Chapter One

Raylen drove south on Interstate 5 heading toward Los Angeles. She was returning from her visit to San Francisco where she had spent a week with her parents. The top to her 2002 Corvette was down and the wind was wiping through her hair. A smile was spread across her lips. She loved driving on the interstate. The high speed and potentially dangerous situations gave her a rise. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as her small car passed by an eighteen-wheeler. The road was filled with cars full of families heading back home after a long day at the beach, eighteen-wheelers trying to get to their destinations, and teens just out joy riding. An F-150 full of teenage boys sped past her. Raylen rolled her eyes at the boys' attempt to get attention.

"Idiots," she mumbled, speeding up.

With ease, she sped past the truck. She made sure to wave before leaving them to stare at the back of her beauty.

Raylen sighed as she saw a sign that stated 112 miles to Los Angeles. As she passed the exit to Bakersfield, CA she turned on the radio. The sound of the wind rushing past her was starting to drive her crazy. She needed something to sing to.

She turned the radio to a random station and smiled. "I Miss You" by blink-182 was playing. Raylen bobbed her head slightly as she pressed the accelerator.

Hello there, the angel from my nightmare
The shadow in the background of the moor
The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley
We can live like Jack and Sally if we want
Where you can always find me
And we'll have Halloween on Christmas
And in the night we'll wish this never ends
We'll wish this never ends

Miss you
Miss you

Where are you?
And I'm so sorry
I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight
I need somebody and always
This sick, strange darkness comes creeping on
So haunting every time
And as I stare I counted
Webs from all the spiders
Catching things and eating their insides
Like indecision to call you
And hear your voice of treason
Will you come home and stop this pain tonight?
Stop this pain tonight

Don't waste your time on me
You're already the voice inside my head
(Miss you, miss you)
Don't waste your time on me
You're already the voice inside my...

"Watch it, ass hole," Raylen screamed as a yellow Nissan Skyline cut her off. She glanced over at the Explorer next to her and saw a little girl staring at her with wide eyes. No doubt, she had heard her foul language. Raylen blushed and sped up. She could still feel the little girl's eyes on her.

She allowed herself to laugh once she was away from the Explorer. However, her laughter didn't last long. The Skyline came into her line of sight and her blood pressure rose dramatically.

"Ass hole," she mumbled pressing the accelerator down.

Traffic was beginning to become denser, but she managed to keep the car in her sight. The Skyline was a couple of cars in front of her and she was going to pass it and make sure the guy knew that she was pissed off.

"You're road rage is going to get you one of these days," her mother had warned her in the past. Raylen merely blew if off. She didn't have road rage, she just got pissed off when people didn't know how to drive.

The Skyline was one car in front of her. Raylen checked the lane to the left on her and passed over into it. She managed to pull up to next to the Skyline. She glanced over at the driver and her breath caught in her throat. All thinking ceased. The only thought she had was, 'woah.' The honking of cars brought her mental capabilities back to her. Raylen then remembered what the driver had done and glared at him. There was a curious look on him face. She turned her blinker on and cut in front of the Skyline, cutting him off just as he had done to her. A glance at the rear view mirror revealed that the driver was laughing.

'He thinks it's a game,' she thought, bewildered.

Raylen shook her head and looked at her gas gage. She had a little over a quarter of a tank. The exit to Arvin was coming up, so Raylen switched lanes. To her surprise so did the Skyline.

'He's not following you,' she told herself, sternly.

However, she wouldn't mind if he did. He was definitely a sexy beast. His emerald eyes had drawn her attention. The toothpick that hung loosely from his mouth strangely made him even more attractive. Raylen shook her head and took the exit to Arvin. A small smile flew onto her lips when she saw that he too had taken the exit.

She pulled into an Exxon and parked her car at the pump. The Skyline pulled into the pup behind her. Raylen smiled as she slid her credit car through the 'pay at the pump' thing.

"Nice car," she heard the man call out.

Raylen slipped her card it her back pocket and began to fill her gas tank up.

"Thanks," she replied.

"We seem to like the same color," he said, referring to the fact that both of their cars were yellow.

Raylen smiled. "That or you copied me."

The man leaned against the back of her car and this action allowed Raylen to get a good look at him. He was over six feet tall and had the most gorgeous body she had ever seen. It took all over her self-control to remain impassive. He had on jeans that fit him very well and a blue jersey. A toothpick was trapped between his lips. Raylen yearned to take the toothpick from him and put it in her mouth. She clenched her jaw and turned the pump.

"So where ya headed?" he asked.

His voice sent chills down her spine. She had never had a reaction like this to a man.

"LA," she said before her brain had a chance to stop her.

'Hello!' her mind screamed. 'Possible stalker/psycho-path here and you're giving him information about yourself. What is wrong with you?!'

A small blush arose in her cheeks and she looked down at her red flip-flops. She was wearing a short suede mini-skirt on with a sleeveless shirt that had a cherry on it. Her long brown hair was pulled into a messy bun that sat atop of her head. The only jewelry she wore was her mother's engagement ring on her right ring finger.

"You?" she asked.

"LA."

Raylen nodded. 'Kind of creepy.'

He wasn't creepy, exactly. It was his actions that were creepy. Raylen pulled the nozzle out of her car once the gas tank was filled up.

"So, uh... why'd you cut me off earlier?" he asked with a smile across his face.

Raylen cocked her hip and placed her hand on the top of her car.

"Cut you off? You cut me off first," she said with a little anger seeping into her voice.

"I did what?" he said with a look that said 'I don't believe you.'

"Oh don't play dumb with me. You went flying past me in the left lane and cut me off as you passed into the lane I was in."

"I don't remember doing that," he stated.

Raylen rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said as she turned to get into her car.

The man cut her by the arm and turned her around.

"The name is Leon."

Raylen looked at his out, which was outstretched.

"That's nice," she said looking at his hand.

Oh how she wanted to feel his hands on her hips. The thought of him touching her made her temperature rise by several degrees.

Leon raised an eyebrow as Raylen got her in her car and pulled off. He ran to his and fired it up. Within seconds he was right behind her. He was going to find out her name one way or another.