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Kenna stopped outside the elevator and turned to him. “I don’t want to be anywhere near here. But I also don’t want to leave until I know Jax is going as well.”
Stairns nodded. “I’ll keep it open-ended.” He handed her a key card. “I’m next door.”
Her hand shook, but she managed to jab the button for the second floor. The elevator rattled as it rose, and she located their room at the end of the hall close to the exit door. So they would have multiple exits if necessary?
She inserted the key card, but the door opened before she could pull it out.
A teenage bundle of blond hair slammed into her. Kenna rocked back two steps and held on tight while Maizie gasped and squeezed her middle. Then she leaned back. “You’re not hurt, are you? Am I hurting you?”
Kenna shook her head. “Let’s go inside so you’re not out here any longer than you need to be.” She grabbed the key card and let the door shut behind her. Maizie needed to stay as far below the radar as possible.
“I can’t believe you’re really here.” The seventeen-year-old stared at her with those huge blue eyes that had seen way too much, and suffered far more than anyone ever should. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I need a cheeseburger.” Kenna strode to the bed with the unrumpled covers and slumped down on top, dragging over a pillow. Then she realized she was still wearing her boots. She groaned and unlaced them enough so she could kick them away. She peeled off the socks and stretched out flat on the bed. “And fries.” She let out a long breath. “And a strawberry milkshake.”
But for now she would settle for the longest nap ever.
“I’m sure we can find you some real food.”
Kenna only had the strength to smile.
Maizie shuffled, moving around. “Yeah, she is.” Kenna heard her come over. “Ryson wants to talk to you.”
Kenna cracked open one eye.
Maizie nearly smiled, but not quite. Had the girl ever done it?
Kenna managed to wave her hand. She put the phone to her ear. “Yeah?”
“It’s good to hear your voice.” His low rumble settled in her chest. “I was about to get on a plane.”
Ryson.“I’m good.” She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “Stairns and Maizie made sure of it.”
The teen settled beside her on the bed. Kenna handed her back the phone, then her awareness floated as she listened to the end of the conversation.
And everything drifted away.
ChapterSixteen
“How are you feeling?” Stairns touched her forehead with the back of his hand.
Kenna pushed it away. “Why are you being weird?”
Maizie sat at the small round table, typing on her laptop. She glanced over to watch as Stairns stood up. For a second it looked like he might sit on the edge of the second bed, but he didn’t. A good thing, considering it was Maizie’s and he made a point to not invade her personal space. It was enough that he was in the room—and had been since right after Kenna woke up twenty minutes ago.
Neither of them had offered her a cup of coffee.
“Fine.” He ran a hand through his short gray hair and leaned against the wall, often doing so because reclining poses made him look less imposing. Though for a stocky former Marine, imposing pretty much encompassed who he was. “I tracked down the doctor in town, and he told me what Kart gave you. It’s not available in the US. It’s a synthetic pain med, and it’s highly addictive.”
Stairns dug into his pocket. “He also gave me this. Regular narcotics.” He tossed the tiny pill bottle next to her.
Kenna let it land on the blanket without trying to catch it. “Great.” She made a face, rolling her eyes for Maizie’s sake so the girl wouldn’t worry so much. “What’s the plan for today?”
Since she had been abducted from Washington, DC, Kenna hadn’t been keeping track of what day of the week it was.
Maizie lifted her hands from the keyboard and twisted around in the chair. “You slept for eighteen hours.”
“Naps are my superpower,” Kenna said.
