Page 36 of Passenger Princess

And I’m starting to think she might not be completely wrong.

EIGHTEEN

JAIME

Our next stop is Virginia, where we go to a flower shop to make bouquets. Ava brings the cat, which I end up holding half of the time. As much as it kills me to admit, the cat is sweet, willing to be held almost every moment, and has fallen asleep in my arms more often than I can count.

I never had a pet as a kid, and with my career, I never got one as an adult. I always thought once I retired I’d get a dog like Riggins’ German Shepherd, but this cat is pretty great. Not that I’d ever admit that to Ava, since she’d never let me live it down.

Now I’m walking off the elevator of the hotel in front of Ava, the cat on a fucking leashwhile she carries it.

The woman bought her tiny fucking cat abedazzled leashto take her on, and I quote, “silly goofy kitty walks.” I drew the line at holding that fucking leash.

As we walk toward the hall our rooms are in, she continues to ramble on about God only knows what. When we approach the hall, her words become even more of a static noise as I notice something is…off.

“What the—” I mumble as she continues to talk, light spilling into the hallway as we approach her hotel room door. Ava, not realizing I’m suddenly on alert, walks right into my back. Her body presses into mine, and my arm moves behind me to wrap around her until she steadies herself, but not turning, keeping my eyes locked on that door.

“Jaime, what’s—” she starts, but I use my arm on her back to squeeze and put a finger to my lips.

My arm drops, and I reach for my back pocket, touching the phone there and pulling it out before taking another step closer. Common sense wants to believe it’s just housekeeping, nothing nefarious, but my gut...my gut thinks it’s something more.

Unfortunately, my gut is very rarely wrong, something that’s confirmed when I get close enough to lean forward and peek in the door.

Destroyed.

That’s what her hotel room is.

Quickly, I run through my options, balancing my all-consuming need to keep Ava safe, to keep her by my side, and to keep her from seeing what’s in front of us. She puts on a strong front, playing the tough, doesn’t give a fuck chick, but even though I haven’t been around her that long, I know it’s just that: an act.

The AvaIknow is soft and sweet.

Looking down the short hallway, I note there’s only one other room in this hall, and it’s the one I’ve been staying in right across from her. I make a decision, reaching into my pocket for the key and opening the door to my room before tugging her inside and closing it behind me. It seems quiet and untouched, but still, I walk through the room, checking closets and under beds, until I confirm there’s no one in here.

Moving back to Ava, I put a hand on her shoulder, squatting a bit until we’re face-to-face, and I’m looking into her big blue eyes. “Stay here, don’t move,” I say. “Do you understand?

“Jaime, what?—”

“Two minutes, stay here.”

“You’re freaking me out, Jaime.”

I lift a hand and press it to her cheek, those big, beautiful eyes of hers widening. “I know. Listen to me. You have your phone, yeah?” She nods. “Good girl. I’m going to go check the room. Any noise, anything seems off, call 911.”

“Jaime—”

“I know you need details to feel comfortable, so I’m going to give them to you. Your hotel room has been ransacked. I’m going to leave you in this room while I make sure there’s no one in your room still. I’m going to check your room while you stay in here with Peach, okay?”

“Jaime—”

“It’s probably nothing,” I lie. “But I don’t play with safety.”

“Safety?” The word is whisper soft, and I wonder if finally, the severity of her reality has finally cut through her mind, the need to have me with her, to listen to the rules I give her, finally sink in.

I step closer to her, crowding her space, ignoring the way it feels so good to be this close every single time, like some kind of invisible string usually stretched tight finally goes lax with her proximity.

“Ava. Please. If you’re only going to listen to me one time, let it be this one. Call 911. Stay in this room with Peach. Once you get someone on the line, tell them where we are, that your room was broken into, and your security is checking. If they hang up before I’m back out, call the hotel next. If anyone—and I mean anyone, Ava: a kid, an old lady, a guy dressed in a fuckin’ clown suit—comes to the door, you scream. You do not open it at all. Do you understand?” Reality seems to wash over her, her mouth opening slightly as she stares at me, and I lower my voice. “Hey, Princess, do you get me? I need to go check the room, but I can’t leave you here unless I know you’re good.”

She blinks once, twice, three times before she nods. “Got it. Call 911, and if anyone comes, scream and sick Peach on them,” she says with a small smile.

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