“Kaiden, what the fuck? How did you get over one million dollars?”
“Working for Ryder, doing odd jobs on the side... taking the fall for him. He wasn’t happy about that last one and I knew he’d try something eventually. Then I invested it in some other projects a guy I know out of state was involved in, before taking everything out and putting it in your name, Princess.”
I don’t know what he expected my reaction to be, but I’m dizzy and disoriented, and have to blink to clear my eyes.
“You’ll have to be careful with what you do with it, I mean… no matter how this all goes down, it’s still suspicious money. You gotta be smart. But hey, I know I can count on you to be smart. Always could,” he says, smiling just a little at memories past, even as he sits there in such obvious pain.
He’d taken down all those thugs, nearly killed Ryder too, though once that was done, it was as if I watched the steam come out of him. He had deflated before my eyes, and staggered, nearly falling over before I could get to him and help him into my car.
I’m in shock, and I nearly miss a familiar sight. It’s a little motel, recessed into the trees, but the neon lights are still on. I remember the name vaguely, and I point to it as I start slowing down.
“Kaiden, I remember this place. When the house was being fumigated that time, we stayed here a few nights, remember?”
Kaiden looks where I point, his thick, strong neck no longer supporting his head so sturdily thanks to the beating.
“Of course I do,” he rasps to me, so damn tired and weary. “Mom and dad left us to our own devices most of the time there, and we broke into the manager’s office. Found all those porn mags and liquor stashed in his desk,” he remarks with a dry, brief laugh. “We could be such little shits. But hey, we never got caught. And that’s what really matters,” he adds jokingly.
I laugh, biting down on my lower lip as I pull in, parking the car out of sight of the road. I’d completely forgotten that. He had a habit of bringing out the rebel in me, making me want to misbehave.
He still does.
I open my door and come around to his side, leaning in the open window.
“Stay here ‘til I get us a room, no need to draw more attention to ourselves than needed.” Of course, with my torn tank top and dirty mini skirt, that’s going to be easier said than done anyways.
He looks me over, and even in his wounded, pain-racked state, he manages to crook a brow and look interested. “Dressed like that, Princess… I don’t think you can avoid drawing at least half the world’s attention. But you’re right I guess. Best we leave it at just half if we can help it,” he prods me back, reaching out and pinching my side through the tear in my top.
A week ago—hell, a day ago—I would’ve flipped at him. Let my fear of falling for him make me push him away again.
But I’m too exhausted, and he looks too good for me to keep it up. Maybe it’s just that I’m running on instinct, that adrenaline is still pumping through me, that I nearly died, but I just don’t care anymore about pushing my emotions down.
I bite down on my lower lip, tugging it into my mouth as I stare at him, my heart skipping a beat before I take a step backward. Quickly I turn to make my way to the front desk, but the entire time, my mind is stuck on him.
I look around, and even in the darkness, I can see how little the motel has changed. It’s aged a bit over the years, but it’s quiet and surrounded by trees and privacy. I make my way into the office, ringing the little bell before trying to fix my hair in the reflection of the window.
“You need a room?” comes a bored voice, and suddenly I’m reminded of the last motel I was at and what a mess that became.
I turn and smile at the young man, and nod.
“Okay, we have a double bed available just next door,” he says, taking the key off the hook board and I pause.
“What about two singles?”
My heart is instantly racing, and my stomach lurches though I don’t know if it’s out of fear or excitement.
He shakes his head.
“Just the one double. There’s a school group in,” he replies, and my heart beats faster, my body feeling suddenly warm.
“So it’s just the one room, nothing else?”
“Right. You want it?”
I head back to the car, keys clutched in my hand.
Kaiden looks like he’s passed out, and I rush over to him. But before I can even reach out and shake his shoulder, his eyes open and he looks to me.
“Don’t tell me we’re sleepin’ in the car. As I recall, that didn’t work out so well for you last time,” he remarks with a wry smile. He sees me dangling the keys and pushes the door open to get out.