AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Let's save the flirting for when we're not being shot at, okay?" Kylo's lips quirked up momentarily.
"Right, because nothing turns a girl on like being shot at," I rolled my eyes and prayed to any god that would listen that the blush in my cheeks wasn't noticeable.
They seemed to be closing in, but Kylo was unshaken, threading the needle through New York's congested arteries with the precision of a surgeon.
"Where did these guys come from anyway? It's like we've got our own fan club," I tried to keep the tremor out of my voice. Behind us, red and blue lights danced through the downpour, giving the whole night an eerie glow.
"Fan club, hit squad—same difference," Kylo said grimly. "We need to shake them before we reach the safe-house."
My gaze was glued to the rearview mirror, where the silhouettes of our pursuers loomed like vengeful ghosts.
"Almost there," Kylo voice cut through my tangled thoughts. "Just hold on."
He navigated through an impossibly tight space between two hulking delivery trucks and water splashed high against the windows. My grip on the seat tightened, but damn the man had some finesse.
"Does dodging near-death count as foreplay?" I joked, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my neck.
"Only with you, Winslow," his voice was low as he weaved through the streets with a kind of intense focus that made my insides twist in all the right ways.
"Yeah, yeah. Just keep your eyes on the road, Quinn," I warned, even though part of me kind of liked the idea of those eyes on me instead. But there was no time for that—not now.
Then, like a beacon, the neon sign of the motel safehouse buzzed into view. 'Sleep Easy Motel' it read, flickering erratically. But there was nothing easy about this, and sleep felt like a distant dream.
As Kylo pulled into the parking lot, the smell of wet concrete and mildew greeted us—a cocktail of dampness that wormed its way into all my senses.
"Home sweet home," I sang dryly, taking in the dilapidated building. We might have been out of the frying pan, but the fire was waiting, just beyond those flickering neon letters.
"Looks charming," Kylo killed the engine. His voice held a note of relief, but his eyes were still sharp, scanning for more trouble.
"Charming's one word for it," I replied, stepping out into the rain that hadn't let up since we'd started this insane dash across the city. The ground squelched beneath my boots, and I wrinkled my nose at the pervasive mustiness that clung to the air.
"Better than a bullet," Kylo offered, locking the car with a beep that sounded absurdly normal in the midst of our chaos.
"Marginally." My reply was automatic, my mind already darting to what came next. But as I glanced back at him, there was a moment—a fleeting, charged pause where the world seemed to shrink down to just the two of us.
"Thanks, by the way," I said, softer now, a rare moment of sincerity slipping through my sarcasm. "For the whole not-dying thing."
"Anytime," he sighed and there was something in his gaze that made my breath catch. Desire? Maybe. But there was no room for that—not here, not now.
"Let's get inside," I broke the moment as I headed toward the dubious sanctuary of the Sleep Easy Motel. The sirens were still distant, but they weren't gone. Neither was the tension, coiled tight within me, ready to spring at the slightest inconvenience.
"Lead the way," he murmured, and I wondered if he felt it too—this electric current between us, dangerous and undeniable.
The lock gave way with a gritty click, and the door creaked open like it was sharing secrets. I stepped into the dim room, my breath fogging in the damp air that smelled like mothballs and old cigarette smoke. For a moment, just one goddamn quiet moment, the pounding rain and the chaos of the city seemed to fall away.
I flipped on the light switch only for a single bulb to flicker lethargically overhead, casting erratic shadows across the room.
"Cozy," Kylo deadpanned, shutting the door behind us with a solid thud. There was safety in that sound—a sealed barrier between us and whatever shitstorm brewed outside.
"Cozy is for kittens and knitting clubs, not motels that double as crime scenes." My eyes scanned the room, taking in the worn-out couch with its floral pattern so faded it looked like it had been through a war. A war it lost, spectacularly.
Kylo dropped his duffel bag onto a table that wobbled precariously on three and a half legs. "It's got character."
"Character and probably tetanus." I ran a finger along the peeling wallpaper and watched it curl further away from the wall. It's the kind of detail you'd miss if you weren't looking for all the ways the world was falling apart at the seams.
I caught sight of our reflections in a smudged mirror that hung crookedly on the wall. The flashing neon sign from the motel flickered through the window, painting our faces in hues of red and blue. It could've been mistaken for police lights—ironic.
Kylo's body tensed and his arms crossed tightly over his chest, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he confronted me. "Why the hell are we being chased across the city for digging into your past?" His voice was low and menacing, sending shivers down my spine.
