Page 18 of Tied to Trouble

And he was carrying a rifle.

“Let’s get out of here,” Beverly squealed, turning and sprinting for the truck.

Both girls were spooked as they raced towards their beach gear. Mags was barking and running around them as if it were all a game. It was no game to them, though. Mandy was shaking as she grabbed her bag and ran for the truck, not even making the time to grab her towel.

When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw the man had stopped and was watching them. She clambered into the cab, sand and all, slammed the door locks down, and shoved the key into the ignition, her fingers shaking.

“Go, Mandy, go,” Beverly urged, her face as white as a sheet. “Go, before he starts shooting.”

Mandy shoved the pickup in reverse and spun out, then wheeled around and headed out of the parking lot, going for Possum Lake Road. The man could have almost intercepted them if he had chosen to, but he just stood there watching them. That made her feel a small bit of relief. She didn’t want to run over somebody, but she would if she had to.

As they came level with the man, Mandy glanced over at him. He was too far away to see his features clearly, and he had on sunglasses and a ballcap, but she could have sworn it was Sam Pickering. She’d never seen Sam with a ballcap before, though. Besides, he’d sworn that Genetico had nothing to do with the missing cattle.

Was he lying?

“Where did he come from?” Beverly’s voice was still high-pitched, her body shaking as she voiced the question. “He wasn’t there when we pulled up.”

“He must have parked across the dam,” Mandy replied. “And he could have been on the catwalk, and we wouldn’t have noticed him. Maybe he was standing there watching that barrel, too.”

“Geez, Mandy, that was gross. We have to tell the sheriff. What is Genetico doing to those poor cows? Are they doing horrible experiments and then chopping them up? And why are they putting them in barrels and dumping them in the lake?”

“I don’t know, Beverly.” Mandy chewed on her lip. Az must have known something about the cattle’s disappearances and was trying to warn her of possible danger, but she’d completely ignored him—because of Courtney.

The seat found a sore spot on her bottom when she hit a pothole, and she winced. It reminded her of what had happened last night. How would he feel when he found out she had gone to the lake after he told her not to? Especially after what just happened? She fidgeted uneasily. He had better not try to spank her again.

“I wonder if they’ve chopped up any people and put them in barrels?” Beverly’s imagination was working overtime. She was prone to panic attacks under extreme stress. This situation could certainly qualify.

“I doubt it,” Mandy scoffed uneasily, trying to be matter-of-fact. “There must be some other explanation. Sam said Genetico wasn’t doing anything with cows.”

“And you believe him?”

Mandy shot her a glance. “I don’t see any reason not to, Beverly. Calm down, will you?”

“I’m trying, I’m trying. But oh, my gawd...we could have been barrel meat if that man had caught us.”

Mandy rolled her eyes, but she let Beverly ramble on. It would relieve her stress. Her thoughts were still on Az, although she was listening to her friend with half an ear. Az seemed to have changed so much, and she didn’t know him anymore.

She realized the spanking he’d given her at fourteen wasn’t anything like the one he’d given her last night. She also realized that the Az she’d known all her life would never have kissed her like that, either. Chances were, this new Az might spank her for disobeying him. Her stomach danced at the thought.

They were driving along the west edge of Az’s ranch on Possum Lake Road when they spotted another vehicle heading their way. It looked like one of the police trucks, like the truck Az had been in earlier.

Mandy’s heart dropped into her stomach, and her pulse picked up. When the pickup drew near, it slowed and turned into a stop sideways across the road, causing Mandy to have to slow down and stop.

“Oh no, that’s Az,” Beverly squealed unnecessarily. “And he doesn’t look very happy, Mandy. Boy, I’d sure hate to be in your shoes right now.”

Beverly’s comments did nothing to ease the cold feeling in the pit of Mandy’s stomach as Az stalked around the front of his vehicle, his long legs eating up the ground. He looked very dangerous suddenly, and she felt the cowardly urge to drive away. Too bad he’d parked across the road; she couldn’t just leave him in her dust.

Instead, she opened her door and slid on shaky knees to the ground, her chin lifting bravely as she walked around the front of her truck to meet him. Mags danced excitedly around her, then ran to Az to poke her nose inside his hand. His large hand, she silently noted, remembering the sting of those lean fingers on her tender buttocks.

“Az, you’ll never guess what we saw up at the lake,” Beverly gushed, running around her side of the truck.

Mandy was relieved when Az’s piercing gaze settled on her friend. She felt like she could breathe again...for the moment.

“And what might that be?”

The question was low and silky, its deep male tones sliding over her nerve endings, and Mandy shivered involuntarily. She could sense the held in anger. It emanated from him like a seeping cauldron.

In short, he was furious.

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