Page 37 of Shadow Operative

He pulled her off and their feet hit the pavement with a thud.

She glanced around.

No signs of danger.

Not yet.

They’d probably gone four city blocks in the truck, so maybe they’d lost him—at least, for a while.

Gage kept a grip on her hand—purely for practicalreasons no doubt—and led her quickly across the street. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing.

They stepped into the Royal Oasis, one of the swanky hotels in the area. From what Nia heard, the rooms at this place cost more than a thousand per night.

Despite that, Gage strode to the front desk, acting as if he stayed in places like this often. “I should have a reservation for Henry Grimshaw.”

A reservation? Whose name had he just given?

Nia glanced behind her, her back muscles tight. She halfway expected the gunman to burst into the hotel and follow them.

But so far, so good.

The clerk checked his computer before smiling at Gage. “Of course, Mr. Grimshaw.” He slid a key card across the counter. “Here you go. Take the elevator to the eighth floor. Your room should be ready.”

Nia had a million questions. But she didn’t voice any out loud until she and Gage were on the elevator alone.

“How did you get this reservation so quickly?” she rushed. “Or is this where you were planning on staying while you were in town? Whose name are you using?”

“My boss set this up for me,” Gage said. “Like I said, he’s resourceful. We need to go someplace safe where no one can track either of us. That means we can’t use our real names.”

That nauseous feeling roiled in her gut again. What exactly was going on here? Nia had so many questions. Yet she didn’t even know where to start or what to ask. Not really.

She’d never been in a situation even remotely like this in all her thirty-two years.

They reached the eighth floor surprisingly fast.

Before stepping out of the elevator, Gage checked the hallway. Then they started toward the room. He slipped the card into the lock, listened as it buzzed, and a moment later, they were inside.

Nia took a moment to appreciate the beautiful suite. One that looked fit for royalty with its exquisite living room area that featured a creamy couch and chairs, luscious ivory curtains, and numerous glass-topped tables. Three doors lined the walls in the distance, probably bedrooms and a bathroom.

But she didn’t have a chance to appreciate the space very long.

Gage grabbed a chair and leaned it against the door. He then secured all the locks.

Nia knew what that meant.

That meant there was still a chance this gunman could find them.

Her throat went dry at the thought.

As soon as he’d secured the door, Gage scurried around the rest of the suite and checked out every nook and cranny.

Nia stood against the wall and watched, unsure what else to do.

She wanted to trust Gage.

But she didn’t know if that was wise. She still had questions.

Things didn’t make sense.

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