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The taxi driver put his foot on the gas, and the car lurched forward. The scarred dumpster Hammer had once found her hiding behind and the familiar building where she’d learned about love from the two amazing men who had forever changed her life rolled out of sight.
Twenty minutes later, she’d done nothing but stare out the window. She almost felt…numb. It was kind of nice. Raine didn’t expect the reprieve to last because the pain lurked just under the surface. But she’d take the daze for now. The minute she found some privacy, it was bound to get ugly.
The cab stopped in the little strip shopping center. She thought about asking him to wait, but he got a call for another fare. And honestly, she didn’t know where to tell him to take her. She paid him, grabbed her suitcase, then climbed out.
It started to rain.
Damn it, if that didn’t just add to the day. Sighing, Raine dashed into the shelter of the store. She pretended to browse the cosmetics and self-care products. She walked past greeting cards, toys, snacks—and came to something she could really use.
She grabbed the first one on the shelf, paid a goth girl for it, and peered out, hoping for a break in the storm, which probably wouldn’t last. But all she had to do was find a place to hang her head for the night. Then the skies could pour down buckets for all she fucking cared.
Except no one was going to rent her a room at ten thirty in the morning.
Crap, she couldn’t even plan a departure without fucking it up.
At the end of the road, the sign of a low-budget chain of motels caught her attention. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean and probably pimp-free. Those were her only requirements now.
Fifteen minutes later, she juggled her purchase under her arm and, fingers aching, transferred her suitcase to her other hand as she strolled through the automatic double doors. Securing a room for the night would be no problem. Their computers were down currently, and none of the rooms would be clean for a few hours. The desk clerk agreed to store her suitcase for her, handed her a claim ticket, then told her she could check in officially as soon as the touchy machines all came back online.
Now what? She could hang out in the lobby, but she’d have nothing to do except to think of all she’d lost. Since she was no longer focused on the details of getting from Point A to Point B, the gouging sadness was begging to dig at her again, emptying her of any desire to put one foot in front of the other. It would get better, she knew. In time. A few months, if she was lucky. Maybe a few years.
Maybe never.
Raine shoved the thought aside. “What’s the nearest restaurant?”
She’d known once upon a time, but she hadn’t lived here in years.
The desk clerk referred her to a pancake house a few blocks away, closer to the freeway. Not that it mattered, really. She wasn’t hungry, but pretending to eat would kill time.
As she started for the door, the hotel’s little shuttle pulled up.
“The bus will take you anywhere within a two-mile radius for free,” the clerk offered helpfully, eyeing her.
“Thanks.” Raine didn’t glance back, just walked out.
The old bus driver smiled brightly as she stepped inside. His jovial grin was contagious, and she did her best to smile back. He had kind eyes and looked on the brink of asking her what was wrong, but she was sure he’d never been in a BDSM love triangle, so she amped up her plastic expression and commented on the weather.
After handing her a business card with a number to call when she wanted him to retrieve her, the man dropped her off in front of the diner that was way too cheerful for her mood. The thought of eating alone depressed her more.
Shouldering her purse, she wandered up the road instead, crossing a busy intersection. What the hell was she doing? She had no idea where she was going—not just today, but tomorrow. Next week. Next month. For the rest of her life.
Raine rubbed at her forehead. She had to get off the pity pot. Give herself today and grieve, then figure her shit out. All this moping just wasn’t going to solve anything.
Vaguely, she wondered if Liam or Hammer had even realized she was gone yet. If they had, would they be searching? Probably. Liam might even feel guilty. Hammer might be ticked off. Maybe she should set them at ease before she did anything else. But if she called there…what if one of them answered?
Suddenly, she looked up and saw the new hospital in town. And she knew exactly what to do.
