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Her stomach cramped again, and she knew she needed to get up and find somewhere to eat. Hopefully the calories and the full night's sleep would be enough to trigger better ideas than her current plan of run and hide. As Liv opened her eyes disorientation and confusion washed over her. This wasn’t her motel room.
The dingy walls had been replaced with log cabin style wood walls. The tiny room barely big enough for the queen sized bed was now a master bedroom suite that easily fit the canopied, luxurious, king sized bed she now lay in. The sheets covering her naked body were soft and smelled like the high-end dryer sheets she sometimes splurged on in the laundromat. Where the hell was she?
“Good. You're awake.”
Liv screamed, rolling off the bed and landing painfully on the floor. She scrambled to wrap the sheet around her as she backed away from the door. Leaning against the doorframe with a cocky grin on his face was Tepes.
“What the hell! How did I get here?” And why was she naked? She remembered getting undressed before going to bed to try and preserve her clothing until she could get a change of clothing. But if the man was going to magically transport her to another room, shouldn’t he have dressed her first?
“You’re a very deep sleeper.”
She knew that was true, but had she really slept through being moved to a completely different place? Her confused mind wasn’t adapting well to her new reality. The way-too-tempting sight of him in the doorway wasn’t helping. Gone was the suit replaced by a tight black t-shirt that might as well have been sewn directly on his body and a pair of thin gray sweatpants that did nothing to hide the gifts that nature and long hours in the gym had given him.
“That doesn’t really answer the question.”
“After I broke into your room, I tried to wake you several times.”
“You broke into my room?” Should she be impressed or freaked out by the fact that he knew how to do that?
“Yes. And you’re lucky it was me and not one of Luis’ men.”
She didn’t want to consider that possibility. “So, you just kidnapped me, again?”
“I tried calling your name. Several times in fact. I even shook you but your only reaction was to mumble at me. That place wasn’t secure, so I bundled you up and brought you here.”
“In other words, you kidnapped me.”
“Would you have preferred I leave you for Luis to find and kill while you slept?”
Chills raced across her arms. She'd always been a deep sleeper, which was useful when you had a sister who liked to party most of the night, but it had never occurred to her how vulnerable that made her.
“And where exactly is here?”
“Somewhere safe.”
Her emotions were a mass of confusion inside her. On one hand this was actually her dream come true, he had found her and was obviously intent on keeping her safe. On the other hand, it was frustrating and scary that he had been able to track her down so quickly and easily.
“How did you find me? I used a disguise when I bought the ticket. Only used cash. Turned off my cell phone. I was so careful and was sure no one had followed.” Ok, disguise might be exaggerating a little, but she’d been in a rush and didn’t have a lot of money to spare. The five-dollar floppy hat she’d found at a kiosk to hide her hair had been creative.
“I have my ways.”
Liv pulled the sheet tighter around her and crossed her arms. Her temper was flaring but she knew she couldn’t afford to flip out on the only person in the world who was on her side. “I’m sure you do. What are they?”
Tepes stepped inside the bedroom, his eyes flashing with an emotion she couldn’t name. A strange mix of excitement and fear whirled inside her.
“Why should I tell you that? So you can try to run away again?”
Her breath caught in her chest. “I wasn't running away I was..” Liv considered what to say. How could she explain what had gone through her mind as she snuck out of the house? “Regrouping. Choosing my own path.”
After a full night's sleep she could admit it hadn’t been the right path, but it was her right to make mistakes. She wouldn’t have felt the need to rush into action if the five of them hadn’t marched into her life and without apology or explanation and tried to take over. Overwhelmed and scared she'd needed time to think without them pushing her around. Staying safe and waiting till she had a workable plan would have been her choice if she hadn’t been functioning on so little sleep.
Tepes raised an eyebrow and she wanted to throw something at him. His face said all too clearly that he thought she was an idiot.
“You may not respect the life I built for myself, but it is my life. You have no right to push your way in and decide without talking to me what I’m going to do. I’ve survived all the shit life has piled on me without anyone’s help. I think I’ve earned the right to make my own decisions.”
Tepes’ eyes softened. “I never said I didn’t respect your life. We didn't mean to push you. And I would have never left you alone if I thought you would run.”
“I didn’t run.” She growled in frustration. “That isn’t the point.”
