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“Her boss has been murdered,” Icontinued.
He shook his head. “Remind me to never have you guardme.”
Now I no longer cared about offering an explanation. “Shut the fuck up and open the car door,” I growled. Once he did so, I climbed in the backseat with Peri in my arms. After shutting the door, Stephen hopped in thefront.
“Now what? Or am I still not allowed to speak?” the drivergrumbled.
“You were a lot nicer earlier,” Inoted.
He frowned. “Well, I hadn’t been working for twelve hours then. And I didn’t worry I was ferrying around a killer.” Stephen looked at mepointedly.
“I saved her. That’s my thing.” I rolled my eyes. “Never mind.” I stared out the window. “We need to get out of here before the police showup.”
Even as I spoke, several cop cars with lights and sirens came blaring up the road. “Right now, I trust no one. I have no idea what’s going on, or who’sinvolved.”
“So, we’re not talking to the cops?” His browsrose.
“Nope. Not a word.” I held Peri a little closer to mychest.
Stephen inhaled deeply. “Am I going to regret this?” He peered at me through the rearviewmirror.
“Not if you do as I say,” I murmured. “Drive.”
“Where?” He threw his hands in theair.
The man had a point. Peri had a room, but we couldn’t exactly go back there. I didn’t have a room for us either. I closed my eyes so I could picture the map of thearea.
“This is no time to sleep,” Stephenmumbled.
“I’m not sleeping. I’m thinking.” I huffed. Then I recalled a little cottage on the property. “I need your phone.” Stephen looked at me and I could feel his resistance. “My phone is in the trunk. You call then. The Biltmore cottage. Let’s see if it’s available. We’ll rent that. I have cash. And we check in under yourname.”
“My name?” He shook his head wildly. “How’d I get involved inthis?”
I sighed. “Just lucky Iguess.”
The reservations were made. By some miracle, the cottage wasn’t already booked. Soon we were standing inside. “Here are your bags,” Stephen announced. “I guess I’ll just begoing…”
“Nice try.” I blew out a breath. “How much do you make anhour?”
He puffed out his chest. “I make twenty dollars anhour.”
“Cool. Have you been paid for your work yet today?” I reached into my bag and pulled out the bank bag. After I unlocked it, I started counting out hundred dollarbills.
Stephen watched me, fascinated. “No, notyet.”
“Here,” I passed him a wad of bills. “It’s five thousand dollars. You can count it. I won’t beoffended.”
“But that’s more than ten days working twenty-four hours a day!” His eyeswidened.
“Yes, well, plan to be at our beck and call. I’ll be sending you for groceries. You’ll be driving us wherever we need to go. And I don’t want an argument about any of it. Got it?” I stared at himsternly.
“No argument. Yes, sir.” He smiled so widely I thought his face mightcrack.
“Pick your room. You take one. We’ll take the other.” I nodded and urged him up the stairs. He glanced at Peri and I knew what he was thinking. “I’m not sleeping with her, but I refuse to leave her side. You might as well take the other room. I’ll sleep sitting in a chair if I haveto.”
“I’ll get your bags,” Stephen whispered as we climbed the stairs. When we reached the top, he peeked in one room, then the other. “I think you’ll be more comfortable in this one,” he explained. “Look, there’s an ottoman. If you have to sleep sitting up, at least your feet will be uptoo.”
My shoulders sagged. “Thank you,Stephen.”
