Page 72 of Whiskey Run Heroes

I react before I can think twice about it. I put my hand around the man’s neck and pull him to me. There’s no way for him to know that I could end his life with one touch to a certain part of his neck. I wouldn’t even feel guilty about it. “Stay away from her and stay out of her room.”

He claws at his neck, and I toss him away from me before turning and striding down the hall. I follow the room numbers and stop outside her door. I take a few deep breaths because I don’t want her to see me agitated even though I’m completely on edge and I have a feeling I will be until I see her and know she’s okay.

I receive a text from Riggs and scan it really quickly. Kali is definitely in trouble.

I lift my fist and knock on the door.

I see movement on the other side of the door, a shadow crossing over the peephole.

I lean in toward the door. “Hello. My name is Knox. Nico sent me to check on you.”

I wait, but the door doesn’t open.

“Kali, I’m not leaving until I talk to you.”

5

KALI

The knock on the door scared me so badly I practically flew off the bed.

I don’t recognize the man on the other side of the door. He’s ruggedly handsome with short hair and a scruffy beard, but I don’t recognize him as one of Nico’s friends, and I’ve met a lot of them. Plus, there’s no way that Nico could find me... not that quickly. Miles’s twin could get anyone to come up to my room to be a friend of Nico. I’m not going to trust him.

I watch him through the peephole thinking that maybe if I’m really quiet, he’ll just leave.

“I know you’re in there. I can see your shadow under the door and behind the peephole,” he says, and I move to the side of the door away from the peephole as if he can see me looking at him through it.

“Get lost, you’ve got the wrong room,” I tell him in my deepest voice.

“I don’t have the wrong room, Kali. Look, you don’t know me. I get it. I’ll text Nico, and he’ll call you and let you know I’m all right, and you can let me in.”

I watch him through the peephole as he puts his phone up to his face and types into it. When he’s done, he puts the phoneback in his pocket and just stands there, almost as if he’s bored with the whole situation.

A moment later, my phone starts ringing.

I go back to the nightstand where I plugged my phone in and pick it up. It’s Nico, and I answer the call. “Why is there a guy here saying you sent him? How do you even know where I’m at?”

“I did send him, Kali. We’re worried about you. What are you doing?”

I notice he doesn’t answer the question of how he knows where I’m at. I should demand an answer, but there’s no point. The team Nico is a part of can get any information they want and pretty easily too. I shouldn’t be surprised he knew exactly where I was.

Determined not to get emotional this time, I take a deep breath. “I’m here for an interview. I just got a little overwhelmed when I talked to Anna earlier and a little homesick. I’m fine.”

I can tell he doesn’t believe me. “Good, then let Knox in so he can call me and confirm that you’re not blowing smoke.”

Knox

I can hearthrough the paper-thin walls her talking to Nico and see the shadow under the door as she returns. But the door still doesn’t open.

“How’d the call go?” I ask with one hand on the chipped wallpaper next to the door. I’m looking in the peephole, wishing I could see her, wanting to see her face.

“I’m fine. Please leave.” Her voice sounds strong, but I’m not going to just give up. Nico wouldn’t ask me to come check on someone if he wasn’t convinced there was a threat. AndDylan sent me the information. She is in fact being followed. Regardless of what she thinks, I can’t walk away from her. Not now.

“Listen, Kali,” I say, leaning closer to the door. “It wasn’t hard for me to find you or the room you were in. The guy in the front will give anyone information for twenty dollars. Heck, he probably would have given me a key to the room if I’d asked for it. If I can do that, whoever is looking for you will be able to find you just as easily. Why don’t you let me in? Maybe I can help.”

A few seconds go by before the door opens, and I’m surprised by the glare on her beautiful face, directed right at me. “You can’t help.”

She’s beautiful. I knew from the picture on my phone that she was, but up close and in person, she’s breathtaking. It’s like there’s a heavy weight pressing on my chest as I look at her. Her eyes are tired, and I’ve never seen anyone look as sad and almost defeated as she does right now. No, there’s no way I’m leaving here without her.

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