Page 57 of Desperate Justice

But as they headed for their bikes, she knew the look in his eyes didn’t mean rest.

CHAPTER 15

When they stopped at a rest stop to eat lunch bought at a grocery store earlier, Allison changed her undergarments in the restroom. She couldn’t help noticing her sister had gone quiet.

No complaints. Or gushing about how overjoyed she was to marry Paul. Or how she missed air conditioning in cars.

Too quiet.

They parked their bikes together, and as Keith and Debbie walked Comet, Diana, Allison, Sam and Rafe sat on the bench at a picnic table.

Rafe was quiet as he unwrapped his turkey sub sandwich. He took a long pull of water. Fascinated, she watched his strong throat muscles work. As he backhanded his mouth, his level gaze caught hers.

“We need to talk. About how you don’t listen, Allison. You should have let Sam and me check things out back there before you took off without us.”

Appetite gone, she set down her sandwich. “I saved that girl’s life.”

“You did, but you take too many chances. I told you the rules when we set out.”

“Rafe’s right. Tried to tell you to wait, but you hung up on me. You need to slow down, Allison,” Sam added.

Terrific. She’d saved a life and they were criticizing her?

Then Diana started on her. “Ally, you should have done as Rafael and Sam said. They know what they are talking about.”

All the patience she normally had for Di and all her composure suddenly flew out the window. Allison lost it.

“Shish kebabs on a sidecar, Di, leave me alone! Stop telling me what to do and how to do my job. I’m a trauma NP. You think they can do any better than me?

“You think these guys, just because they are men, know more about injuries and treatment? Maybe they should have saved you all those years ago. Maybe they could have done it faster and better!”

Damn. She didn’t mean to bring that up, but Di pushed her to the limit. The light died in her sister’s face, and Rafe drew in a breath while Sam studied his sub sandwich as if it were fascinating.

Tears glistened in Diana’s eyes. She shook her head. “All I meant was, they’re responsible for this group. They know the dangers of stopping like you did and trying to be a Good Samaritan. And yet you go riding off, without a care, without caring about what happens to us or the consequences.”

A knot formed in her stomach. Di was right. She glanced at Rafe and his usual blank expression.

“You’re right, Di. I’m sorry. I’m being a drip. I should...”

“You don’t know what dangers are on the road, Ally. You always rush into everything without thinking. There are people out there who could kill you.”

The last sentence Diana uttered in a ghostly whisper. For the first time she noted the paleness of her sister’s face, the way her hands shook. This wasn’t about her.

Any guilt vanished in a heartbeat. Something else was going on here. “Di, what is it? What’s spooking you? Did you see something?”

A glance sideways at Rafe, who kept giving Diana a speculative look. A head shake.

“I’m tired. I want to get back on the road and to Mom and Dad’s cabin,” Diana mumbled.

She crumpled up her half-eaten sandwich and headed for the trash can. Allison looked at Rafe and Sam.

“Thanks a lot. Now look at what you’ve done.”

As she scurried after her sister, she overheard Rafe say, “What we’ve done? How is this our fault?”

* * *

Rafe couldn’t shake the feeling they were being followed. Maybe it was the usual paranoia he felt on a job, but this was vacation, or so he thought. Yet his instinct kept niggling him.