Free A Destined Death by Lisa Rayns Page B

become the person I was, the woman I was.
    I’d called a real estate agent six months ago and made my specifications: a rural property with the most square footage for the least amount of money anywhere in the United States as long as it had a good foundation and working utilities. Somewhere without earthquakes, I added as an afterthought. The agent came up with a small acreage in South Dakota, and I grabbed it faster than my car could make a mile.
    My dream had finally become reality, and now I was on my way to the middle of nowhere––happily. At the memory of Draven, I modified my thoughts––almost happily.
    The first of June proved South Dakota was a beautiful state. Water ran in the creeks and streams that lay buried deep in the mountain valleys. Trees went on forever, creating beautiful emerald canopies that rose high over the carpeted green floor of grasslands. The winding roads offered her a spectacular view of the rich valleys below and hidden paradises that would have pleased any of the great naturalist authors.
    Portland was a distant memory, and soon I would be standing in my new, paid-for home on the edge of the world, or the edge of eastern South Dakota anyway. In one short month, I’d become a homeowner, and in less than six hours I’d finally be home––my home. I’d finally be ready to begin my new life as a New York Times bestselling author.
    “A little romp out of the way to take in Deadwood, check. Sturgis, check.” I glanced over at the dead President’s faces, all smiling in welcome. “Mount Rushmore, check.”
    Hitting the gas, I raced toward Wall to refuel and grab duplicates of each postcard. I didn’t have the time to stop for pictures if I wanted to make the desert before sunset. The Badlands held a particular interest for me since I’d first read about them in the travel guide. Exiled in the center of a land rich with the lush green colors of growth and life, the brown rock formations that seemed to go on forever were barren, out of place, like I’d felt most of my life.
    Pulling off the interstate, I found an empty lookout point that offered a fascinating view of the rocks, plunging upward out of the dry, eroded ground. The setting sun cast a beautiful, red glow on the ridges when I held the camera away and snapped several pictures of myself against the landscape. And then suddenly, I felt very alone.
    I had the social skills to fit in anywhere. Years of waitressing had taught me how to please people, how to tell them what they wanted to hear, but I was never interested in fitting in with my peers. Even Brenda, who’d I’d spent most of my time with, was kept at a distance, away from my heart and real feelings.
    But that wasn’t what bothered me. It was the not dating that bothered me and the fact that Draven hadn’t shown up again to give me another shot at our failed date. I was twenty now, two years older, but the loss of missing out on my first date and my first kiss left an empty hole in my heart.
    I got back into my car and sat there until long after the sun went down, letting my lonely feelings fill to the brim and then slowly release themselves through tears. I regretted not waiting for him, and I found myself crushed by the feeling of loss that came with the probability that I’d never see him again. I should have waited.
    When my body tingled and my heart fluttered, I wiped my tears and looked around in the darkness. The large, bright moon was already making its way up into the heavens, but I saw nothing else. I shook my head, feeling foolish. How long have I been sitting here?
    Reaching for the ignition, I turned the key. Nothing happened.
    “Crap! Not good timing, Hecate.”
    Popping the hood, I reached into the glove box for a flashlight. I then sighed, remembering I’d moved it to the trunk which was now jam-packed with all of my belongings. I got out and lifted the hood anyway. To my surprise, a light came on and illuminated the engine. No fluids sprayed out,