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since they weren’t causing any real trouble. Two of the members always
     seem to be walking down Main Street, although neither one of them ever enter any of
     the shops.” Charlotte waited to say anything else until she was sitting in his truck
     and his hand was still on the door, looking down the road. She twisted around and
     saw a dark figure standing on the corner. It was the first that she’d seen a follower
     this deep into the neighborhoods and a chill ran through her. “Neal?”
    “Were they by the bookstore at all?”
    “I see them outside the window every now and then, but it’s not like they come inside.”
     Charlotte was starting to rethink her opinion about the original intention of why
     the members were walking through town. What did they want? “I think we should go now.”
    “Stay inside and lock the door,” Neal instructed in a deadpan voice as he tossed her
     the truck keys. He reached behind her seat and within a few seconds pulled out a pistol
     in a leather clip-on holster, which he fastened onto his belt in less time than it
     took for him to retrieve the gun. She knew that her lips were parted in astonishment,
     but she couldn’t get them to close. What did he think he was going to do? “If you
     hear any shots, call the sheriff.”
    And with those final words Neal slammed the door shut. When he didn’t move right away,
     but instead stood there looking at her through the window, it dawned on her he was
     waiting for the sound of the locks catching. Charlotte fumbled with the set of keys
     while trying to find the right button. Finally locating it, she pressed and winced
     as the activation sound echoed throughout the cab. When she looked back through the
     window Neal was gone.
    Charlotte quickly turned in her seat and saw that he was heading in the direction
     of where the dark figure had been…but who was there no longer. She didn’t like that
     Neal was outside by himself with no back up. She’d seen enough crime drama television
     shows to know what happened in situations like these. She didn’t want to place herself
     in danger, but she also didn’t want Neal to get snuck up on from behind. Ignoring
     her racing heart, the perspiration underneath her sweater, and the fact that her stomach
     felt like she’d just been plunged down a ninety-foot drop, her hand settled over the
     handle.

Chapter Five
    ‡
    N eal made sure he kept to the far side of the road where the street lamps wouldn’t make him so visible.
     When he’d caught sight of the figure standing on the corner, he knew immediately from
     the dark clothing that the person was a member of Ashes to Dirt. Had he or she been
     sent to Charlotte’s house due to the fact that Neal had made it known he was here
     to see Mandy? Whatever the reason, this dawdling shit the cult was doing was about
     to come to an end.
    By the time Neal had walked past three houses he’d accepted the fact that he wasn’t
     going to find out who had been watching them or the reason why. The moment he’d told
     Charlotte to lock herself in the truck the person had slid into the shadows. Son of
     a bitch. He strained to hear anything other than the music blaring from the stadium,
     but not even the crickets were making a sound. He turned around to head back to Charlotte
     when he saw the dome light in his cab light up, indicating that she’d opened the door.
     Red-hot anger tore through him and he quickly made his way back.
    “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Neal asked harshly, knowing by the way
     Charlotte had jumped that she hadn’t expected him to return so fast. She was already
     standing on the road, her brows in a V at the fact that he’d taken her by surprise.
     That was just tough shit. “I told you to stay in the truck. That was for your safety.
     You—”
    “Don’t yell at me like you own me, damn it.” Charlotte placed her hands on her hips
     as if she had a right to be mad at him. Neal couldn’t tell if