Chapter 2
Gage “Boogie Man”Lewis accelerated his rental car along the country road toward Mercy, Mississippi where his buddy, Ian, was spending the Christmas holidays with his wife and mother. His nickname had come from his smooth moves on the dance floor, but it wasn’t unusual for people to think it referred to the mythical guy who crept up on people at night. And, Gage was content to leave it that way. That definition suited the dark mood he’d been in for months.
No point in explaining things to everyone in the world. Especially now that he wasn’t in the Army anymore. The snap of a rope. A hard fall from a cliff. A lost kidney. And the loss of his ranger career.
He pressed harder on the accelerator, ignoring the warning voice in his head. The one that pointed out he didn’t know this road and that dawn was several minutes away. Screw that.
He fishtailed around a sharp turn and, just like that, a woman and dog appeared in the bright beam of his headlights. Reacting immediately, he stood on the brakes and swerved the car to the left, assuming the woman and dog would run to his right since the woman’s body was turned slightly in that direction.
With a sigh of relief, he saw her sprint in the direction he had predicted. Good to know his instincts were still in working order. He threw the car in reverse and maneuvered so that the headlights shone on the road. Slamming the car into park, he exited in one jump, pulling his still tender abdominal muscles.
A highly toned blonde wearing spandex pants, mittens, a puffer jacket and earmuffs glared as she strode up to him. “Are you okay?” He asked, noticing the tip of her nose was cherry red and complimented the ice blue of her eyes.
She strode right up to him, placed both palms on his chest and shoved. Surprised, he took a step back. The dog growled. Which was a bit comical as it was a pretty goofy looking dog.
“Are you out of your freaking mind?”
The woman was practically spitting in his face. And her headlamp was blinding him. He raised one hand to block the light.
“I. Uh.”
“Only a fool drives like that on a road like this.” Her eyes raked over him. “And I don’t recognize you which means you’re not local. So, in addition to this being a curvy road in the dark, you’ve never driven on it before.” The dog growled again, and she put a hand on its head. It stopped growling but kept its eyes on him.
“You’re right.” He said. “I was driving pretty irresponsibly. I didn’t think there would be anyone out here at this hour.” He saw he draw breath. No doubt for a further tirade. “And that’s no excuse. I know that.”
“Who are you and what are you doing out here?”
“I’m Gage Lewis. I’m on my way to a town called Mercy to spend the holiday with my buddy, Ian Elliott.”
That seemed to take the wind out of her sails just a bit, so he pushed his luck. “Do you think you could turn off the headlamp? I feel like I’m in a really bad movie being given the third degree.”
She frowned but reached up and switched the light off. He lowered his hand far enough to reach out to her. “I’d like to introduce myself properly. Gage Lewis. I work for the Brotherhood Protectors and I’m friends with Ian Elliott and his wife Piper. I’m here for the holidays.”
Slowly she reached out and took his hand, still watching him with wary eyes. “Holly Grace Hill. Friend of Ian and Piper all my life.”
“What are you doing way out here in the dark.” He inquired, releasing her hand.
“I’m running. I run every morning. This is my regular route.” She stepped back from him, her hand on the dog’s head. “And, before today, I’ve never been almost run down by a car.”
Ouch. She had a point. He’d let his mood make him careless. “I’m truly sorry about that. Can I give you a lift home?”
She gave him an incredulous look from those icy eyes. “Absolutely not. I’m not inclined to get in a car with you for any reason.”
A year ago, before his accident, he would have considered her a challenge, but at this point, he didn’t have the inclination to chase a pretty woman. He was too busy getting his feet back under him with the Brotherhood Protectors and coming to grips with the lose of his army ranger career. So, he nodded and accepted her verdict.
“Okay. I guess if you’re friends with Ian and Piper, I’ll see you around town while I’m here.”
She quirked an eyebrow, reached up and turned her headlamp back on and said, “I assume you know how to get to Miz Elliott’s house?”
He nodded. She motioned to the dog and the two of them went along the road in the direction he’d been headed before he’d almost run her down.
He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and ran a hand through his hair. This could have been very bad. He had to get a grip on himself. Killing one or crippling someone wasn’t something he wanted to be party to.
He got back into the rental, pulled onto the road and proceeded at a much more reasonable speed. When his headlights picked the girl and dog out of the dark, she moved all the way into the knee-high weeds, getting as far off the road as she could. And keeping the dog between herself and the fence next to her.
He slowed the car even more. As he came even with her, he glanced over. She looked back, nodded and then looked front again. He touched the horn just enough to make a quiet honk, sped up a bit and proceeded into town.
As he rolled into the town square, he saw an older man in a uniform walk across the courthouse lawn and enter the building. People sure started work early here. As he contemplated who the man might be, his cell phone rang. Glancing over to it, lying on the passenger seat, he saw it was Ian.
