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Feeling a little better about the fact that whoever was sent after me would likely head to California instead of Texas, I took the time to get breakfast at a bakery and splash water on my face in the restroom.
A little further down the street I found a hotel that let me bribe them into an early check-in. After depositing my bag on the table, I showered off quickly, feeling like the hours of driving had made me grimy, and finally collapsed on the bed.
* * *
I sat bolt upright, panting and sweating, clawing at the sheets that had wrapped around my body so tight, I’d thought them to be a silent attacker. My head whipped back and forth, taking in the dark room. The sun had set yet again, but contrary to the dream I’d had of a man in black chasing me and tackling me to the ground, I was completely alone.
Not having a phone was driving me crazy. I wanted to see if Romero had called or messaged. There was something about having direct access to him that always gave me a sense of safety, even when we were miles apart.
I pushed the damp locks of hair behind my ears and ran a hand down my face with a sigh.
“You’re fine, Julietta,” I told myself, but something about hearing my voice in the eerie silence made my skin crawl. My eyes went to the TV, and I grabbed the remote on the side table to turn it on.
I’d paid for the night, so in theory I was free to leave. But instead I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Watching the channels scroll by, I landed on a cooking show. I leaned my head back against the wall, letting my heartbeat slow and my breathing return to normal.
Glancing at the clock told me it was only midnight. I’d slept fourteen hours, so I knew I wouldn’t need any more sleep, but I didn’t want to leave the safety of the building in the dark. Call it paranoia, or maybe even intuition—whatever it was—I knew it was best to stay put for now.
When the first rays of morning coated the city, I’d venture out again.
* * *
It took only several hours of boring TV to make me pack up and head into the early morning. The sun still hadn’t graced the horizon with its kiss of light, but I knew it wouldn’t be long.
Dropping my bag into the car, I stifled a yawn. I was sipping the disgusting hotel coffee when a puff of hot air teased the back of my head.
I stilled for less than a second before jabbing my elbow back, connecting solidly with a body. The oof of pain and stumbling steps had me whirling. I brought my knee up, preparing to smash it into the figure’s hooded face, when large, manly hands covered by black gloves blocked the hit. The man lunged, arms wrapping around my waist as he took us both to the concrete.
I twisted just before we hit, gritting my teeth and driving my elbow into the man’s neck. His face hit with a thunk and he bellowed. With his grip lax enough, I rolled away, leaping to my feet. He was in the way of my open door; I just needed to maneuver him in the other direction so I could dive in.
As the faceless man got to his feet, holding his nose, I readied myself for his next attack. “Who are you?” I demanded.
He didn’t reply—instead his hand moved, then a blade clicked open and he lashed for my middle. I jumped back, wishing I had my own blade on me, and not in my damn bag. He swiped again, slashing through the air while I dodged, looking for my opening.
When he stepped too far forward I drove my foot into his knee, and heard the bone shatter and tissue tear. He screamed, falling to the ground, and holding the misshapen leg.
Breathing heavier, I said, “That’s what you get for coming at me with a knife, dickhead.”
Something hit the side of my head, knocking me to the ground. My vision blurred and I felt certain the heat rising to the area was blood. It bloomed and seeped into my hair. Nausea roiled through me.
“Grab her,” someone said.
Another jarring blow erupted at my temple and my body went slack.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
JULIETTA
The sharpening of a blade was worse than nails on a chalkboard to my ears. Especially with the throbbing pain in my skull. The soft pillows under my head did nothing to lessen it. My arms ached and when I tried to move them, the cords holding my hands pulled tight.
Fuck.
My eyelids cracked open, blinking to take in the harsh lighting. Someone shuffled near me, forcing them wider. The cool metal of a knife’s edge kissed my throat in the time it took to register where I was, and who stood in front of me.
We were back in my hotel room. Mistake number one. The man with golden skin staring down at me seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place him.
“Don’t move, bitch, or I’ll slit your throat right here,” he snarled.
My eyes zeroed in on his bruised nose and the size of it. Ah, so I did break his nose. Good. I blinked lazily. “Do we know each other?”
