My relief was so great, I couldn’t help it, I sagged into him. His arms slid around me and I pressed my good cheek against his chest.

“Thank you,” I said.

He didn’t respond. We stood there awhile, him holding me, until I felt warmer and able to move. The minute my body prepared for action, he felt it and stepped away, took my hand in his and guided me to the car.

* * * * *

We stopped only for lunch and dinner and to fil up the gas tank. I didn’t eat much. Vance noticed and made me stay hydrated by buying me bottles of water and handing them to me every once in awhile, making me drink. I tried to sleep but it wouldn’t come.

So, when I was ready, on a long stretch of straight road that was al I’d ever known of Nebraska (until now, now I knew of a sleazy motel, a hospital with nice people working there and an outlet mal ), I told Vance my story.

As I talked, the cab felt like it was vibrating with the open anger that was rol ing off him.

I just kept talking.

He didn’t say anything when I was done, he simply phoned it in to Lee’s surveil ance room.

* * * * *

Denver loomed bright in the darkness. Before I knew it, we were exiting off I-25 onto Speer Boulevard, wel into the city, when Vance hit a button on the phone and the ring fil ed the cab of the SUV.

“Yeah?”

“We’re in Denver.”

“I see you,” the voice said, “You’re headin’ the wrong way.”

“I’m takin’ her to Tex,” Vance replied.

Silence.

Then the voice said, “Hank wants her.”

“She wants to go to her uncle, I’m takin’ her there.” Another beat of silence, then, “Your cal .” Vance hit a button and the phone went dead.

“Are you going to get into trouble?” I asked him.

“No.”

“You wouldn’t lie?” I asked.

“I would,” he replied and I watched his shit-eating grin spread, his handsome face il uminated by the dashboard light. “But I’m not.”

That almost made me smile too. Almost.

He pul ed up outside Uncle Tex’s house and the front door opened before the Explorer stopped. Uncle Tex came out of the house and into the darkness. The outside light came on and I saw Nancy standing in the doorway.

I opened the cab, got out and Uncle Tex was there.

He looked at me, his face lit by the streetlights clearly showing a battle between relief and fury. Relief won out and he pul ed me into his arms.

“Careful, Tex. She’s got three cracked ribs,” Vance said from somewhere close.

Uncle Tex’s tight arms loosened.

“I’m okay,” I said against his chest.

He didn’t answer.

“Uncle Tex. I’m okay,” I repeated.

Stil no answer.

“She needs rest, I don’t think she’s slept in days,” Vance said.

I was kind of getting tired of these men talking about me like I wasn’t there. Unfortunately, I was so dog-tired physical y, I didn’t have the mental capacity to cal them on it. So, instead, my head, stil pressed against Uncle Tex’s chest, nodded and I pul ed a bit away.

“Don’t know how to thank you,” Uncle Tex said, obviously to Vance.

“We’l talk about that later,” Vance replied.

Uncle Tex let me go and looked at Vance. I saw that Vance and Uncle Tex were staring at each other and the air around us had somehow changed.

“You got an idea of what you want?” Uncle Tex asked, not beating about the bush, and I hoped that whatever answer Uncle Tex was looking for was the one that Vance gave.

“Yeah,” Vance replied.

“Money?” Tex asked.

Vance’s face got tight and I could tel , right off, that wasn’t the right thing to say.

So could Uncle Tex and he changed tactics.

“Roxie?” Tex said but he wasn’t addressing me, he was talking to Vance.

My eyes got wide and I stared at Vance, waiting for his answer.

I might have been tired and just rescued from a kidnapping and I was certainly thankful to Vance for everything he’d done and he was cute and al (real y cute, super cute, actual y cute wasn’t the word, hot was more the word) but I sure as hel wasn’t going to be handed over as a gift of gratitude for saving my hide.

And anyway, if anyone could hand me over, it was me and I was done with men. Total y and completely. I was looking forward to a life as a cat lady. I was going to get a dozen cats and a f**king great vibrator, maybe one of those rabbits I heard about, and that was it.

Vance’s voice broke into my lonely, but satisfied, plans for the future.

“I’l get what I want from Lee.”

“Money,” Tex said decisively and he sounded disappointed.

Vance looked at me. Then he looked at Tex. He was deciding if he should share.

Then, he decided. “I want five minutes in the holding room with Bil y Flynn before they turn him over.” I looked between the two men. I didn’t know what “the holding room” was but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

Holy cow.

I held my breath.

For the first time, Uncle Tex smiled and whatever was in the air evaporated. “You’l have to stand in line,” Tex told him.

“I think I’ve earned one of the first cracks,” Vance said.

Holy cow. Holy cow. Holy cow.

“Vance –” I started but stopped when his eyes locked on me.

He wasn’t hiding his reaction again; he looked angry, beyond angry. I realized immediately that he actual y had been control ing his reaction. This was his real reaction and it scared the living daylights out of me.

“A man raises a hand to a woman, he needs a lesson,” Vance said.

I opened my mouth to say something but there was nothing to say. What he said was downright, bottom line true.

Vance got in my space and put his hands on my shoulders and whatever I was going to say flew from my brain. He looked down at me and his eyes changed, the anger was stil there but I watched as whatever was fighting for its place was concealed from me.

“Talk to Eddie,” he said, his voice quiet, his expression now under control and hidden. “Press charges. The kidnapping took place in Colorado at a cop’s house. Bil y Flynn is f**ked.”

He didn’t wait for my response and my heart stopped when he grabbed my chin, pul ed my head to the side and kissed my cheekbone, right where my scabs were. Then he turned, walked around the hood of the Explorer, swung into the driver’s seat, and he was gone.