“I think I should just leave the key on the desk, and not worry about checking out,” Rue’s voice interrupts my thoughts.
“I thought that’s how it worked? We can just leave the key in the room and leave?” I turn to see her lingering by the door, clinging to the leash while Bullet sits at her feet.
She rocks back onto the heels of her Converse. “Well, that’s how it works most of the time, but when I checked in, their system was down, and they didn’t have change for the room…” Her voice trails off, her fingers fidgeting with the black nylon material. “I’m supposed to go back by so they can just charge my card.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I snap, jerking my hoodie the rest of the way on. “But whatever.”
“So, I think we should just lose the twelve dollars,” Rue says carefully, eyeing me like I might bite her for the suggestion.
Why am I scaring her?
“Okay, we’ll leave the twelve dollars. We can find something else. There’s always more money.” I shrug my shoulders and grab up the duffel bag. “Let’s just go. You didn’t use your real name anyway.”
She nods, but there’s some hesitation there. I don’t understand it in the slightest. I’m not sure why something so small—like overpaying for the room would make her appear so…nervous.
“Let’s go,” I nod to the door. “Now.”
She pushes the door lever down. “What if the cameras are back on?”
“I’ll keep my head down.”
“I mean, they probably won’t even think of me.” Rue’s entire expression grows distant. “I don’t think so…”
“Who?” Frustration starts to burn in my chest. “You’re not even making any sense.”
“The marshals.” Her gaze flicks to meet mine. “They came to my house. They questioned me about my ties to you. I wasrightthere when it all happened, Noah. Then I just, what? Up and leave? I think that could be suspicious.”
I nod, tracking her thought process. “They could, but they probably won’t. They think I’m somewhere tangled up in a tree at the bottom of the lake.”
“Fair enough,” she nearly whispers, shifting her backpack and pulling the door open. She glances around, steps out, and then turns back to me. “You’re sure you got everything?”
“I don’t have much to forget,” I deadpan, and then slip past her, the air significantly cooler outside than inside the stuffy motel room.
“This place was pretty nice,” Rue comments as the door clicks shut behind her.
“Cool, add it to a list of vacation spots.” I cringe at my tone and shake my head at myself as I move toward the car.Why am I being such a fucking dick?
But I can’t even look at Rue. I don’t want to see the same look she gave me when I pulled away from her. That’ll just make me feel even worse. I pop the door open, and just as I do, the sound of another engine causes me to freeze.
Shit.I eye the truck pulling in on the driver’s side of the Pathfinder, stopping a few feet from where Rue’s helping Bullet into the car.
“Evening,” a middle-aged man, who looks about as rough as they come, gives Rue a nod as he slides out of the passenger seat of the lifted old Dodge. “Cute dog you got there.”
“Thanks,” Rue says in passing, but stays angled in his direction.
I stay still, peering through the tinted windows of the SUV. The man’s in a dirty white T-shirt, like he just spent the day working on an oil rig or something of the sort. I bristle at the way he lingers there, a second man—the driver—heading straight into the motel room beside ours.
Iwantto make myself known.
“You don’t talk like you’re from California,” he chuckles at her.
“Huh,” is all that comes out of her mouth. She’s trying to be passive, and also trying to assess the threat level this overly friendly weirdo is throwing at her.
“We got some beers, want one?” He takes a step toward her.
Bullet lets out a low growl.
My heart jumps to my ears, and my grip tightens on the door. Every alarm is ringing in my head. This man acts just like the men I served time beside.
