Fate and Destiny Read online

  Opening the door, Doreen waved to the diner in general, and then she was gone.

  Rotating back around to face Lenny, Doug was stumped at the look on Lenny’s face.

  “You sick or something? Your eyes look all weird.”

  Doug thought Lenny’s eyes were going to explode.

  “Oh man. You idiot, didn’t you hear what she just said? Her cousin lives on that mountain, and her brother followed us up there.” The blankness in Doug’s eyes didn’t even flinch, so Lenny made it even clearer.

  “You dunce. Her brother is the fucking sheriff and that guy in the cabin with the dog is his cousin!”

  Lenny got more excited.

  “That little bitch is up there in that cabin. That’s why the dog was going off so much. That’s why that asshole didn’t step away from the door. Hell. We gotta get our asses back up there and get her so we can get out of this shithole!”

  Doug, still trying to sort it all out, didn’t budge until Lenny threw a couple of bills on the table, stood up and nearly ran for the doors. His mind straining, Doug followed. It was starting to make sense. If he understood what Lenny was telling him, then that meant he hadn’t killed Destiny and she was alive!

  Moving faster, Doug nearly shoved Lenny right through the glass plate doors of the diner. Easily glancing over Lenny’s head, Doug spotted the two uniformed cops standing next to the truck. A patrol car behind the truck blocked any fast exit they might have expected to make.

  16.

  With Matt gone, the cabin felt different. Andrew and Shadow were outside, clearing snow from the Jeep parked alongside the cabin. Destiny lay on the bed after persuading Andrew she was exhausted from the ordeal. In reality, she needed time to think.

  She had been alone with Andrew so long she forgot a world existed beyond the log walls. The nightmare turned into a fantasy while it was just the two of them. The arrival of Matt and the men in the truck shattered Destiny’s dream world.

  Her heart ached, the forerunner of breaking completely. Andrew had a life outside of these walls. He had a large family and a job. People who cared about him and he cared for them in return. She was a stranger to his life and the people in it. Just some dumb girl dropped into his lap and he took care of her out of some misguided duty because he was a genuinely good guy. He pitied her, felt sorry for her. And all the while, she had been seeing what she wanted to see. She wanted him to care for her. Love her. Not once had she stopped to think what would happen tomorrow, or the day after.

  Andrew should have left her on the mountain. Better yet, he never should have found her at all. Why did fate decide to alert Shadow to her? Why had fate decided to drop her into an icy hell where Andrew would find her, tangling his life up in her problems?

  Closing her eyes, she was aware of her heart pounding in her ears, her lungs expanding normally. How could her body continue to function with all the loss in her life? At some point, she expected it to simply shut down and give up. Just stop beating. She would drift off into blissful oblivion.

  The damn thing continued thumping steadily.

  Since she could not will her body to cease functioning, she was going to have to do something to save Andrew from her. The poor man had already been shot. Now he was in danger from Doug and his partner, much less if any other authorities found out she was there. One slip of the tongue from Doreen and federal law enforcement would be on them. Not only would she go down, but she would unwillingly take Andrew and Matt with her.

  Even if he cared for her now, he would surely hate her when he found himself sitting in a prison cell with Matt. Besides, her own feelings were a tangled heap. She deluded herself about Andrew's feelings towards her. It was probably also delusional to think she loved him. Under the circumstances, her mind tricked her, mistaking security and comfort for love. The cabin didn’t exist in everyday life. It was an escape from real life for Andrew.

  While here, Destiny became part of that escape from reality and they both dissolved into the fantasy. Now that dream was gone. She needed to wait for the right moment to put everything back the way it should be.

  “Oh hell, what now?”

  Lenny muttered, irritated they were so close to ending this fiasco and now cops were outside inspecting the truck. First the one on the mountain, now this. Probably just more good old boys wanting him to clear another mountain passage. Time to get rid of them so he and Doug could go back up and get the bitch. Throwing open the door, he sauntered towards the truck.

  Confidence and ire seething through every step as he closed in. Doug lumbered along behind him.

  “Can I help you officers?”

  Count to three. Smile. Be friendly. Control the irritation. He didn’t need some backwoods cop taking any of his time. The officer standing closest to Lenny glanced his way, then back to the notepad in his hand.

  “This your truck?”

  “Yes Sir. Well actually, it belongs to my boss. But he told me to drive it.”

  The cop glanced back at Lenny, his face an unchanging mask.

  “Seems a truck fitting this description was reported stolen. I’ll need you to show me your license, insurance, and registration.”

  Sighing, Lenny pulled the keys and his wallet from his pocket, unlocked the doors, and sat on the driver’s seat. One foot dangled from the open truck door as he handed his Nevada drivers license to the officer. Then, he reached around to rummage in the glove box for the insurance and registration.

  The idiots at the airport had better have it in there somewhere, or he was going to have their heads on the chopping block when he got back. Time was wasting. Stretched across the seat, glove box open, Lenny noticed the second officer coming around the truck to talk to Doug. Divide and conquer. One cop for each of them. Very interesting. Doug would be the weak link. The big dummy needed to just keep his mouth shut and only answer any questions with yes or no.

  The first officer stood at the front of the truck near the open driver’s door with Lenny's driver’s license in his hand, talking into a radio attached to his uniform at the shoulder. He wore dark metallic framed sunglasses and his hat pulled low over his eyes. Lenny couldn’t read any reactions on the cops face, but he wasn’t too worried about it. Lenny hadn’t done anything lately to arouse any suspicions. Or at least nothing they could pin on him. From his position within the truck, Lenny couldn’t hear the officer at the front of the truck, however it was easy to eavesdrop on the conversation between Doug and the second officer.

  “What are you boys doing in this area? Long ways from Vegas aren’t you?”

  In his mentally slow manner, Doug paused before answering.

  “We’re working. Our boss sent us out to clear the mountain passes.”

  Lenny cheered inside his head. Good boy Doug. Don’t tell them anything.

  “So you came all the way over here from Vegas just to clear snow? When was the last time it snowed in Vegas so that you would have a snowplow just lying around waiting to do a good deed?”

  “The truck isn’t from Vegas. It’s from Colorado.”

  Lenny was impressed. He still couldn’t find the registration or insurance, but he was taking his time, listening to make sure Doug didn’t say too much. So far, he was hitting two for two.

  “Son, I can see the tags on the truck are Colorado. Still doesn’t explain why you two are here with this truck clearing roads.”

  Before Lenny could hear Doug’s reply, the cop with the sunglasses was back at the driver’s side door.

  “Sir, I need you to step out of the vehicle.”

  “But I haven’t located the registration and insurance yet.”

  “That’s all right Sir, please step out of the vehicle.”

  The cop spoke politely but with an unmistakable tone of authority.

  Doing as instructed, Lenny leaned forward, staring at the cop. It never turned out well when they asked nicely to step out of the vehicle. Standing at the open door, Lenny was ready to jump in and drive off, leaving Doug to fend for hims
elf.

  “As I said, a truck fitting this description was recently stolen. Since you don’t seem to have the proper paperwork and you aren’t from around here, I have probable cause to search the vehicle. Right now, I’m going to need you to turn around and place your hands on the hood. Is there anything in the vehicle you want to tell me about before I begin searching it?”

  Unbelievable. Lenny wanted nothing more than to pull the 9mm Taurus from his shoulder holster and dispose of the cop. Before he could even place his hands on the hood, much less the weapon, another police car pulled in behind the first one. The entire police force must be here now. Fine. Let them search the damn truck. They won’t find a thing. Even if they figure out it belongs to the airport DeMont owns, he and Doug can be on their way to dragging the girl from the cabin.

  Concentrating on how he would catch her, Lenny assumed the position. He knew it too well. Hands splayed across the hood, face down, legs spread.

  “Sir, do you have anything that may poke me? Any weapons? Cannon? Grenade launcher?”

  Too late, Lenny realized his jacket may not be thick enough to hide the discovery of the gun secure in the holster under his arm. The officer’s hand was already there, briskly rubbing along his chest to the weapon. Doug was across from him on the hood in the same position. Catching sight of his eyes, Doug appeared very calm. Too calm. His eyes looked emptier than usual.

  “Yes, I have a—”

  Before Lenny could even inform the officer about the gun, pressure thumped onto his back and shoulders, pinning him in place.

  “Sir, is that a gun you have under your jacket?”

  The authoritative yet so polite voice now held a twinge of irritation matching Lenny’s.

  “Yes Officer. As I was saying, I do have a weapon. It’s for self-defense. I have a permit for it.”

  The jacket was pulled up and the gun removed before Lenny finished speaking.

  “I will need to see your permit, sir. We will just hold onto that for safekeeping.”

  “It’s in my wallet. I left it on the seat in the truck when I gave you my license.”

  The pressure across his shoulders didn’t ease. If they pushed any harder, Lenny would have black and white paint permanently tattooed across his cheek. Facing the diner, he could not see which officer reached into the truck for his wallet. However, he could see the waitress and every customer in the diner watching through the glass front building. After he found the girl and got rid of her for good, he was going to blow up this whole damn town with every cop and person in it.

  “Sir, it is a felony to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. This permit is good for the state of Nevada, not Colorado. You must have a permit for the state of Colorado to carry a concealed weapon within our boundaries. We accept permits from some states, but Nevada ain’t one of them.”

  One of Lenny’s arms suddenly wrenched backwards as cold steel circled his wrist. The other arm quickly slipped into the matching bracelet and the distinctive click echoed in Lenny’s head. Someone gripped his shoulder, pulling on the cuffs to stand him upright. Lenny turned his head side to side to alleviate the kinks from being flat against the freezing hood of the truck. Everything happened so fast that it took him a moment to figure out what happened.

  “Wait a minute. What the hell are you cuffing me for?”

  “Sir, as I just explained to you. It is a felony offense to carry a concealed weapon in this state without a permit.”

  Doug stood across from him, his hands loose and free. A smug look on his face. Another cop walked up and took a stand next to Doug.

  “This guy was clean, and the tags come back belonging to a business over in Hinsdale County.”

  Lenny’s mind raced. All was not lost yet.

  “Doug, I need you to call our boss and tell him I can’t finish the job. You’re gonna have to finish it. My cell phone’s in the truck.”

  Doug only nodded. Lenny hoped it sunk into Doug’s thick skull he would have to go up, get the girl, and let DeMont know Lenny was sitting in jail. DeMont would get him out quick. Maybe not out of any sense of loyalty to Lenny, but certainly because Lenny could alert the authorities to DeMont’s true actions regarding the death of the old man and the girl.

  Doug watched as the police led Lenny to a patrol car and sat him in the backseat. At least Doug wasn’t going to jail with Lenny this time. He didn’t want to ever sit in a jail cell again. As far as he was concerned, Lenny could rot away in prison. Part of him wanted to scream to the police that Lenny and DeMont killed the old man and tried to kill Destiny, but if he did, he would end up in the jail right along with them.

  Knowing Lenny and DeMont, they would find some way to pin all of it on Doug. He would spend the rest of his life in prison while they escaped punishment. He wondered if Nevada had a death penalty. Another thought occurred to him as he watched the police car containing Lenny pull out of the parking lot. A sense of comfort rolled over him. He was free. He could just leave and go home. Drive the truck all the way. He had a credit card and some cash.

  He dismissed the idea. DeMont would report the truck stolen soon if he took off with it and didn’t tell him anything. Maybe he could leave the truck here and catch a bus back to Texas. Now he was getting somewhere. That was a much better idea. He just needed to take care of a few things first, then he would be on his way home.

  17.

  Although Destiny didn’t need to take a nap, she did close her eyes. Thoughts tumbled over one another through her mind.

  At some point, Andrew and Shadow returned to the cabin. The door opened and closed quietly. Another log added to the fire. Vegetables washed, chopped, and put into a pot to simmer with chicken. Destiny recognized all of the normal activities going on around her, but she didn’t move a muscle.

  Lying on the bed with her face to the wall, it was easy to feign sleep, even when Shadow leapt into the bed, warming her back with his bulk. Eventually, muscles began to protest at the lack of movement. Rolling over, placing her arm over the dog, Destiny opened her eyes. Andrew sat on the floor, his back against the opposite wall, his legs stretched in front of him.

  A paperback book of crosswords folded front cover to back cover was open with the pen poised over the page. Without glancing from the puzzle, brows together in concentration, Andrew somehow knew she was awake.

  “I need an eleven letter word for beyond adoring ending in i-o-n.”

  Destiny pondered for a moment.

  “Infatuation.”

  Amusement lit Andrew’s face as he lifted his eyes to her. Sitting on the floor, comfortable and at ease, Andrew was wondrous to behold. His face practically glowed with excitement, lips curving into a smile that came from his heart. His eyes shone with life and vitality. She fought the urging in her soul to join him, wrapping herself into his embrace, forgetting the real world. Sadly, her mind won the battle against her heart. She could not link him to her any tighter. It would only torment her more if she did.

  After filling in the spaces, Andrew folded the book back around the right way and laid it on the floor beside him.

  “We have some options now that the road is clear. We can go get supplies, although we don’t need any yet. Unless you need anything?”

  “Can you drive to Vegas and grab my wallet? In all the commotion of being kidnapped, it somehow slipped my mind.”

  Curious at the flippant tone in her comment, Andrew watched her eyes for the sense of humor and light that filled them since the first day she woke in the cabin. Bleakness replaced the shine and gleam he was used to seeing in her emerald eyes.

  “Why are you unhappy?”

  “I’m not.”

  The words came out of her mouth calmly and with conviction while inside her head, she was screaming. Yes! I’m unhappy! How can I be happy when I’ve been deceiving both of us?

  Shifting his head slightly, his eyes penetrated into her. She closed hers, breaking the connection. He wouldn’t be able to see into her that easily.

&nbs
p; “You don’t look very happy for a woman who just got a new lease on life.”

  Her eyes flew open.

  “What do you mean, a new lease on life?”

  “We can get out of here now. We can get everything straightened out. Find the evidence to prove Charles killed Marcus. We have the law on our side. Those two thugs are probably sitting in a jail cell right now. We aren’t alone in this anymore.”

  Pushing down the urge to scream, Destiny’s forehead wrinkled, nostrils flaring, but her voice remained calm.

  “I can’t be seen out in public. Anyone could recognize me. You heard Matt say my face is on TV and in the paper. We can’t get anyone else involved until I can prove I didn’t kill Marcus. We only have one lawman on our side here, but there are hundreds more who will gladly cuff me and haul me in. If anything, I am more alone now than I was before. Now, people know I am here.”

  Andrew needed to sort through what she was saying, but she seemed to keep going in circles, confusing him even more. How could she not be happy they had other people out there to help them? At the moment, the odds were stacked in their favor. The thugs were in jail, or would be soon. Charles was only one man and would not take the time or the risk to come after her himself. Andrew just needed to protect her a little longer. Then they could leave together and he would take her back to California.

  “Give Matt a little credit. He said he would check into things. I’m sure he can find some loophole to keep you free until we can figure out how to prove your innocence.”