Call It Destiny

preparing.
    „What happens after your partner shows up and the two of you have finished your deal?“
    She sensed his unpleasant grin. „You mean what happens to you?“
    „Under the circumstances, I think it’s a legitimate question.“ Her fingers shook as she used an old rag to shield them from the hot handle of the coffeepot. But her voice was steady. A man like Rick Monroe would derive a great deal of pleasure out of inducing fear in her.
    „Funny you should bring up the subject. I’ve been thinking about that little matter myself. I started thinking about it when I watched you give that other guy his walking papers. I’m going south after tonight….“
    „South?“ She poured the coffee with unnatural care.
    „Yeah. Mexico, or maybe farther. Maybe Panama. Somewhere I can enjoy myself and my money without having a lot of people asking nosy questions. Maybe, just maybe, if you’re real nice to me tonight and if you behave yourself while I’m conducting business, I might think about taking you along. Least for a while.“
    Heather almost panicked at the leer in his tone. „And if I don’t want to go with you?“
    „Well, babe, I’m sure you can understand that I’m not in a position to tolerate a lot of witnesses,“ he began calmly. „If you hadn’t gotten rid of that ex-boyfriend, for example, I’d have had to get rid of him myself. Permanently.“
    Heather’s eyes squeezed shut for a fraction of a second in silent relief. The knowledge that Jake was safe steadied her as she sought to deal with her own precarious position.
    „Since you’re in a mood to get rid of people on a permanent basis, I think my own decision is going to be rather simple. I’ll come with you, Rick.“
    „I figured you would.“ His gaze mocked her cruelly as he sipped his coffee. „Just like old times, huh?“
    „Do you really think so?“
    „Well,“ he allowed smoothly, „there will be one major difference. I’ll be the one with the money and I’ll be the one you’ll have to please. That is, if you want to stay alive and healthy.“
    „I’ve always believed in staying alive and healthy,“ Heather said lightly.
    „Then we might get along real well together,“ he declared with nerve-racking satisfaction. „I always kinda wondered how it would have been between you and me. You ever wonder how it would have been if you hadn’t gotten on your high horse that day and told me to get lost?“
    „Sometimes.“ The truth was she’d known at the time that she was lucky to be rid of him, even if it had meant hitchhiking all the way to California on her own.
    Rick strolled toward her, surveying her as though he was examining new property. Insolently he stood in front of her, catching her chin in the fingers of his right hand. „We’ll have a chance to find out now, won’t we?“ His mouth came down on hers.
    Heather cringed beneath the wet pressure of his mouth. Everything that she disliked and feared in the man was in his kiss. Revulsion welled up in her and she was unable to hide it completely.
    Angry at her lack of response, Rick crowded closer. „You can do better than that, babe. Remember you’re going to have to keep me happy if you want to stay alive.“ His lips ground down on hers.
    Instinctively Heather tried to retreat and the movement enraged Monroe. He dragged her back against him, forcing her into an intimate contact that sent more panic through her.
    „No! Rick wait, please.“
    „Shut up, babe. Show me how nice you’re going to be to me. Show me how you’re going to pay your way to Mexico. I always wondered how you’d be in bed. Did you know that? I figured that maybe if a man got control of you instead of being under your thumb he might be able to handle you. I was going to take over once I got my hands on some of your father’s cash. But I never got the chance. This time things’ll be different. This time everything’s going to be on my terms.“
    My terms. The words rang in Heather’s ears. How many times had she said that to Jake? I’m coming back to Tucson on my terms. The marriage was to have been on her terms. The Hacienda Strand was to have been run on her terms. As she listened to Rick Monroe make a similar declaration she realized haw appallingly arrogant she must have sounded to Jake.
    „Rick, please, can’t we talk? It’s been so long and so much has happened.“
    „I might as well tell you that I don’t like chatty females,“ he growled. „Never did. And you