Ryder

by Ali Parker

  It seemed like they no longer had the order to hang back and not be seen. Now they dragged along behind her like human shadows, and Janna soon began to feel the weight of them at her back. By the end of the first day, her skin was crawling. She didn't understand why Brice insisted on continuing his high-handed tactics. He'd sworn it was to protect her from the nebulous, and frankly unlikely, threat from his cousin. But to Janna, it felt like a slowly shrinking prison.

  "You're mine," he'd told her, the words echoed in his recent behavior. It seemed Brice now considered her one of his many possessions, an asset to be protected. His security team was his mark of ownership, warning others away from what he considered his alone. It made her wonder about the situation with his ex. She'd accused him of being controlling. Maybe it was true after all. Another reason to get out now.

  Even if the danger was real, he could have informed her of his intentions. He could have warned her. Instead, he'd had her spied on, and she wouldn't even know it now if she hadn't pissed him off by spending the night at Alex's. The whole situation made her head ache. But the human shadows, they were the worst.

  She couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus for longer than a few minutes at a time before she was reminded of how fucked up everything had become. Yesterday she'd been in the middle of a lecture when she caught sight of one of the security men skulking in the doorway of her classroom. She'd sputtered, trying to remember what she'd been saying. Her eyes raked the classroom and noticed the other entrance also had a lurker. She'd quickly resorted to assigning her students some group work so that she could catch her breath and try to get her concentration back.

  Last night she'd texted Brice, practically begging him to call off his men. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I can't do that until my cousin has been found. Hang in there. She'd cried after receiving that text, then cursed Brice and his unwanted protection. And this morning her three shadows had followed her from the co-op's front door and through the campus until she rushed into her office and slammed the door, shutting them out.

  Her brain refused to focus as she stared at her laptop, her mind a thousand miles away. Anxious thoughts about Brice and their relationship chased themselves around the track inside her skull, round and round like a never-ending Nascar race. Thankfully a knock on her door pulled her attention back to the present. "Come in."

  "Hey!" Shelby said, sauntering in and taking a seat at the desk across from her.

  Janna jumped up and shut the door behind her before she could catch sight of the security team. "What are you doing here?"

  "Can't a friend drop in on a friend?"

  Janna shook her head and laughed. "Yeah, of course, you can drop in. It's just you've never come by my office before. And I'm just a little jumpier than usual."

  "I've noticed," Shelby replied, eyeing the shut door. "Does it have anything to do with the three big guys that have been hanging around the co-op all week? The same three guys who are currently positioned not thirty feet from the office door?"

  "Yeah." Janna exhaled, giving her friend a sheepish grin.

  "I was gonna ask you about them this morning but you ran out the door so fast I thought your ass was on fire. So I figured I'd stop by your office and see if you wanted to talk about it."

  Where to begin? Janna wondered. Taking a deep breath, she launched into her tale. By the time she finished, Shelby was leaning back in her chair, a look of disbelief on her face.

  "You're tellin' me that Brice Masterson is having you tailed by three guys because he's jealous of his old college buddy?"

  "He says it's because I'm in danger, but I just don't know if I can believe him. This whole thing between him and Alex is ridiculous, but given their history, I don't think I can trust either of them. And if this does turn out to be some kind of elaborate plot to keep me off limits, and I find out that there is no actual threat, I don't think I can forgive Brice."

  "I don't think you should. But are you sure he's not tellin' you the truth? Powerful men like Masterson often do have enemies."

  Janna scrubbed at her face. "No, I'm not sure. It could be true. But either way, these security ogres are driving me crazy. I feel claustrophobic, under siege. I thought if I could get away to my office for a few hours, I'd be okay, but it's like I can still feel them lurking there in the hallway. And whenever I see them, whenever I even think of them, it brings up this whole mess with Brice and I can't relax. Can't concentrate."

  "Oh honey," Shelby said, reaching over and pulling Janna into a loose hug. "I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do, just let me know."

  "Not unless you can convince Brice to call off his goon squad. Or figure out how to sneak me away for a few hours."

  "If he won't listen to you, there's no way he'll listen to me. But if you need to get away for the evening, I think I can help you out."

  * * *

  Janna nodded as she placed the wide pink hat onto Shelby's head. "This should cover your hair and most of your features. Just make sure you put your contacts in. Those glasses would be a dead giveaway.

  "I'm starting to have second thoughts," Shelby said, her face screwing up in frustration as the hat slid down over her forehead. "Are you sure this is a good idea? What if you are in some kind of danger?"

  "If someone is after me, they'll think you're me, just like the security guys, and they won't even know I've escaped. I'm sure the goon squad will catch on pretty quickly that you aren't me. You're too darn skinny, for one thing. When they figure it out, they'll call Brice, and he'll call everyone he knows, including Dani and Caleb. I bet you within two hours he knows exactly where I am. And it's gonna take me at least an hour to get to their place out in the woods. Nothing's going to happen in an hour, and when I get to the park, Caleb will be able to handle anything that comes after."

  Shelby sighed. "I think this one will fit well enough if I wear a belt," she said, adjusting the two-sizes-too-large dress over her slim hips. "And Jennifer has agreed to help, so as long as you wait a few minutes after I've left to slip out, no one should be the wiser."

  "Good," Janna said, turning to pack her overnight case. She was already feeling better, being proactive about her situation. Even if she just evaded her shadows for a couple of hours, at least she'd know she was her own free woman for that time, the shackles of ownership having been tossed off, at least for a little while.

  Soon enough it was time to put the plan into action. Dani and Caleb were expecting her, even if Janna hadn't yet filled them in on recent developments. There was plenty of time for that later. Now she tucked her hair underneath a baggy hood and stood in the shadows before the front door, waiting for her chance. Shelby came down the stairs wearing Janna's dress, raincoat, and hat and carrying her umbrella. Jessica trailed behind her, smiling widely at Janna as they passed.

  The pair stepped out the door and onto the porch where Shelby opened her umbrella and cocked it at an angle that would prevent a clear view of her face. Jessica carried on a mindless conversation, making sure to call Shelby "Janna" loudly three times before she came back into the house.

  Janna watched as Shelby plodded down the driveway in her clothes, then exhaled in relief when she saw her three guardians step out of the shadows and follow her down the sidewalk heading towards campus.

  Seeing her chance, Janna sped out the door and down the steps, flying to her old Volvo. Soon she was churning up gravel as she sped down the driveway. Then it was out of town and onto the country roads as she made her way towards the tiny town of Alsea and the developing parkland beyond it.

  It had started to rain, and the mountain roads were slick and treacherous. Janna took the curves slowly, cursing the dark and wet conditions. She'd passed Alsea almost twenty minutes ago, and she should be reaching the park turn off soon.

  Coming around a blind curve, Janna hit her breaks when she saw the car in the middle of the road ahead of her. It looked like the driver had taken the curve too quickly and spun out. The car was blocking the narrow roadway; its body taking up
both lanes. Janna pulled over and turned on her hazards, then grabbed a flashlight out of her glove box and made her way towards the car.

  She didn't think the driver would have been hurt in the spin-out. He or she was probably just riding the adrenaline rush. At least Janna could help get the car pulled over. Moving around the hood, she made her way to the passenger door. It was dark inside the cab, so she pulled on the door handle, yanking the car door open.

  Janna gasped in surprise to find the car empty. Who left their car in the middle of the road, headlights still on, keys in the ignition? Before she could straighten, rough hands grabbed her around the middle. She opened her mouth to scream, but a smelly rag was shoved between her lips. Her eyes began watering instantly at the fumes coming off of the rag, and in seconds she was lightheaded. The darkness rushed up to overtake her as she collapsed.

  * * *

  Brice barely held on to his temper through the security detail's report. They'd had three men guarding Janna, three men, and somehow she'd slipped through their fingers. He wanted to scream at them, to fire his whole damn security firm, but that wouldn't accomplish anything. Instead he had to behave calmly, rationally, while he was driven slowly mad by images of Janna in danger, or hurt.

  "I want all of your available men out looking for her. And I want your boss to hire extra men to put on the hunt for my cousin. I'm through fucking around. Find them both, or you'll all be looking for new careers. Am I understood?"

  The men had nodded, then slinked out of his office to get back to the search. Brice closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing for a few moments, trying to get his fear under control. She was probably fine, just giving him the finger for refusing to call off his men, but he couldn't risk it. He called Tony and ordered him to alert local law enforcement about the situation. Then he jumped into his car and rushed over to the co-op, determined to find out where Janna was.

  The girls at the co-op were less than cooperative. One in particular, a slim southern beauty named Shelby, seemed to take a perverse joy in riling him. "Why Mr. Masterson, you should be ashamed of yourself, spyin' on your girlfriend like that."

  "Look, I appreciate your opinion, but right now Janna could be in danger. So if you know where she's gone, it would help if you'd tell me."

  Shelby frowned, and Brice could see that although she was upset at him on Janna's behalf, she might also be worried about her friend's safety.

  "Well...." she drawled out, "I don't rightly know where she's at exactly. But if I was a gambler, I'd bet on somewhere real remote, real quiet, somewhere she could relax with good friends and not have to worry about a group of muscled-out security dorks following her around."

  Shelby smiled at Brice and patted his shoulder in a friendly manner before heading towards the stairs. "You're a smart boy, at least according to Janna. You'll figure it out real soon, I'm sure." With those words, she made her way upstairs and out of sight.

  Lightning struck his brain. Somewhere remote, quiet, with friends. His hands shaking, he pulled out his phone and dialed Caleb's number.

  "Hello?" The ranger's gruff voice greeted him.

  "Caleb, it's Brice calling."

  "Hey, Richie Rich, how's it going?"

  "Not so good at the moment. Is Janna there?"

  "No, afraid not," Caleb replied. "But she's supposed to be here any minute now. Want me to have her call you back?"

  "I doubt she will. Just keep her there until I can get out to you, okay?"

  "Sure, no problem. Anything wrong?"

  "I'll explain it all when I get there. See you soon." Hanging up, he ran back to his car and sped off in the direction of the Masterson Memorial Parklands Project and the woman who'd stolen his heart.

  The Aston Martin sped through the night like a gleaming silver bullet. Brice took the mountainous curves too quickly, but he couldn't force himself to slow down. He had to see her again, had to see for himself that she was all right.

  It was unsettling, how much relief a security team had bought him. Even if Janna had been avoiding him, he knew from the team's reports that she was safe. Protected. And when he'd gotten the call that they'd lost her, that she'd somehow escaped them, Brice's heart had skipped several beats. Now he couldn't rest until he saw her again until he held her in his arms. If she would let him.

  After what seemed like an eternity he made the turn onto the gravel road that would one day become the park's main entrance. Racing down the narrow drive, he slammed on his brakes when the road widened into a small lot in front of a familiar cabin. Brice pulled up next to Caleb's truck, a frown marring his features. Dani's Subaru was parked next to the truck, but there was no sign of Janna's old Volvo.

  Brice jogged to the house, taking the steps to the porch two at a time. Before he could bang his fist against the door, it opened, and Caleb greeted him with a warm smile. "Well if it isn't Mr. Moneybags, I mean Masterson, gracing our humble doorstep."

  "This used to by my doorstep, remember?" Brice said, forcing a lightness into his voice that he didn't feel.

  "It's good to see you again," Dani said, pushing past Caleb to pull Brice into a gentle hug. "Although I hear there might be trouble in Paradise."

  "That's putting it mildly." Brice scowled, scanning the room around him. "Janna's not here yet?"

  "Nope." Caleb noticed Brice's agitation and his brow furrowed. "We've been expecting her, but we figured she just got delayed in town. Is something wrong?"

  "Maybe. Dani, have you tried calling her?"

  "No." The professor whipped out her cell and dialed Janna's number. "No answer," she said after a few moments. "Should I leave a message?"

  "Yes. Ask her to call you back immediately."

  "What's going on?" Caleb asked, pulling Brice aside.

  "Long story. The short version is, my cousin Chester's sworn revenge against me for bringing down Uncle Wesley, and I think Janna might be his target. She gave her security detail the slip today and hasn't been seen in a couple of hours."

  "Security detail?" Dani asked, approaching the huddle. "Janna has a security detail?"

  "Yeah. I hired them when I found out Chester might use her to hurt me."

  "Then why would she give them the slip? Janna's never been one to play with her own safety."

  Brice ran a hand through his blond waves, holding in a groan. "I fucked up. I didn't tell her that I'd hired them, and when she found out, she went ballistic. I don't even know if she believes she's actually in danger. She implied that she doubted the threat was real."

  "None of this makes any sense." Dani shook her head, wandering towards the kitchen. "Coffee?"

  Brice took the cup she extended towards him and pulled out a chair from the kitchen table. Dropping into it he took a sip, unsure of how to explain the whole clusterfuck. "I didn't want to alarm her, didn't want to give her another thing to hold against me, so I didn't tell her I'd hired security. Then during one of the briefings, the team told me she had spent the night at an...associate of mine's house. I got the wrong idea about it, confronted her, and then had to tell her how I found out."

  "And the shit hit the fan." Caleb finished.

  "More like exploded all over it. She chewed me out, demanded that I call off my thugs. I told her I couldn't, not until the threat was neutralized, but she thought the whole thing about my cousin was just a convenient excuse, and that I'd had her followed because I didn't trust her."

  "And so she escaped your watchdogs and is headed out here, where she no doubt knows you'll find her sooner or later." Dani's smile was wry. There was no humor in the situation.

  "It didn't take too long to figure out where she was headed. What worries me is, why isn't she here yet?"

  "I'll try her phone again." Dani dialed, held her breath, then shook her head. "Still no answer."

  "We should look for her," Caleb weighed in. "There aren't that many roads around here, and I'm pretty sure she'd take the most direct route. Maybe she got a flat tire, or spun out."

  Th
e ranger made a good point, but Brice shook his head. "I drove up the most direct route, and I didn't see anything. If she'd had a flat, I would have passed her on the road or your driveway."

  "But you probably weren't looking very hard. If her car went off the road, it could easily be hidden by the trees. It makes sense to start looking now."

  Brice nodded in agreement. "It's better than sitting here and waiting."

  "I'll stay here and keep trying her phone, in case she answers or shows up." Dani's face showed her anxiety. Janna was her closest friend, and if she were in any danger, Brice knew the spitfire professor would come to her aid, with her fist if necessary.

  Caleb and Brice piled into the forestry truck, and the ranger passed a high-powered flashlight his way. "Keep it trained on the tree line. Look for flashes of reflected metal."

  Brice pointed the beam out into the trees, hoping that they were both overreacting. "The vegetation is so dense; there's no way she could have gotten her car in here without leaving a huge hole in the greenery."

  Caleb's lips thinned in frustration. "That may be true, but if she's somehow become lost in the woods, she could be walking out there and might see your light."

  "Good point." Brice followed his instructions, even though he didn't think she'd gotten lost in the forest. It was more likely her car had gone off one of the tight curves in the road. By the time the gravel driveway let out onto the paved county road, Brice had spotted nothing in the trees.

  Caleb began heading in the direction of Alsea, creeping along at a snail's pace. He'd pulled out another flashlight and trained in on his side of the road. Together they scanned the area, sweeping the trees, looking for any sign of Janna or her car.

  They'd only gone a couple of miles before Brice spotted a break in the greenery. The soil on the side of the road was muddy enough that it had maintained a set of tracks even through the slight mist of rain they'd experienced all day. "Over here," Brice said, his voice harsh, his stomach feeling like he'd swallowed a stone. "There are tire tracks going off the road."