Page 47 of The Prodigal

He snorts. “Vance only did it to score pussy with his fiancée.”

Something tells me by the way his face softens that his statement isn’t true. “Maybe he just cares about you.”

Remington rakes a hand through his hair, mussing it in a way that my vagina appreciates very much. “Or maybe he needed the tax deduction,” he clips, but it lacks his usual bite. “Don’t try to humanize me, Eve. You’ll only disappoint yourself.”

For the rest of the drive, Remington and I don’t speak—that is, until we pull into another motel.

“Wow. You sure know how to pick them.” This motel is worse than Midnight Gardens, with its peeling paint and a couple of boarded-up windows.

“They don’t ID.” The moment the words leave his mouth, Remington freezes and adds, “For the drinks, I mean.” He sighs and clears his throat. “They don’t ID for booze.”

Yeah, that’s totally what he meant. “Well, I hate to be the one who educates you on the difference between hotels and motels, butmotelsdo not have bars or room service. If you want a beer, you’re gonna have to bribe the clerk at the gas station. You’re out of luck here.”

Before he even barks at me to get out of the car, I know I’ve pissed him off.

“Look.” I get out and look at him over the roof of the car. “You’re hungry and moody. Why don’t you let me secure us a room? I don’t want us getting thrown out of here because you didn’t grab a Snickers bar when you had a chance.”

My joke falls flat, since Remington doesn’t even crack a smile. But he also doesn’t argue. At least he knows he’s an asshole. “Fine.” He pulls out his wallet and tosses me some cash across the roof. “I want one with a ch—”

I cut him off. “A chair. Yeah, yeah. I know.” Grabbing the cash, I back away from the car, shooting him a sly look in the evening light. “You aren’t as hard to figure out as you think you are, 101.”

My heart does this little shiver when he flips me off.

If brutal honesty is Remington’s love language, then rude and crude behavior must be mine. “Don’t try and leave me, 101,” I warn, walking away. “I’d hate to blackmail you.”

Those devilish eyes jump with delight at the threat. “You can’t blackmail someone who has nothing left to lose, Eve. But I’d love for you to try.”

Remington

Unfortunately, no one kidnaps her in this shithole. “Our room is around back,” she says, approaching the car.

It takes a moment for her words to sink in, and when they do, I grab her by the arm, pulling her to a stop. “What do you mean‘our’room?”

Eden’s eyes track to where my fingers are wrapped around her delicate skin. “You know, you could have just asked me to stop walking instead of manhandling me.”

I drop her arm and snatch the cash from her other hand. “And you could have requested two rooms with the money I gave you.”

“Newsflash, princess,” she snaps, with a tone I haven’t heard since she caught me going through her purse, “I’m not looking forward to sleeping in the same room with you either, but they were booked.”

“The sign says they have vacancies.”

She folds her arms and gives me this look like she thinks I’m stupid. “They did—one.” She points to the sign that now glowsNo Vacancy.

“Fuck!” I spin around and tug at my hair. I can’t sleep in the same room as her.

I can’t.

“Get in the car,” I clip. “We’ll find another motel.”

I’m not sleeping in the same room with anyone—let alone with Albrecht’s daughter.

“Calm down. We can make this work. I’ll just sleep in the car.”

The compassion in her voice has me in her face in seconds. “Do not talk to me like that!” My chest rises, and my heartbeat pounds in my head.

“I’m not trying to argue with you,” she says calmly. “I’m saying I understand your hesitation.”

I hate that I’ve lost control. I hate that I’ve let her see me as anything but indifferent. “You don’t know me. And I’m not fucking hesitating.”

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