Trust Me

Chapter 11

With the new unspoken truth between them, Vince let up and agreed to take Ranalla outside. He watched her face for any signs of deception as she asked for this privilege. Satisfied with what he saw, he agreed to it.

The warm sunshine felt so good on Ranalla's skin. She had only been locked up for one day, but it felt like years. When denied something, the body craves it more than anything.

Stepping out on the small back porch, Ranalla felt liberated. Still in essence a prisoner, it felt good to be outside the four walls. Vince stayed close as she walked from the house. It was slow going, but she thoroughly enjoyed the scents and sounds around her.

A slight breeze danced over her bare arms. She shivered slightly at the coolness of it, and chill bumps rose up on her skin until she stepped further into the sunlight and felt the warmth of the sun. Birds were twittering in the air. She could see hints of spring courting in the air as a blue bird flew past her with another one not far behind. A movement out of the corner of her eye brought a small rabbit into view. She smiled as it froze and watched them intently. Once it decided they were safe, it resumed munching the fresh grass growth.

Looking around, she noticed that the cabin was deep in the woods as she had suspected. Trees were thick and getting thicker with the spring growth. The cabin sat in a small clearing and was the only place she saw the sun able to penetrate to the ground completely.

She raised her face up to the sun's rays and drank in the warmth. Opening her eyes, she saw Vince leaning against a tree watching her. Instead of the eyes of a kidnapper, he was watching her with a much more intimate look. Her heart skipped a beat.

After his announcement of a hit on her, Ranalla had a lot of thinking to do. She used the excuse of having to use the bathroom to get some time alone to think. He was her kidnapper, but now it was conceivable he was there to protect her. After all, she was the daughter of the shipping tycoon that did more than just shipping. Many people feared and hated her father. There had been several attempts on her life before, but that happened when she was much younger. It stopped as she got older and the protection detail became tougher. It also stopped when it became apparent that her father was not one that would pay anything for his daughter. Once she became a teenager, he did not hide from the world the fact he could not stand the sight of his only child.

But that didn't stop it completely. She had heard of botched attempts to kidnap her for ransom. Usually she dismissed them as just rumors, but now she had a different perspective on them. It made sense having Vince as saving her, but his methodology was a little strange. Then again, she would never have gone with him willingly.

Once she had accepted him as a protector instead of a kidnapper, she felt a complete change between them. She had ignored the electricity she felt before with him as the bad guy. Now she didn't try to push those feelings away quite as hard. He wasn't such a bad guy after all.

Ranalla didn't want to leave the sun. The warmth felt good as did the fresh air. Lowering herself to the ground, she sat cross-legged and played with the grass between her fingers. It felt nice as she ran her fingers over the new sprouts. She sensed his presence before she saw his shadow. Without looking up at him, she said, "Thank you."

Vince lowered himself down beside her with one knee up to rest his arm on. "You're welcome." He plucked a blade of grass and toyed with it. "I don't want you to have to feel like a prisoner."

She looked at him. "But I still am, right?"

"I'm only trying to protect you." He sounded sincere. She wanted to believe him; she needed to believe him.

Ranalla looked at him. "I think I realize that." She let out a short laugh. "I was thinking of the last time anyone tried to protect me. I can't remember it ever happening after Mother died."