Page 57 of Trapped and Tackled

Talon takes my hand, and I squeeze his fingers, reassurance rolling through me. He’s here. I’m safe. Everything is okay.

We drive away from the lake house and in my mind, a metal door clangs closed.

I don’t look back.

Chapter 14

Talon

“Two bedrooms,” I say, holding up two fingers.

The woman behind the counter of the small, lakefront inn peers at me suspiciously over her glasses. “It’s August.”

I know. Please have a room available.

“Um, yes, ma’am,” I reply, shifting my weight and hitching our weekender bags higher on my shoulder.

Maybe she thinks Leni is my sister? Or a friend.

The woman sighs heavily. She must be close to sixty and the lines in her expression say she’s seen it all. And right now, she doesn’t love what she’s seeing.

Damn. We just need a room.

If I wasn’t so worried about Leni, fucking furious over Toby’s outburst, and downright exhausted, I’d chuckle at the way the woman is sizing me up. Instead, I’m praying she slides two sets of keys across the desk so I can make sure Leni’s okay and tuck her in for the night.

“We’ve only got one room,” she says finally. “And it’s the best one.” She squints at her computer screen, her eyebrows lifting. “The cost is?—”

Beside me, Leni’s shoulders slump and she sways. Poor girl is dead on her feet now that the adrenaline has worn off. She’s about to crash, hard. Maybe it’s better we’re in one room so I can keep an eye on her.

“We’ll take it.” I slide my credit card across the counter before she can rattle off the price. The only thing I care about right now is making sure Leni is okay.

The woman peers at me again, a frown settling in the corners of her mouth.

For fuck’s sake. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. I have no idea what thoughts are running through her mind. I just hope she doesn’t recognize me—or Leni—and make this more of a thing than it is.

She harrumphs, runs my card, and hands me a set of keys.

“Thanks,” I say, adjusting the bags again. Then, I press a hand to Leni’s back, guiding her in the direction of the rooms. “Come on, Len.” I feel the woman’s eyes, her burning curiosity, between my shoulder blades until we turn the corner.

“We’re in room sixteen,” I say. Leni doesn’t bother responding.

I locate our room, jam the key into the door, and hold it open for Leni.

She enters before me, walks straight to the bed, and sits on the edge. A breath later, she slumps over, resting on her side and curling into herself.

Damn. I am out of my element here.

Dropping the bags to the floor, I kneel at her side, and push some of her beautiful golden hair out of her eyes. “Hey,” I say softly.

Leni blinks and I watch as recognition flickers across her face. “Talon.”

“Tell me what you need, baby.” My concern is through the fucking roof and all I want is to make her feel safe. Protect her so nothing—and no one—can touch her.

“I’m so tired,” she whispers.

I stroke her hair. “I know.”

Hearing the vile things that spewed from Toby’s mouth was enough to set my blood boiling. But when he lifted a hand to Leni, I saw fucking red. I fought through the huddle of people who blocked the doorway, just glimpsing Leni and her blonde hair above the mass of bodies.

---