River Wolf(19)

The man didn’t take her money, but stared at her with a kind of assessment that left her uneasy. “Old River Road?”

“Yeah, 115…I have a delivery to make.” Maybe mentioning the unconscious man with the broken bones in her car wasn’t advisable.

A slow nod was his only response. With idle slowness, he slid the bill to himself, then lifted it. He squinted at the bill, then at her and finally past her toward the car outside. “I can come pump the gas for you.”

“I can do it.” She didn’t want him anywhere near her car. “Do you have a map?” Never mind the directions, she’d figure it out.

The man paused with his fingers on the keys of the register. “You’re safe, ma’am. No one’s going to hurt you here. It’s raining hard—and you look cold. Go get in the car, and I’ll pump your gas for you, then I’ll get you those directions.”

What was it with the men she kept running into? “Unless it’s against the law to pump my own gas, I’ll do it.” She locked gazes with baseball cap. “You can give me the directions now or leave me alone, but if you follow me out there, I’ll assume you mean me harm and I’ll defend myself. I promise you, you won’t enjoy the experience.”

Surprise flickered across his face and he raised his hands, palms forward. “Take it easy. No need to sharpen your claws on me. I was just trying to be courteous.”

Maybe she was overreacting. Folding her arms, she settled for a nod. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I prefer to take care of myself.”

“Understood.” After returning her nod, he struck a couple of keys on the old style register. It even made a ding when the cash drawer opened. “Go ahead and run your fuel. I’ll set the pump to stop at twenty.”

Since she’d bitten his head off, asking about the directions again…

“As for Old River Road, you’re a few miles off still, but the easiest way to get to that address is to keep going west out here, about two more miles. You’re going to cross three roads. At the fourth one, take a left. Follow it for about five and a half miles, it will dead end into Old River Road. You’ll want to take a right there and drive on to the end. You can’t miss one fifteen. Only three houses out that way. The one you want is the big white one all the way back.”

“Thank you.”

“Welcome.”

It wasn’t until she was back at the car that she remembered she’d forgotten to ask about a bathroom. Her damp hair clung to her cheeks, and she rubbed her arms as she stood watching the gas numbers turn. She kept glancing back at the office, but the guy inside stayed inside, fortunately.

Damn, she had to pee. Once the pump finished, she locked her tank up again, then slid back into the driver’s seat. Inserting the key into the ignition, she paused to push her wet hair away from her face.

“You should have woke me.” Luc’s growl sent a shock through her system.

“Don’t do that,” she snarled in response and turned the key. Her hands shook when she pulled her seatbelt on. At least with the windows closed, the interior of the car warmed up quickly and helped chase away her chill. With one last wary look at the office, she pulled back out onto the street. Fortunately, no traffic seemed to be filling their little two lane road, so she was able to head west without any issues. “Sorry,” she said after a mile or so. She’d passed the first of the three roads baseball cap mentioned. “The guy back there spooked me, and you’ve been sleeping.”

“He bothered you?” The question came out more animal than man.

“No.” She raised her hand to placate him. “He just creeped me out a little. I don’t like bossy guys. You’re all the bossy I can handle right now, and you’re helpless.”

“I am not helpless.”

Great, she’d insulted him and her patience ended. “Look, you’re not exactly dangerous at the moment. You’ve got two broken legs and a broken arm. You’ve been running a fever and struggling to be awake. You are not…creeping me out, but you are dancing on my last nerve with all the growly barking. So hush, rest and I’ll get you to your destination. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.” At least the agitation vanished from his tone. “Sorry he bothered you.”

“It’s fine, I am more than capable of taking care of myself.” The third street came and went. Good. Even through the downpour, they continued to make good time. Next road, they’d take a left and she was that much closer to being on her way to Florida.

“So I see.” Admiration hinted at the edges of his observation.