Allyson Lindt - Drive Me Wild (Ridden Hard, #4)

Drive Me Wild

Allyson Lindt

Ridden Hard Book 4

This book is a work of fiction.

W hile reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2018 by Allyson Lindt

Cover by Hell Yes Design Studio

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Acelette Press

For my eternal dragon...

...and Shannon, Elizabeth, and David, and each and every one of my readers who showed me this book was a good idea.

CHAPTER ONE

G inny inserted her debit card into the chip reader a second time. She glared at the display. Go ahead. Deny me again, bitch.

Im sorry, miss, it says your card is declined. The cashier didnt sound sorry.

A heavy sigh came from someplace in the line behind Ginny. She glanced back at the people waiting their turn. Some more patiently than others. She flashed a thin-lipped smile at the girl behind the register. Cancel the transaction. I need to call my bank.

Ginny didnt feel nearly as cool and collected as she sounded. Her entire savings was in her checking account. Thousands of dollars. She should have no problem buying a can of Pringles and a Diet Coke.

She dialed her cellphone as she strolled away from the register. The air conditioning didnt cool the heat of frustration and impending anger rising under her skin.

The voice of the automated system came on the line. Ginny listened as it listed her recent transactions, her gut revolting more with each dollar amount. None of those were her charges.

The instant the system gave her a chance, she opted to speak to a live person. She leaned against a nearby wall. Please dont be sick. Keep your cool until you have answers. Screaming at people never solved anything .

She winced each time the phone rang in her ear. A recording told her there was a short hold time, and someone would be with her shortly.

Fuck . She clenched her jaw.

Shed graduated from med school just a few months ago. Finally, after nearly half a lifetime of college, she had her PhD. She was heading to California to start her psychology residency. She hoped to get a little experience over the next year to put her in the right specialtyworking with victims of sexual abuse.

Ginny was getting away from this place. Away from anybody who knew shed stripped to put herself through school. She didnt have a problem with the jobit was fun and it paid wellbut the stigma that came with the work wouldnt help her career.

Im sorry for the wait, how may I help you? A pleasant voice greeted her.

Ginny grasped her thoughts. Im having some issues with my account. I believe my card has been stolen.

I can help you with that. Whats your account number?

She wanted to scream at the woman for being so calm in the midst of a crisis like this. Instead, Ginny gave her the appropriate information. First for her account, then for the various purchases.

Im sorry this happened, the teller said sweetly. Ive canceled your card.

And reversed the charges?

The woman tsked . That takes a little longer. Youll need to fill out the appropriate paperwork and wait for it to be processed

I dont have time for that. Ginny snapped off the words. Several people in the store glared in her direction. She swallowed her frustration. I didnt mean to yell. I need to know how to do this more quickly. Im leaving town tomorrow.

Im sorry. Theres nothing else I can do. You need to complete a Dispute Charges form.

Ginny clenched her jaw and breathed through her nose, grateful the teller couldnt see her growing anger. Can you tell me why so many charges were allowed to begin with? Arent those supposed to trigger a flag? If the system broke, maybe that was loophole for Ginny.

It looks like your account has been flagged. Theres a note that says youre planning to travel. The flags are different in that case.

Fuck . Ginny stamped her foot. The shout and mini-tantrum earned her another round of stares from other shoppers.

Miss, if you cant watch your language, Im going to end the call.

She scrubbed her face, and stared up at the ceiling. Please dont hang up. Is there anything I can do to expedite the dispute process? Anyone I can talk to? Im happy to pay a fee, if thats what it takes.

There are no options like that. I can add another note to your account, asking them to push things through faster, but there are no guarantees.

I see. Tell me how to file the dispute.

Ginny made a note of the information. She needed her laptop, and it was home, packed up with the rest of her belongings. Shed sold her beater car, knowing it wouldnt make the drive from Atlanta to San Francisco. That money had been in her bank account too.

The grocery store was only a mile or so from her house. She thought the walk down here would be relaxing. The time it took her to get home on foot would feel like an eternity.

To help pass the time, she called the movers and make sure they were still on track to pick up her things tomorrow. Shed paid a little extra to ride with them. It was cheaper than flying or taking a train.

Were sorry, but this number has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service . The recorded message mocked her.

Her rage rose another notch. She checked her phone to make sure shed pulled up the right number, and dialed again.

Same message.

She was going to be ill. There were other numbers though. One of the movers had called her a few days ago to verify some information. She looked at her phones history and dialed.

Were sorry, but this number

She hung up. The time it took her to walk the rest of the way to her apartment seemed like an eternity, but she was home less than ten minutes later.

She unpacked her laptop and went to the movers website. The numbers there were the same as on her phone. She searched for their name, and several results came back, all dated within the last few days, for people who had contracted them and couldnt reach them now.

Ginnys stomach churned as she read through a series of forum posts on a complaint site.

I woke up to a drained bank account.

They took my deposit and vanished.

I filed a police report. The cops told me I wasnt the first, and Id be lucky to get my deposit back.

It might have been nice if this movers history of scams appeared in searches two weeks ago, when she looked them up. Were the references they gave her staged too? She wouldnt be surprised.

Ginny wouldnt panic.

Correctionshe was already panicking, but she could bring it under control.

What were her priorities?

Finding a way to get to San Francisco before her residency started.

Making sure she didnt lose her belongings in the process.

When she broke things down that way, the to-do list wasnt so daunting. She didnt have solutions, but naming her next steps was better than The sky is falling and Im going to die .