Little Doll (24 page)

Chapter Thirty

Aiden

The muffled sob
s coming from the back seat only added to the rage consuming me. I knew crossing the border would potentially raise some issues, but it was a risk we had to take to get out of Mexico. It didn’t change the fact that I had once again put her in a situation where she was disadvantaged and at the same time taken advantage of. No wonder she hated me.

“
How much money do we have left?” Jorge spoke for the first time since the ordeal.

“Check the glo
ve compartment. There should be enough to maintain us in San Diego before Laila–” I cut myself off when I saw her flinch at my words.

“It’s not mu
ch,” Jorge announced.

“It’s enough,”
I reassured him. “We won’t be staying long.”

S
aying the last part quietly had failed, Laila still heard and her bottom lip trembled uncontrollably. Tact had never been my strong suit, but the last forty eight hours had turned me into a real callous asshole.

The rest of the trip only took another hour once we crossed the border. I willed time to stop flying past so quickly as
it meant my time with Laila was drawing to a close and I would lose her forever. It seemed ridiculous to even think such a thing since she was never mine to lose in the first place.

City lights soon came into
view, but they did nothing to lighten the mood in the car. I drove through the streets wondering what gauntlet lay ahead if we were to be successful in dodging Hector’s minions this side of the border. He had men spread over the country like millions of fucking ants. The power of money and promise of material possession tended to lure people into a life of crime.

Pulling into a side
alley next to the hotel we would be staying in, I ensured the car was in shadow. Jorge busied himself with gathering our bags from the trunk while I opened the door for Laila. She looked up at me from the back seat and I once again felt a strange form of emotion. Somehow this damn girl had claimed a part of me. And in all honesty, a large part of me didn’t want to walk away.

Laila
tentatively took my out-stretched hand and I guided her to the front of the dingy hotel. She stopped dead in her tracks, a look of confusion playing on her face.

“Why are we here?
” She asked, instantly recognizing the dirty stucco building.  

“Because it will be the last place Juan will think to look at
to find you. Nobody goes back to the same place they were abducted from.” I explained.

I knew my theory was
possibly flawed and I was taking a gamble, but it was worth a shot. With limited money and few allies on this side of the border, our options were limited.

I watched
Laila carefully as her eyes drifted off somewhere dark, as if she was recalling the entire nightmare from the last month. Gently pulling her hand, I awoke her from her thoughts and together we walked through the doors of the shit hole. Why she had even chosen to stay here to begin with defied me.

The fat and
particularly ugly lady behind the counter eyed the three of us suspiciously. Granted, two men, one woman, looking for a single room would look a bit seedy, but I didn’t have time for her nonsense. I threw some notes on the counter and she gave me a key after a few disgruntled words in exchange. The nosy bitch’s relentless attempts to look at Laila behind me was seriously grating on my nerves. Clearly the night’s events had not helped my temper.

“Is there a problem? Because if ther
e is we will go somewhere else,” I inquired, moving to retrieve the cash on the counter.

The woman
slammed her chubby hand on the notes and slid them possessively toward her.

“No problem,”
she said, averting her eyes from mine.

The three of us made our move up three flights of stairs before entering the
tiny, dimly lit room. The furniture was basic and needed serious upgrading. The small space smelled musty and I guessed it was due to the random patches of mold growing on the ancient wallpaper.

There was very limited floor space and a small double bed
dominating the room. No wonder the woman downstairs eyed us the way she did. Jorge made his makeshift bed on the ground using his rucksack and minus a blanket. It was late at night and we were all tired and weary from looking over our shoulders. It was decided I would keep watch while Jorge rested for later and Laila gained some strength from a good sleep. She would need it for the next day.

Chapter
Thirty- One

Laila

La Sans Inn
was even more rank and disgusting than the last time I remembered being here, probably because I only spent less than an hour in the room. The look the woman downstairs gave me set my nerves on edge even though Aiden had done his best to shield me from her curious gaze. Perhaps she recognized my face from a month ago and wondered if I were back to complete my stay.

Aiden had retreated within himself
, remaining relatively quiet as we meandered awkwardly around the small space. Given the lack of room, the men had graciously insisted I have the bed to myself to rest before the events of tomorrow. If I wasn’t mistaken, I was sure I could see a deep set sadness in Aiden’s eyes when he smiled at me as I drifted off to sleep. He sat opposite the bed in an armchair watching me as my eyes begged to be closed. I hated knowing that when I awoke my world would once again change and in my new life I would have no control over it.

***

The knock on the door came in the early morning. The bed jostled and rocked next to me only seconds after. I turned my head slightly and saw through sleepy eyes Aiden had yet again in the last twenty-four hours made himself at home next to me on the bed. I didn’t have time to voice my disapproval because he shot up from the mattress quicker than I could blink.

Aiden
looked from the door to me with a clenched jaw. “Go lie down in the bath tub and don’t come out until I say so,” he instructed quietly.

“The bath tub?” I
asked, confused.

His face clouded with impatience. “
It will shield you. Now go!”

I watched for a few seconds as Aiden and Jorge were quick to retrieve their guns and position themselves either side of the door. They silently hand signaled to each other various movements I couldn’t interpret.

Aiden turned to me.
“Go,” he mouthed and I disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Crawling into the
grimy bath, I struggled to contain my body’s involuntary shaking. Aiden had looked alarmed at the unexpected knock at the door, which did nothing to settle the nerves. No matter which way I looked at it, whoever was at the door was not a friend of mine. Hector and Juan could have tracked us down or even sent their henchmen to take care of their dirty work. If it wasn’t them, it would be my buyer ready to take me away to live a life of sexual depravity whilst Aiden reaped all the rewards. Either way, my life was fucked.

The knock came harder this
time, but the men within the room kept quiet as they waited. A muffled voice from the other side broke the silence and I could hear a mix of sighs and muttered curses from Aiden and Jorge before the door opened.

“You’re early.”
Aiden said, his disapproval clear.

“
Who gives a fuck?”

“I do, asshole. We had a plan!”

“Where is she?”

Listening to the conversation taking place m
y brain was sent into a spin. I knew that voice and I fought a sudden urge to be sick.

That voice belonged to a ghost.

Ethan!

###

Crimson Desert (Bittersweet Duet, Book Two)

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Acknowledgements

I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful friends and family who have shown me an incredible amount of support and encouragement throughout this journey. For that I am truly thankful.

There are however some who have been my backbone during this hair brained operation. My two besties who just happen to share the same name. Thank you Angela # 1 (you know who you are) for your gentle calmness and unwavering belief that I could do anything (not literally ‘anything’, but that’s how you made me feel. To Angela # 2 (you know who you are) I will never forget your “they can go fuck themselves if they have a problem” attitude. You have given me the strength to venture forward with a smile on my dial.

To Greg, for being an encouraging force and for kindly being the first person to look through my work without a moment’s hesitation.

Thank you to my gorgeous husband who has been neglected, ignored and always supportive of my venture no matter how much of my time it has taken up.

And last, but definitely not least, my beautiful mother. You are no longer with us, but your influence and inspiration never runs short.