Denial (Goblin's Kiss Series Book One) (24 page)

Ames tossed his eyes at both guys,
but not at the pot-bellied snaggle-tooth man behind the counter.
Deliberating his next thought no doubt he leaned in and told me, “I
have one room for you and the other for the three of
us.”

“Don
’
t make me stay in there alone.”
The desperation in my voice was evident.

He analyzed my dewy-eyed look and
turned back to the man, “Two rooms, two beds in each.”

When I let the
breath out that I didn
’
t know I was holding,
Ames
’
shoulders tensed up in unison to my breathing. I squeezed his
shoulder hoping to send a silent thank you, but only earned a
chuckle and a hearty laugh from the two peanut gallery observers
behind me. Pulling my hand and keeping it to myself, I resolved to
punch them both in the stomach with my undying magical ability if
they kept it up. I showed them my intentions with the evil glare I
threw them as we turned to leave with our room keys. The hate-you
eyes didn
’
t work as well as the way I flipped my hand up near their
blanched white faces.

Ames saw none of this.

Surely I couldn’t be the only one
with this power.

Up the stairs
and towards the back of the motel entrance, we were garnished with
a view of a large concrete wall covered with graffiti. A loud
banging sound jolted all four of us to a guarded position as if
someone from the other side of the door might come bounding out.
When nothing came, we all glanced at one another and continued down
the narrow walkway to rooms forty-six and forty-seven. My
assumption was that Ames and I were in one room, Wicker and Trigger
in the other. I didn
’
t want to spend a whole night, or
nights, with Wicker or Trigger for the simple reason that they had
no reason to not turn me in and get whatever other agenda they
might want. I trusted Ames
’
instincts, but the others
didn
’
t just join up in this little gang without a back-up plan.
They were battle ready and I didn
’
t feel like they would save me
from the wolves, or one particular wolf in question, but rather
throw me to that wolf and take the reward.

Just saying.

Ames handed a
key to Wicker and told him to get cleaned up and meet back in an
hour to go eat. I wondered then where all the magical money stemmed
from, but then again, I also questioned why we were all magical to
begin with. Maybe there was a money tree growing somewhere I
didn
’
t know existed either.

Ames twisted the key in the door
and held out a hand for me to enter. Over his shoulder was my one
duffle bag of clothes and toiletries for away from home. I entered
the room instantly taking in the bleachy smell that tickled my
nose, but comforted my heebie-jeebies feeling. It was at least
clean. I would check the sheets before we left the room.

Two double beds sat centered
across the room with a television, fridge, and remote control on a
tiny table between them. The bathroom was directly in front of the
door where we still stood in the doorframe.

Feeling
self-conscious now about forcing the sleeping arrangements, I
didn
’
t want to give Ames the wrong idea about why I chose it. I
forced my feet to move forward and winced when the door clicked
shut. A floor length mirror was positioned parallel to the door
right outside the bathroom. My eyes went to the reflection just as
his did. We stood stark still just staring it seemed for minutes
but probably only amounted to seconds.

“Thank you for
not making me stay by myself. I don
’
t think I could sleep knowing it
could take any of you (mainly you) more than minutes to get in here
if the wrong sorts showed up again.”

“I
understand,
” his thumb brushed the back of
my hand in swirling motion. Where I was tense before, his touch
calmed me. He didn
’
t appear to have anything else to
add to his very short answered reply so I tensed right back up when
his hand went in his pocket.

That
’
s all he was going to
say?

“I
’
m going to take a shower if that
’
s okay with you?” I
asked.

He nodded and I
saw his Adam
’
s apple bob. He reached out with
my bag without stepping towards me and I took it disappearing in
the bathroom before this could get any more
awkward.

He was sitting
on the bed facing away to the only window and door when I came out.
The hairdryer was in the tiny alcove right outside the bathroom,
and so was the mirror. He didn
’
t look up when I emerged in my
fresh pair of jeans and tee. I was thankful I had one more clean
change of clothes. I vowed to ask him if we could stop off at a
local cleaner on the way back from midday lunch/dinner that I
prayed was something other than junk food.

I looked him
over sitting there and realized he didn
’
t have any clean clothes
himself. When my eyes returned to his face that was turned my way
now, he was staring at me. Gah! He caught me surveying him. I had
to rectify the situation.

“I just noticed
you don
’
t have a change of clothes,” I pressed my bag to my chest and
held it there.

“We will stop off and grab
something for me later.”
Yep! They must have a money tree source of some kind.

I dried my hair
and slapped on some mascara and lip gloss. Long hair
didn
’
t air dry as fast as short. I
’
d learned that lesson when I cut
my hair all off a few years back and now had it all back. And then
some.

Ready, I
didn
’
t know what to do with myself. So I sat on the bed across
from him and waited while he texted and heard it beep for a third
time in less than a minute.

“Let
’
s go,” he stood and walked to the
door.

We were joined by the other two
and piled into the Jeep heading to food. Oh precious food. I was
starving! Even sushi sounded halfway decent the way my stomach
grumbled.

After all of us had been well fed,
we were all in a better mood. Back in the Jeep, I refused to turn
the key until our next move was decided and all said without other
ears listening.

“For now, we all
agree that we will not return to Joshlin
’
s area unless last resort.
We will head to my cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountain and gather a
few things to remain safe.”

“So we are just going to hide out?
Forever?” Emma asked expectedly playing with the dials on the dash.
I think she was adjusting the air.

Well, yeah! “Do
you have another alternative?” I snipped without meaning to.
It
’
s
just I didn
’
t know what else to do to keep
her safe except out of the clutches of Joshlin.

Emma
’
s stone-faced look told me she
hadn
’
t thought that far ahead, but she thought I had a better
plan. Well, she was sadly mistaken. But I wasn
’
t dumb and I knew
Joshlin
’
s every move.

“I know what he will do next. I
know where he will look. I expect them to find us in the city, but
I made sure we are protected at the motel. I placed a haze over the
rooms.”

“You
’
re like a witch or something
now?” Her hands went in the air and the two morons in the backseat
were laughing under their breath. She was so sarcastic. It made me
angry and want her more all in one. And that sounded crazier than
anything.

“I am capable of many things.” But
that is not one of them.
“Oh, that was a blanket answer, Mr. Suave. What else can you do
Ames Cahn?” she scoffed all girl-like switching the air even cooler
now.

Sure enough, the
backseat snickered and mumbled way too inappropriate a conversation
for her to hear. I was glad she couldn
’
t understand them at
all.

“So what is your plan,
Ames?”

The way she used my name...”As I
said earlier. Once I get word that Joshlin is off our trail, we can
loosen our strings.”

“And how do you
know he
’
ll lose us?
”

Verdangit! She
wouldn
’
t give!
“He will not
look for us in the cabin.”

“How are you so
sure?” She didn
’
t have to know where it led and
who guarded it. That secret was safe with me and would keep her
undoubtedly safe as well.

She huffed at my dismissal and
stared out the window away from me. Anywhere but me. Some part of
me wanted her attention back my way, but another part was glad the
interrogation was over.

“Are you planning to turn me in to
an icebox action figure, babe?”

“Don
’
t call me babe and I
wouldn
’
t do anything
to
you, Trigger.” She turned the knob to even colder to peeve
him off.

“Don
’
t knock it till you tried
it.”

“In your dreams,” she blew air
into the roof.

“Already there.”
Trigger didn
’
t know when to let up. So when
her hands sparked and the flash of my hands moved from the wheel to
her thigh, she didn
’
t flinch or protest. Her body
didn
’
t relax though. I slid my hands up her side to the nook of
her elbow and pressed my thumbs in. Immediately, her rigid frame
fell back against the seat. The back seat didn
’
t once know a moment
of what passed in the front, but she did. I did.

“I think
we
’
ve established she doesn
’
t care for you, Trigger. Let it
rest.”

“You got it boss.”

After ignoring
his last word
and
laugh, we parked at our next destination.

We dropped by
the department store and bought a set of spare clothes for all
three guys and a new red t-shirt for her that she kept eyeing. I
tricked her into picking it up and showing me what it said just so
I could be sure it was her size. I didn
’
t have to. The sales lady
beat me to it saying it was would be perfect on her and that red
was her color. The shirt had a saying on it that read, “Sass is
Class!” Yes, that was her alright.

The cleaners was next. I had a
time keeping the two clowns from wanting to take turns holding her
undergarments when she went to the restroom. They were getting more
annoying by the minute.

The night went by alerting me to
her every little sound as she slept, but at least she slept. When
the morning came, I faked sleep to let her get ready in peace. When
I made my exit out of the bed, she smiled hugely and asked if I
needed the bathroom out of courtesy or to just have a reason to say
something since I was looking at her.

Clean and ready to go, I stepped
too close to her trying to get by the tiny space between her bed
and the desk I sat at most of last night. My boat-sized shoe landed
on her toes and I reached out only to steady her, but ended up
feeling her hands land across my chest. The fire that ignited
reminded me of what her touch did even that first day and both
times as a defense move to save her from broken toe bones. I just
met this girl days ago. How could she have such a hold on me
already?

“Sorry. I uh...”
am the lamest man alive. Heck if I didn
’
t lose my tongue around this
girl and look like a total fool.

“Sorry,” she blushed looking up at
me. Bad, HUGE mistake.

My body leaned
in on its own accord. It
’
s a male thing. I
couldn
’
t help it. But I stopped myself in time. A
breath
’
s length from her lips, I closed my eyes and backed
away.

“Let
’
s go.”