Ten Below Zero(50)

I shook my head. “No. If you don’t want to stick around, that’s fine. But I am going to stay here. It’s not a big deal.”

“Yeah, because you don’t care what happens to you. You’re fearful, but not really.” Everett shook his head. “I don’t like this.”

“I’d say I’m sorry, but I’d be lying,” I said, tossing his words back at him. “Listen, we can get back on the road later tonight if you want, stop somewhere in Denver for the night. I’ll have Mira bring me back here when it’s done.”

Everett gave me his signature look – his ‘are you stupid?’ look. “I’m going with you.”

I didn’t bother arguing. Everett would have his way, one way or another. “Fine. But don’t get in my way.”





I was dressed in skinny jeans, borrowed from Mira, and a tank top. Mira had piled my hair on top of my head in a messy bun and gave me cowboy boots to wear. I was sitting at the reception desk of the ranch’s main entrance, tapping my fingers over and over on the shiny surface of the desk.

“Can I get you anything?” A woman with sleek black hair asked me, worry etched in her face. Her name was Rosa, and she ran the ranch.

I shook my head. “I’m fine. Just go. He’ll be more likely to come around if I’m all alone.”

Rosa looked like she was going to be sick. She had dark circles under her eyes, and her hands had been wringing a small towel over and over for the last ten minutes. “Holler if you need something,” she said before leaving, shutting off the lights of the kitchen and hall on her way down the hall.

I was now completely alone in the office. The only lights were the small sconces on the walls and the light for the porch. I sat back in the chair and looked around the office, trying to find something to pass the time.

There was nothing around the office that indicated what the previous girl? the one I was temporarily replacing, looked like. All I knew was what Mira had told me: we had similar builds and hair color. She had different skin coloring than I did and her eyes were not blue. She also didn’t have a large scar on her face. I’d been instructed to keep the left side of my face turned away from the door, to make him think I was really this girl.

I grabbed a book from the bookshelves by the door and settled into the chair behind the desk.

An hour later, there was no activity. It was completely dark outside by now and also completely silent. I waited a bit longer, but I was growing restless. I left the book on the desk and walked to the door, looking out. I couldn’t see Mira or Everett, but I knew they were out there somewhere. As uneasy as Everett was with this, he wasn’t going to let me go this alone. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. That was my feeling for Everett in general: unsure. There was no doubt that he did make me feel a wider range of emotions than I usually felt, but I couldn’t process how I felt about them.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I almost missed the glint coming from the opposite direction of the cabins. Whatever it was had caught the light of the moon and reflected it back, causing a small glint of light to flicker towards the door of the main entrance. I stepped out on to the porch, trying to get a better look at the glint. Whatever it was, it was near the entrance to the ranch. I squinted but couldn’t see it well in the dark. So I took a couple steps down the steps to the gravel.

And that’s when the floodlights came on, illuminating not only me. I heard the crunch of gravel and looked at my feet. But the sound didn’t come from me.

My eyes shot up, seeing the man crouched behind a vehicle in the driveway, staring at me with black eyes, edging closer. Instantly, I turned my left cheek, to keep it from his view. And that was when he started to run.

Fuck, I thought in my head. My body froze, a small voice screaming in my head. And then I turned and started running as I’d been instructed to-towards the last cabin. My delay in turning had resulted in a significant lead for him and as I sprinted, I could hear his grunts. I could see his shadow on the gravel right behind mine.

My heart beat double time in my chest and I felt fear, true, crippling fear. And then I remembered, knew Everett was there in the darkness. I felt relief. So I pushed harder. Seconds after my steps left the gravel, the sounds of crunching gravel dying, his did as well. Now all I could hear was his grunts and the blood roaring in my head. We were out of the floodlight at this point, in complete darkness.

And that was when I felt my legs being kicked, knocking me to the ground. Instantly, I recovered, rolling on my back and frantically crawling backwards as he approached. I couldn’t make out his features in the pitch black of the night. My eyes were still adjusting, so I squinted, trying to see his face as I scrambled away from him.

All I saw was dark hair, shadowed skin, and clothing that was all black. He leaned for me with a hand and I kicked blindly, feeling my foot gain purchase on his hand. Unfortunately, his other hand grabbed my ankle and tugged. Fear gripped my throat, making me unable to form words. My hand reached into the pocket for the knife Mira had given me.

A moment later, there was a blur. I heard a grunt, and then the sickening thuds of someone being punched repeatedly. My heartbeat was still racing when I jumped to my feet and moved to the commotion. I knew instantly it was Everett, could make out his body on top of the other mans, his fists pummeling his face. And then Everett’s hand was on the man’s throat. “Don’t f*cking move,” he growled.