Page 16 of Unconditional

“See?Like I said, amateur stalker.Actually, speaking of kids, the next hotel we stop at, can you make sure there’s Wi-Fi?I need to check in with work.”

This earned me a derisive snort.“You want me to let you go online so you can get the police on our trail?I think the fuck not.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?”I snapped, shooting him a look that could kill.“Do you think I’m going to risk my family like that?I’m not.But I do have a job thatyouripped me away from.Kidsthat are counting on me.You might be too fucking selfish to know what it’s like to look out for anybody but yourself, but some of us actually have responsibilities.And consciences.”

His response was a grunt, his fingers tight around the steering wheel.

“If you’re so worried about it, then you can watch over my shoulder as I check my emails like the creep you are.But if I lose my job because of you, or evenoneof my kids suffers as a direct result of this bullshit, I’ll be makingyousuffer.”

ten

Talon

Mycalfwascramping.We’d been on the road for nearly nine hours total, the sun long since set.The girl in the passenger seat was still awake, her leg bouncing anxiously the entire time.She’d been completely silent since she’d doled out her ultimatum about checking in with work, five hours before.

I thought I’d appreciate herfinallyshutting the hell up, but it actually made me uneasy.Her energy had shifted.I’d gotten used to the sarcastic, snide, and downright pissy version of her that she used as a shield to disguise her guilt and anxiety.Now, said anxiety was pouring off her in suffocating waves that were choking me.Her lip had been chewed to oblivion, and she had to have burned a thousand calories by how hard her leg had been shaking.

Was she really that desperate to check on those kids?I doubted it.I had my fair share of experience with social workers, and with it, a chip the size of a mountain on my shoulder.These weren’t reallykidsto people like her.They were caseloads.Dollar signs.She’d said it herself—it was a job, and if she lost it, she’d be pissed.The more kids on the roster, the better chances they have of paying their rent on time.Misely wasn’t any different.None of them were.

Still, when I pulled into the next motel in North Platte, I found myself asking if they had Wi-Fi and ignoring the stunned look from the woman to my left.And I didn’t let myself feel too good about the whispered thank you she offered as she threw the strap of her bag onto her shoulder while we unloaded the car.

Misely disappeared into the bathroom with one of her bags immediately, saying she’d prefer to get ready for bed first.I sighed, thankful for the moment to myself.Despite the uncomfortable silence we’d sat in for most of the drive, my social battery was bottomed out.Being in such close quarters with another person, whether they spoke to me or not, for such a long period of time was wildly outside of my comfort zone.

It didn’t help that Misely was beautiful.She was unreasonably beautiful, in a way that irritated me because I wanted to look at her.A lot.Which was distracting.It was a predicament I’d found myself in quite a bit since our first encounter last year, but up until now I’d had the space I needed to ground myself.That was also before I realized what an absolute pain in the ass she was.

It didn’t matter anyway, because ultimately, she was right.I’d taken her against her will, under the guise of a threat to her loved ones.Textbook blackmail.There wasn’t any way in hell she was going to let me act on any of the impulses that twitched just beneath the surface of my skin every time her perfume wafted in my direction.So, I’d keep my eyes on the road and my hands to myself.

My phone chimed in my pocket just as I sagged into the mattress of the bed closest to the door.I suppressed the growl in my throat at Kyle’s name in the notification bar, indicating he’d sent a photo.When the image loaded, my teeth ground together furiously.

Leo, wrapped up in snow pants and mittens, placing charcoal blocks into the stomach of a disproportionate snowman.Timestamped for early that afternoon.

KyleIn case you needed a little more motivation.

The door to the bathroom opened in a cloud of steam just like the night before, but I didn’t speak.I was on edge, my teeth digging painfully into my cheek.I looked away from where I’d been staring at Leo’s picture on my screen to see Misely in a ridiculous two-piece pajama set.

The shorts weren’t as short as the night before, but with the way the lace and silk hugged her thighs, I’d be remiss if I said they weren’t more tantalizing.The top was a matching silk button up that just reached the top of her navel, in a light pink color that barely stood out against the porcelain of her exposed skin.I was not at all surprised to see that her hair bonnet was also the same shade.

“Did you pack for a luxury trip?”The retort was out before I had time to bite back the words.

Her eyes rolled up toward the ceiling and her hip cocked out in a way I was quickly becoming familiar with when her arms crossed over her chest.“Everything about me is luxury, MacArthur.”She plopped down on her bed and grabbed a messenger bag she’d earlier tossed on the end of it.“But if you’re that curious, you just happened to kidnap me on laundry day.”

My mouth opened at the barb, wishing I could say something that might dull some of her resentment, but I swallowed it down.Settling instead on, “Can’t say I’m sorry for it.”With an exaggerated gander down her form.

Leo’s picture was still pulled up on my screen, his cheeks blushing brighter than Misely’s pajamas in the bite of the cold while he built his snowman.Completely unaware of the monster loitering nearby, snapping pictures of him to use as leverage.I had to stay on task.I had to succeed, and the only way that was happening was with Misely’s help.

She shot me the bird, not bothering to glance at me while she did, instead pulling a laptop out of the bag.Trepidation had me feeling like I should fly over there and slam it shut.Not give her any wiggle room to try and get someone to help her out of the mess I dragged her into.I held back though, watching her face twist up with concentration as she scrolled through emails.

“Shit,” she hissed, sitting back and rereading something.“Shit, shit,shit.”Her palm rested on her forehead, stress etched into her features.“Fuck!”

Curiosity got the best of me and I sat up.“What’s wrong?”

Her eyes didn’t leave the screen, darting over the lines in front of her again.“Benji, one of my pre-teens.His mom was picked up again.”

“Picked up?”

“Prostituting.She’s already on thin ice with The Department of Children and Family Services, who deferred the case over to us.This was her third strike.”

"What happens on her third strike?

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