AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I glanced over at Ethan. His golden hair had auburn tints swirling through the short strands that were more pronounced under the warm, soft glow of the lamps lit beside the bed. His brows were knit in concentration. I enjoyed seeing this brooding, serious side to him. He was the quietest of the trio, but I appreciated how he absorbed his surroundings and seemed to be rational and laid-back.
Despite the situation and the fact that they were all clearly protective, none of them went all caveman on me, and I appreciated that. They treated me like a princess. Not that I viewed myself as worthy of the title, but it was always pleasant to feel adored.
“Hey, what’s this?” Caleb’s voice was muffled because he was crouched down, facing the wall.
I sat up straight and exchanged a curious glance with Worth and Ethan. “What is it?” I craned my neck to determine if I could grasp a view of what Caleb was holding.
He turned around but remained hunched at the knees. He was holding up a dangling porcelain stingray figurine that was being held up by a string. It looked like a Christmas ornament.
“That’s not mine,” I said. “I’ve never seen that before in my life.”
Worth took a step towards Caleb, leaning down as he scrutinized the item through narrowed eyes. “Is that an ornament?”
Caleb shrugged and glanced at me. “Looks like it.”
“It’s not mine,” I stated again, shaking my head.
Ethan frowned. “Do you think the room intruder left it here on purpose?”
It was a shot in the dark type of suggestion. I stared at the gray ornament. The stingray had eyes and fake cartoonish grin which appeared to be subtly mocking me. It was made to look as if it were mid swim. One of its fins was curled above the rest of its body.
“Or maybe it was left by accident by the resident before me?”
“Let me see it,” Worth asked, grabbing it from Caleb. He traced his thumb around the edges of the porcelain figurine. “It’s peculiar…”
“What are you talking about?” I had a fleeting hope that he had a lead or suggestion that would point us in the right direction.
He glanced at me with that tantalizing stare of his that made my skin shiver. It was like a tremor from an earthquake was sending my body into fits of aftershock.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I wonder if it was put here on purpose by whoever raided your room?”
“Like as a message?” I hadn’t considered that, and the idea made my blood run cold. “What would it even mean? Don’t go scuba diving with stingrays or else?” It was a rhetorical question of course, but no one in the room had an answer to give me, not even myself.
I had already told the police officer about the ominous sensation that I had encountered on the beach before. Without being able to put a face with any wrongdoing or being able to prove that I had been followed, there was nothing he could do. It was a frustrating situation with no leads.
I placed my elbows on my knees and stared at the pine green carpet below my bare feet. I needed some fresh air. Maybe with it would bring a new perspective on the horizon. One thing was certain and was gnawing at me. The longer I stayed in this hotel room, the more eerie and creepy it became.
Chapter 15 - Worth
I squared my jaw, mind made up. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight, Geneva.”
Caleb exhaled beside me, but it didn’t sound like a protest. I turned to face him, and he had the same glimmer of concern on his face. There was also more than a little wanton lust directed Geneva’s way.
“I agree,” he said. “You shouldn’t sleep here by yourself, not with the threat that whoever came here tonight might return. They were able to get in the first time. I’m not gonna lie; that really bothers me.”
I fixed my gaze on Geneva. Her eyes were stormy as her lips twisted with indecision.
“I don’t know…” she stroked her arm apprehensively, but the way she was gazing at me told a different story, one that was alight with desire and passion.
I let my hand linger over the side of her cheek. It was so soft and warm. “We won’t hurt you…” I promised, trailing off.
Geneva’s eyes flickered with resolve. “I know,” she whispered.
“At the very least, let us take you back to our hotel room so you can sleep there tonight. If you don’t want us there with you, we can always rent another room down the hallway.” I glanced at my friends, hoping that they would support me on this suggestion. Especially the last one. They gave me a sideways glance of discontent, but didn’t argue.
“Oh, that’s not necessary. Really…” Geneva protested.
I raised my eyebrows and exchanged a glance with Caleb and Ethan. “What do you mean?”
