?"

  He shook his head and gazed at her in bewilderment. "No, Miley, I don't try to find ways to piss you off. You know, if you took that chip off your shoulder and just accept that people aren't here to hurt you, maybe you wouldn't be so stressed."

  She snorted. "Except someone is trying to hurt me."

  Alcide winced. "Touché. I stand corrected. How about, people who care about you aren't trying to hurt you?"

  She winced and looked down at her hands in her lap. The fire had cooled in her words. "I was a
little caustic there, wasn't I?"

  "Just a bit. So, was that the reason you didn't want me to leave?"

  She nodded. "Yeah, that's why I didn't want to talk to Loran alone. Plus, I haven't slept in days, and the constant stress is wearing me down."

  "All right." He gently turned her around and fastened her seat belt. Closing the door, he went to the other side and climbed in. Pulling out onto the road, he headed toward Cody.

  "What am I going to do?" she whispered.

  Alcide reached over and grasped her hand tenderly. "You're going to sit back and relax. We'll get you a new phone and a new tire. Then we'll take care of the rest. Trust me, Miley. Nobody is going to hurt you."

  And trust him she did. She closed her eyes as the horrid weight of the last few days lifted from her shoulders. For once, she didn't mind his Lancelot complex. At that moment, she wanted someone to swoop in and take care of things.

  She relaxed, safe in the knowledge that Alcide was beside her and would keep an eye on her. Before they had gone a mile, she was asleep.

  Chapter 9

  Cowboy leaned against the grill of his pickup outside the cell phone store and waited on Miley. He could see her through the clear glass of the storefront as she spoke with a sales representative. He kept her in his view, making sure she was safe but at the same time, gave her room and privacy. He had his cell phone pressed against his ear as he talked with Rissa at the hospital three blocks away. He briefly explained how he had come across Miley stranded on the side of the road and was helping her out.

  "Look, we have this. The orderlies will help us get him into the car, and Jim and the other hands are at the ranch when we get home. If you aren't there yet, we'll get him settled. Take care of Miley, please. She has been under a lot of stress lately. I've been worried sick about her."

  Cowboy didn't tell Rissa what was going on. The less she knew, the safer she was. Instead of agreeing with his sister about Miley's stress levels, he said his goodbyes. Hanging up, he tucked his cell into his pocket and leaned back against the truck with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her through the glass. He knew she had been under some pressure, but he hadn't thought it had been so dire. Cowboy remembered the way she clung to him on Saturday night and again today. He felt her melt into his arms and damned if it didn't make him feel about a hundred feet tall and bulletproof. He contemplated what she had told him. Maybe any other person would doubt what she said about the so-called upstanding owner of the Double H Ranch, but he knew from experience that people could rarely be taken at face value. He'd seen the kind of monster a man could be first hand. His job including going after the worst of them and doing what he could to protect those weaker. His resolve solidified. He was going to do the same for Miley. He chuckled wryly to himself. Miley Ellison was many things, but weak wasn't one of them. He knew without a shadow of a doubt she would do whatever it took to rectify this situation - as soon as she could figure out how to do that.

  His eyes swept over her form as she talked animatedly with the salesperson. Cowboy was drawn to her from the first moment his eyes had landed on her. He wanted to get to know her, learn her secrets and watch her face light up because of something he said or did. He had pried gently but been shut down at every turn. He hadn't pushed. Unlike Toad, he did know how to take no for an answer.

  Several minutes passed until she finished. Exiting the store with a white bag in her hand, she smiled brightly as she waved it at him. "Got it," she said in a relieved sigh. "And I got one of those super tough cases with the lifetime warranty - in case it accidentally gets crushed maliciously on purpose."

  "Smart," he commented as he ushered her to the passenger side of his truck. Opening the door, he watched her climb into the cab and settled in. As he closed the door, she pulled out her new cell and began to fiddle with it.

  "I also got a disposable to put in my go bag in case of emergency. I don't ever want to be in the situation I was this morning."

  "Good idea, Miley. I don't like the idea of you being unable to call for help if you need it."

  The ride to the tire store was silent as Miley became familiar with her new device. Cowboy glanced over to see her staring intently at the screen as her thumbs raced over the keys. As he pulled into the second stop, she gasped.

  Instantly, he was on alert. Glancing around, he sought out the source of her surprise but raised an eyebrow when he realized it was something on her cell.

  She grinned. "I forgot I had set up my old phone for photo storage directly to a micro SD card. I did that because I took so many videos and photographs of my detecting finds. When whoever slashed my tires this morning left my smashed phone as a warning, they gave me back the pictures." She turned the phone around and showed him. "This is the dumping site."

  He took the phone and scrolled through the photographs. With each one that rolled by, the anger in his gut boiled a little hotter. By the time he reached the last one, each breath had come in a hiss. This was his home, his family that these assholes were messing with. "Unfortunately, even with these pictures, it's not proof. However, it should be enough to get some attention and raise some questions." His fingers flew over the screen for several minutes. When he finished, he handed her cell back to her. "I sent those pictures to a friend who can get them into the right hands. Tex knows people who are above reproach. If there's anyone who can get the ball rolling, he can." He hesitated a moment. "Maybe Tariq has people on the take, maybe he doesn't. For all we know, he could have been bluffing. Even if he was, it doesn't make him any less dangerous. Until we know what exactly is going on, we're going to take it slow and careful and do things right."

  "What am I going to do, Alcide? They're going to get away with this."

  Miley's voice trembled slightly and he felt his gut clench. She was the strongest woman he knew, and he didn't like her being scared like this. It made something deep inside want to grab her up and take her somewhere the world would never find her. His instincts to protect her ran deep, and he needed to keep her with him, safe, until the threat was over. The only problem was one tiny fact. Forty-eight hours from now, he would be on an airplane going back to California. How was he going to keep her safe when they were over a thousand miles apart? He would find a way. Somehow.

  Cowboy's jaw clenched. Turning to her, he shook his head. "No. No, they are not going to get away with this." He gently clutched her arms in his hands and stared her in the eyes. "I swear to you; we're going to fix this. Tell me you believe me, Miley."

  She searched his eyes before nodding. "I believe you," she whispered.

  She was so vulnerable, sitting there watching him with trust shining in those too-big grey eyes and that plump bottom lip trembling slightly. He'd been attracted to her since meeting her back in the summer when he first came home to check on his father. He admired her spunk and loved her attitude. She was fresh and different. Maybe it was the unfamiliar uncertainty plaguing her now that pulled to him. He wanted to protect her, help her. Damned if he didn't want to slay her dragons just like the knight in shining armor she called him. However, there was more than just protective instincts at play here. He wanted her.

  Miley's tongue darted out and swiped her lips, moistening them, and all his blood rushed south causing his pants to become tight. He swore softly. He had to taste her, feel her lips on his. The distance between them disappeared as he pulled her forward. Her breaths became little gasps as she leaned in. When less than an inch separated them, he whispered, "I'm going to kiss you, Miley. If you don't want it, tell me now. Tell me, honey, because I can't stop otherwise."

  He watched the play of emotions on her face. She was conflicted, warring with herself. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, waiting. As much as he needed to kiss her, he would never press the issue. She had to allow it.

  Resolution solidified on her face. Swallowing, she gave a slight nod. "Please, Alcide," she begged as her eyes fluttered closed. "I want it."

  Sweet Jesus, her lips against his was the
most delicious fire imaginable. It branded Cowboy inside and out, sinking into his blood and making it boil. He slid his hand around to the nape of her neck, holding her gently as he flicked his tongue over the soft seam of her mouth. Immediately, her lips parted, and he plunged inside, deepening the kiss, stealing her breath as he ravaged her mouth. Her fingers clutched at his arms, sinking her nails into his biceps. He let her arm go and cupped her cheek with his palm. Rubbing his thumb over her jaw, he reluctantly released her lips and opened his eyes. Leaning in, he touched his forehead with hers and let out a breath. "Two damn weeks," he muttered.

  Her brow wrinkled, and she pulled back, but not enough to break the tender hold he had on her. "What do you mean, two damn weeks?"

  The swear word coming from her sweet lips made him grin. "You just said 'damn.'"

  "I was repeating you. What did you mean by it?"

  "I mean, I've been home for two weeks, and now that I'm about to go back to Cali, I finally get to taste you. Why didn't I kiss you before now?"

  Miley chuckled and pulled out of his grasp. He mourned the loss of her soft skin under his hand. "Mostly because I would have kicked your butt if you'd tried."

  "There is that," he agreed with a chuckle.

  "So, back to my original question, what am I going to do? I'm supposed to go out to the Double H tomorrow, and I'm terrified what's going to happen."

  Cowboy shook his head. "Nothing is going to happen because I'm going with you. You told Loran I was your boyfriend. Don't shake your head at me, Miley. I'm not about to let you go alone. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let my girlfriend run around after her tires were mysteriously slashed and her window broken?"