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“You’re not getting a play-by-play.” Bastian tried to keep his voice down, but she’d heard him anyway. What the hell were they talking about?
“Let’s go.” Bastian gripped her arm.
“Wait.” She tugged slightly. “I need to use the restroom before we go.”
Bastian hesitated. “Fine.” He pointed toward the restrooms. “There.” Not to give her so much as an inch, he pulled her toward the bathrooms as though she were some errant child prone to running off.
“I can do this part on my own.” She tugged her arm from his loosening grip once they reached the restrooms.
He raised his eyebrows. “We’ll need to stop at whatever hotel you checked into to get your things.”
Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to work for her.
“Which hotel is it?” He asked.
“I really gotta go. Be right back.” She wiggled her fingers at him as she rushed into the bathroom.
Relief rushed through her entire body as she looked around the room. Her saving grace was at the end of the double rows of bathroom stalls.
A window.
CHAPTER8
Bastian
* * *
“Areyou sure we have the right place?” Bastian glared at the hotel building he and Garrick stood in front of. Although technically in good shape: no broken windows, no half-falling shutters, the building wasn’t the type of place Ariella would typically stay in. Her father would never allow her to stay anywhere but the best accommodations, so why would she be in this hotel?
“Yeah.” Garrick checked his phone. “This is the place. Grimsley is a little upset at how easily he was able to hack into the computer system to find her room number.”
“Why didn’t he just call?” Bastian asked as they walked through the dingy lobby toward the elevators.
“Hacking is more fun.” Garrick tucked his phone away. “Besides, I don’t ask him how he does what he does so long as he gets the information right.”
Bastian punched the button for the tenth floor and took a calming breath as the elevator doors slid closed. It didn’t matter how many breaths he sucked in; his irritation only grew with the moments passing without having that woman in his clutches. When he’d finally given up on waiting for her and barged into the bathroom to find her gone and the window wide open, he’d clenched his teeth so hard he almost broke a tooth.
“You gonna be able to keep your temper in check?” Garrick asked as the elevator glided up to the top floor.
Bastian huffed. “I’m not the one who has a hot head if I remember.”
“Depends on the girl, I suppose,” Garrick responded. “You looked ready to kill when you came out of the bathroom.”
“I wouldn’t hurt her.” Bastian quickly defended.
“I didn’t think you would,” Garrick said. “But there have been exactly three times that I’ve seen that look on your face, and all three of them meant an awful night for someone.”
The elevator came to a stop, and the doors slid open. Bastian stepped out.
“I’ve watched her do some foolish things over the years. Mostly when she was younger, I could play it off as her just being young. But she’s not a little girl anymore. And she’s getting herself into bigger and bigger trouble.”
“And I’m guessing she’s never had a proper visit with you before?” Garrick grinned.
“No. Of course not. She’s not my responsibility. Not like that.” Bastian glanced at the plaque on the wall in front of them to find the direction of her room. 1027 would be at the end of the hall to the left.
“Your hand’s looking itchy, that’s all.” Garrick continued as they marched down the hall.
“Never been itchier.”
