Guarding Hope

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.