Bluegrass Undercover by Kathleen Brooks Page A

do. No more special testing, which, by the way, the board does not require you to do.”
    “ And in return I get a share of any profits from the sale of your supplement or maybe from gym memberships.”
    Gaylen tossed his head back and laughed. "Aye, you are a funny one. But alas, no, Mr. Davies. It’s much more simple. In exchange, I let that cute little girlfriend of yours live. I always did have a thing for red heads.”
    “ N…” Cade started to say.
    “ And if you say no, I will take everything and everyone that you cherish from you, one by one, starting with that hairy mutt of a dog and ending with your mother, or maybe that hot little sister of yours.”
    Gaylen’s tone had turned deadly. Cade recognized it for what it was. The truth. He would try. He may not succeed, but he believed he would, and sometimes those who overvalue their strengths are the most dangerous because they simply do not understand that they cannot win, so they keep trying. He needed to buy time to see how this would play out.
    “ Can I think about it?”
    Gaylen relaxed and gave his salesman smile. “Of course you can. I’ll give you until Monday morning. Good evening Mr. Davies.”
    With a flick of Gaylen’s wrist to indicate the meeting was over, the steroid triplets grabbed him and pinned his arms back. The remaining man tied the blindfold over his eyes, poorly, again. He contained his sigh at these amateurs only because he knew Gaylen was trying to be intimidating. He didn’t want to fracture his ego. He was a gentleman after all, and he needed to get back to Keeneston as soon as possible so he could find Annie. He had played enough games with her these last weeks, little innuendos and taunts trying to get her flustered and wondering if he really knew who she was. Well, the time for playing was over. He needed her help to protect his team.

Chapter Seven
     
    Annie couldn’t believe it. The bumbling idiots had gotten Cade into the van although he didn’t put up much of a fight. Maybe his military record was forged? He always seemed to need saving. She had tried to follow them, but her damn keys had been eaten by her purse. She had to toss the whole thing on the hood of the car to find them. By that time the van was gone and she stood alone in the large parking lot.
    She’d tossed all her junk back in her purse and headed home. She drove through the church parking lot which was sprinkled with cars for some sort of Bible study or singles dance, or whatever they were scheduled for tonight. There may not be many people in Keeneston, and there may not be that much of a night life, but St. Francis could throw some kicking parties.
    Annie parked next to the small wood cottage house and leapt up the stairs to her front door. Unlocking the door she ran to where her computer still sat on the kitchen table – the only place she could fit it – and booted it up. She may not know where Cade was now, but she could find out where he would be when it was over.
    She typed in his name and found his address. She entered it into the mapping system and stared at a dot in the middle of a field. The system said it couldn’t find the location. Flipping open her phone she dialed the only number she had bothered to learn since moving to Keeneston.
    “ Blossom Café. What can I do for ya'?”
    “ Is this Miss Daisy or Miss Violet?”
    “ This is Miss Violet, dear. What can I do for you, hon?”
    “ This is Annie Hill. I need to know how to get out to Cade’s house.”
    “ Oh, bless your heart, I won! I won! I never win! Daisy Mae I won!”
    Annie had to hold the phone away from her ear as Miss Violet shouted out into the Café.
    “ What do you mean you won? Who is it Violet Fae?” she heard Miss Daisy shout.
    “ It’s Annie. She wants to know how to get to out to Cade’s house! I won the pool! Today was my day!” There was a chorus of groans as the patrons of the Café checked their dates in the pool and even through the phone Annie bet they