Something settled between them then—quiet, unspoken, real.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “Maybe that’s enough.”
Dakota’s hand found hers in the darkness.
She didn’t pull away.
The hotel was quiet when they returned. Most of the tour group dispersed to their rooms, tired from the day and the evening chill. Jayden’s fingers were still cold despite the hot chocolate, and Dakota kept his arm around her shoulders as they walked down the hallway.
Playing the part. That’s what she told herself. Just playing the part.
Their room was at the end of the hall.
Dakota was reaching for their key card when the crash came.
Loud. Glass breaking. A shout—male, pained.
Dakota’s hand closed around her arm, pulling her behind him. “Stay back.”
More sounds—a door slamming, footsteps running. Then Howard Brennan’s voice, high with panic: “Help! Someone help! Call security!”
Dakota moved. Jayden followed, turning the corner at the end of the hall.
The Brennans’ door hung open, light spilling into the hallway. Inside—chaos. Drawers pulled out and dumped. Luggage torn apart. The window shattered, curtains billowing in the night air.
And Howard, sitting on the floor with blood running down his face from a gash above his eyebrow.
“Someone was in here,” he gasped. “I came back—Blake went to the vending machine—and someone was in here. They hit me. I didn’t see?—”
Blake came running down the hall, a can of soda in his hand. His face went white when he saw the room. “Dad. Dad.” He shoved past Jayden, dropping to his knees beside Howard. “What happened? Who did this?”
Dakota’s hand closed around her elbow, firm and urgent. He pulled her back, away from the doorway, into the shadow of the hall.
“What if that was meant for you?” he said quietly.
“What?”
“What if someone saw Blake with the gray bag? They think he has whatever they’re looking for. But he gave it to us.” Dakota’s jaw was tight. “The bag is in our room. If they’d come to our room?—”
“Why would they want my bag?” Jayden stared at him, her heart pounding. Please, Dakota, tell me what you know—what you saw?—
He gave her a hard look. “I’m trying to figure that out. Why someone would want to hurt you. Back in Cairns. Or tonight. You didn’t have your bag in the Hunter Valley. It’s the only thing that”—he swallowed, looked away—“that makes sense.”
He was lying.
And her heart just fell.
Never mind that she would have lied too.
So she just nodded. “I guess so.”
Dakota glanced down the hall, where more doors were opening, curious faces peering out. “Stay here. I’m going to talk to Bonnie, make sure she calls the police. Someone needs to manage this.”
“Dakota—”
“Stay behind me.” His eyes met hers, intense and worried. “Get to the room, and then lock the door and stay there. Don’t open it for anyone but me.”
He was gone before she could argue.
