Guarding Hope - C M Steele Read online

  “Consider it a housewarming gift. It’s great to have you back.”

  “Sign right here, and they’re all yours.” The man tapped his pen on the sturdy clipboard where Gage had to leave his John Hancock. The attorney in him scanned the documents to make sure there were no surprises. Feeling satisfied, he signed off on the delivery of forty-three heifers, four yearlings, and one bull.

  Gage shook the driver’s hand and then watched him climb into his cab and drive off the property.

  “Boss, they’re all loaded in their pens,” Bill said, dusting off his hands on his jeans. Colt had sent Bill over to help set up the ranch for his cousin. He’d worked as Colt’s foreman for three years when an injury left him unable to walk. Now that he’d gotten better, Colt thought he’d make a perfect foreman for Gage.

  “Thanks, Bill.”

  “Thank you for giving me another opportunity.”

  If Colt trusted Bill, then Gage knew that he could do the same, although Gage made sure to run all the necessary background checks, getting information in hours with the help of some of his former colleagues.

  Gage clapped his hand on Bill’s back and said, “Well, hell. We all need second chances. How about we get them fed and head back inside to plan out the number of employees I need to maintain this business?”

  “Sounds good to me.” He grabbed his bandana, swiping it across the back of his neck for some relief. The sun, even in the early summer, could be unbearable.

  By seven, they’d squared away the details on what type of hands they needed and how many, as well as housing them in the bunkhouse a thousand feet from the main house.

  “I’ve got to hit the road. I’ll be back first thing in the morning with a couple of hands that are looking for work outside the feed store.”

  “We can test them out and see if we can make them permanent. You know what I’m looking for.” They discussed the matter thoroughly, making notes of how much they would be paid by the hour and possible bunking if needed.

  After a day full of hard work, Gage’s aching bones begged for the relief of a hot shower. Smiling to himself, he dried off, slipped on some boxers, and passed out, ready for another day.

  Chapter 3

  The ticking sound of an imaginary analog clock played in her head, waking Hope up in the wee hours of the morning. Her eyes widened as she observed the darkened room with just a hint of light coming from the moon. She stared at the bastard light with a vengeful mind. It marked how much time she had left of her innocence.

  She would be moving from one property owner to the next. She rolled over, tucking one arm under her pillow, balling it up and testing the comfortability. Several times she readjusted, but nothing worked. Unable to fall back to sleep, she sat up and thought about her fate.

  During that time, she came to an important realization. Her father held no control over her once she belonged to Navarro. If for whatever reason she couldn’t run away, she could use Navarro to destroy her father.

  The single knock on the bedroom door resonated in her ears like iron bars slamming shut. Steeling her expression, she slid her purse across her body before opening the door.

  “It’s time to go,” Cummings informed her.

  She didn’t resist. Instead, she marched out of the room with her head held high. He could no longer destroy her. The sway he thought he held over her vanished the second he made a deal with Navarro.

  “Wait,” he hollered, rushing down the steps to catch up to her. Cummings stepped up to his daughter and pretended to give her a hug, but instead, he leaned in to whisper, “You better still be pure, or your body will be on the slab. Don’t embarrass me and be a whore like your mother. She suffered those consequences.”

  She gasped at the insinuation that he murdered her mother. Knowing that he inflicted pain, he smiled to himself as he opened the door, holding it for her to pass.

  She nodded, a closed-lipped smile stretching across her face as she stepped in front of him. With her newfound confidence, she stared into his heartless eyes and said, “Smile away, Father. Remember…please do remember this. Once he takes my innocence and I make him putty in my hands, I’ll only have one request… One bullet to your temple.” She raised her hand, forming her hand into the shape of a gun and pointing it at his head. “Boom.”

  Cummings flinched. Hope winked and blew him a kiss before striding over to the waiting goons. Her verbal jab hit its mark and stunned Cummings, creating a new paranoia. He closed the door, wondering if it was best to kill her after Navarro gave him the money.

  Two guards led her to the car where the driver waited with the door open. They helped her into the backseat. One stepped in behind her while the other dumped her luggage into the trunk, while the driver took his seat.

  As they pulled out of the estate, she took a deep breath and asked them, “What makes you guys so willing to help commit human trafficking? I mean, that must make you all pretty depraved.”

  Jimmy, the guard in the passenger seat, scoffed, while the one at her side answered, “A job is a job. You’re not going to get us to feel sorry. The last guy got capped for it. Relax and accept your fate.”

  I knew it.

  “You could always look the other way. Lie and say I escaped, running to a police officer or something,” she offered. She’d met these men before, and they were just as fucked up as her father.

  The driver spoke up. “He owns the cops. Just calm down. It won’t be that bad. You’re going to give it up to a guy who will last two minutes in ya, then you’ll be lavished with all the finer things that even your daddy didn’t give ya.”

  “Whatever, thugs one, two, and three. I hope you know how irrelevant you all are, you fucking cunts. I don’t know any of your names because none of you are important. You’re nothing more than human trafficking lackeys.” Hope glared out the window, silently enjoying their grumblings. She smirked, covering her face as she watched their expressions harden.

  They raised the divider, cursing under their breaths, ignoring her for the rest of the ride. The guy at her side was playing with his phone. It looked like some game and made her laugh to herself. He should be keeping an eye on the surroundings and her, but instead, he was on his phone. She was sure her father would love that. While they ignored, she took the time to familiarize herself with the neighborhood they entered. The streets weren’t full of people, but they were busy enough for her to sneak away unnoticed if she got a shot.

  Once they pulled into the lot next to the clinic, the guard on the passenger side exited and opened the door for Hope. She stepped out and immediately felt his hand on her shoulder. She hurriedly shrugged off his hand and glared at the guard.

  “I can fucking walk on my own. Remember, can’t damage the merchandise,” she scoffed.

  One held the door open for the doctor’s office, giving her no room to even try to run. The third thug remained at the helm for the all clear.

  With a cool, calm breath, she approached the front desk and addressed the receptionist. “Hi, Hope Cummings. I have an appointment.”

  “Okay, fill this out and have a seat.”

  “Thanks,” she muttered, taking the clipboard with HIPAA forms attached. Hope rolled her eyes because none of that mattered. Her life wasn’t her own anymore until she could get away. She looked around the room, searching for a possible way to escape, accidentally catching the attention of Jimmy.

  He came over and sat down next to her. He leaned over as she filled out the forms, checking to see what and how she answered the questions. It was evident that he was making sure she wasn’t leaving notes for the staff, warning them that she was being trafficked. With his breath grazing her ear, he threatened her, “They all work for Navarro. Remember that, bitch.”

  With a smirk on her face, she gave him her own little advice. “I’ll remember to tell Navarro that you stole a kiss from me.” She winked at him and then stood like a queen with her head held high, walking over to turn the forms in.

  The two men i
n their suits with sunglasses on were clearly out of place in a gynecologist’s office, but they didn’t care one bit. They looked like they belonged outside an expensive club guarding the door. Several of the women stole glances at Hope, wondering who she was to have these massive escorts with her. How she itched to tell them why they followed her.

  Twenty minutes passed before she was called in back, but this was her one and only opportunity to make a break for it. Hope knew she didn’t have long to escape before the doctor or nurses would come looking for her. Thankfully for her, the rooms were on the first floor, making an escape much more manageable than she expected.

  The nurse’s assistant led her down the hall and pointed a little further ahead. “Please use the restroom around the corner and pee in this cup. We only need up to this line, and let a little go before you start collecting. After you finish up, please go into room three. The doctor will be in with you a few minutes after they review your history and sample.” She handed Hope a sealed plastic medical cup and pointed again to the bathroom around the corner.

  Hope hit the proverbial jackpot as she stared at the large EXIT sign. It wasn’t equipped with an alarm, which made it twenty times better. She snuck out, sliding along the edge of the building, and came around the other corner.

  What she didn’t know was that a woman had noticed something was off with the men. She’d heard Jimmy mention, “If they take any longer, we’re going to go in there and look for her. We can’t let her escape. She’s too damn valuable.”

  Minutes passed, and they grew antsier. John stood up and moved to the counter. He was about to harass the receptionist when the eight-months-pregnant former law clerk stood up, waddled to the door separating the patients from the waiting room, and groaned. Her breathing became harsher, attracting the attention of the staff and all those around. The medical staff blocked the hall inside the patient area, halting any attempt to go look for Hope, who was already down the street.

  Unable to head to the airport without being easily tracked, she hurried down about four blocks before she hailed a taxi cab. The next step in her plan was to get a new change of clothes. The first place she knew to be crowded would be Market Square.

  “The Market Square, please,” Hope instructed the driver whilst repeatedly looking out of the rear window for any of her father’s men. She knew it was a well-populated place far away from the doctor’s office that would be easy to hide in and where she could pick up some touristy clothes to change into.

  “Anywhere in particular?” the driver questioned, giving the beautiful young redhead a once-over.

  “No, just go.” He did as she asked, shaking his head in the process. She was running from something or someone for sure, but the man wasn’t interested in getting involved in other people’s problems, so he drove away from the area as if it was any other day. There were things he saw that were none of his business, and he kept it that way. Don’t ask, and you don’t have anything to tell.

  Once they had left the area, Hope calmed down and sat straight forward, directing her attention toward the windshield. It surprised her how she managed to escape. A brief moment of relief hit her, then a sense of panic. It had been too easy for her. What if Navarro’s men knew to look for her? She didn’t know any of them or how they looked.

  Panic set in so intensely that she started fidgeting with her purse and slunk lower in her seat.

  “Ma’am…Miss, Miss. I’m coming to the end of the Market Square.” She’d been so wrapped up in fear of what was to come that it took her a moment to hear the driver.

  “Fine. Okay, let me out.”

  “That’s fifteen twenty.”

  “Okay,” Hope grumbled, pulling a twenty from her bag, then she jumped out, unwilling to look back.

  As soon as she began walking around the square, she looked for the large tourist shop. It had been farther than she remembered, but once inside, she picked up a tank and a hoodie with San Antonio emblazoned on them in dark blues. She was a pink kind of girl, so she hoped that the color would make her less obvious to any of the men hunting for her. Next, she picked up a large beach bag with the “Don’t Mess with Texas” branding on it. This would work perfectly to add a couple of extra shirts. The last things on her list were a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap. After half an hour, she paid for her clothes and accessories and walked over to the restrooms.

  A quick change later, she didn’t look like a prissy runaway but rather a tourist, ready to go. She hoped they wouldn’t be able to recognize her.

  “Now to get a bite to eat and then find a way to get out of town.” She didn’t have a cell phone, so she needed to find another waiting cab to take her to the bus station.

  Chapter 4

  The ranch ran smoothly with everything in order. Needing to place some orders in San Antonio, Gage planned to meet some friends in law enforcement for lunch in the city just to shoot the breeze since he had a little extra time to kill that day. Most of the property had been upgraded to handle at least two hundred cattle, even if Gage had no intention of adding more than fifty, which he had gotten at the auction. Bill proved he was capable of handling the men he picked out.

  After setting up the orders, he got a text from TJ to meet up at a bar and grille at the Market Square. He parked his SUV in the parking garage across from the main entrance and walked toward the restaurant. Two minutes into his walk, he felt eyes on him. Could it be one the of guys? They liked to goof around like any good-natured people, so he stepped to the side and took a peek. What he didn’t expect was to have a small woman watching him over the top of her shades.

  Yes, he was a handsome man, and women often took a couple of glances and even approached, but this was different. She was different. Gage felt a shift in him that shook him to the core. He even forgot to breathe for a second, catching himself with an unexpected gasp. From across the street, she stared at him until his gaze fell hard on hers.

  He had no idea why his heart suddenly started acting up. It couldn’t have been because of the woman, he presumed. Perhaps the heat had gotten to him, but since it was spring and only eleven, the sun hadn’t started baking yet. He shook off the feeling in his chest and focused on her. She blanched and pretended to be looking down at a large sign next to her.

  Gage moved around to get closer to the woman in the blue tourist getup to get a better look and to test her motives. She stole glances his way as if she was worried he was onto her. Gage had never had someone trailing him, but he associated with a bunch of guys in law enforcement who had crazies willing to attack their families and friends, so he was bound to end up on the radar of some nutcase.

  As he got closer, she moved away, but he was close enough to take in her beauty. With slender curves and a head of shiny red hair that appeared natural, she was bringing out a side of him he hadn’t seen since his dad’s betrayal. Lust shot through Gage’s veins as he imagined what happened once they finally met. If she was genuinely stalking him, he had to say he was tempted to let her catch him. His body craved hers in a way he never expected. In fact, he made the choice to stalk her instead. Psycho or not, he wanted to know if she tasted as sinful as she looked.

  Gage began following her around the Market Square, staying about ten feet back to surveil her. He should be meeting with the guys right now, but he couldn’t seem to give himself a reason to head toward the restaurant. Unfortunately, the choice was made for him. She got away when a large crowd of drunk spring breakers exited the bar. Yep, she was probably up to no good, but if he saw her again, he’d stop at nothing to get to the bottom of her surveillance of him, and her under the sheets.

  Surrendering, he walked back to the cantina and went inside where Daxton Chambers and TJ Rockwell were sitting down.

  “Ah, there you are. No job and still can’t show up on time.”

  “Sorry, I got distracted,” he muttered, taking the seat that faced the front windows of the cantina.

  TJ’s brows narrowed and lips twisted into a smirk as
he repeated, “Distracted? Like a hot-chick distracted?”

  “How old are you, sixteen?” Gage overreacted, giving the guys the answer they needed. Internally, Gage had felt a shift in him that resembled his need to drop law and move on to ranching. She sparked life into him with just a simple, light stalking.

  “Ah, so it was a woman?” Dax laughed. He knew all about that, having had his heart taken by a woman that he almost lost.

  “Fuck you both.” Gage grabbed the menu and grumbled as he looked for something light. His stomach suddenly didn’t feel settled. “I’m ready to order.” He set down his menu with both men looking at him expectantly. “What?”

  “Well, who the hell is she? And did you get her number?”

  “I don’t know, and no, I didn’t. I lost her in a fucking crowd of drunk shitheads.”

  “Drunk at this time? Must be spring breakers.”

  “Shit, if I didn’t have to go back in, I’d have a beer or two,” Chambers added, sitting back in his chair. The waitress came over after the men put down their menus and took their orders.

  “Damn, that’s all you’re getting?” TJ asked Gage after he only ordered a couple of steak tacos.

  “You know, you need to eat more if you’re going to be working in the sun.” TJ snapped his fingers when he saw Gage wasn’t paying attention. He kept looking out the window. “I said you need to eat more.”

  “I know. I heard you the first time, but I’m not hungry. Besides, I’m not getting shit together for a while. The ranch is set up for the cattle to arrive next week. So thanks for the advice.”

  “I know what’s wrong with you. You’re looking for your stalker. I can’t wait to tell Mack about this. She’s been wondering if you were going to end up with the new DA.” Daxton and Mackenzie had been married for the past year after a fucked-up situation that almost cost her life.

  “No way. I’ve no interest in Monica.”