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“I have to go,” she whispered. Fear overpowered her delicate perfume.
She slipped out the door.
The stranger followed.
Well, hell.Caleb’s protective instincts kicked hard.
He slapped cash on the bar, shoved his wallet into his pocket, and went after them.
Chapter Two
TerrortookholdofGianna Barone’s feet, propelling her from the bar. Frigid air stung her cheeks, and she shivered, the temperature having dropped another few degrees in the short time she’d been inside.
Get to the car. Get back to the reservation.
The man who’d walked into Lucero’s Lounge was a stranger, but he’d recognized her somehow.
Idiot.She’d been so careful to stay under the radar. This was why she always made excuses to her friend, Jennie Tsosie, about skipping girls’ nights.
She should have dropped off Billy’s medication and left.
Shouldn’t have lingered to talk to the attractive man—Caleb. Shouldn’t have been drawn to him.
When he’d smiled, her heart had thumped so hard she'd almost bolted.
That would have been the smart move—run.
Instead, she’d let a handsome face and killer smile lower her guard when she, of all people, should know better.
She rounded the building’s corner and skidded to a halt.
In the yellow haze of the security light, a lanky kid in his twenties leaned against the bumper of a black SUV. Stringy brown hair hungfrom beneath a pink knit beanie. His thin, sullen face and cold eyes didn’t match the bright wool cap.
He glanced over her shoulder—at someone behind her. Straightening, Pink Cap tracked her approach with an intensity that made her pulse stutter.
Don’t show fear.
Easy to say. Harder with adrenaline spiking and her vision blurring.
Maybe she could bluff her way to her car. Lock the doors. Call Zach Blackwater.
These goons might back off if a Navajo Nation Police officer showed up.
Or they might shoot him.
Then she’d have another death on her conscience.
She was only halfway through her twelve-week locum tenens contract at the Navajo medical clinic, filling in for a doctor on maternity leave. And she needed the money. If she left before her contract was up, she’d never get another job as a doctor.
Gia dug out her key and wedged the metal shank between trembling fingers. Next time she bought a car, it would be new enough to have a fob.
If there was a next time.
She started forward, chin high, sweat dampening her lower back despite the cold.
Gravel crunched behind her. No need to look.
She knew who it was.