Page 38 of Landon (In Safe Hands)
Concernflashes across her face at the tone of my voice. “Okay.”
“Itold you I build websites for a living, but that isn’t exactly true, I mean,that’s not all I do. I’m part of a group called In Safe Hands. We track onlinepredators and pedophiles.”
Palebrown eyes gaze up at me. “That’s amazing. What do you do when you find them?”
“Wesend all the information we have on them to the police.”
“Whydidn’t you want me to know?”
“We’rehackers, Zo. Most of what we do isn’t legal.”
“Butthe cops don’t care?” she asks, her eyes on the sky.
“Theydon’t know who we are. It’s all done anonymously.”
“Isn’tit dangerous?”
Iwrap my arm around her, relieved she isn’t pissed I lied to her. “If we werefound out, maybe, but we’re too good for that.”
“So,Dare is part of the group too?”
“Yeah.”She’s quiet while she thinks it over. “You can’t tell anyone. I trust you or Iwouldn’t have told you, but if anyone else finds out, I’m not the only one whowould go to prison.”
Herarms wrap around my middle. “I would never do anything to get you in trouble. Ithink what you’re doing is wonderful.”
Westay there, cuddled in the back of my truck, watching the streaks of blue,green, and yellow draw lines across the sky. I have this gorgeous woman aloneon a mattress, and for once, I don’t want to fuck her. Okay, I do, but I alsodon’t want to break the spell. She’s warm in my arms, and when she scoots downto lie on her back, staring up at the color filled blackness, I lie beside her,tossing a blanket over us.
Apparently,we’re too comfortable, because my eyes slip closed. When I open them again, thesky is a shade or two lighter. Shit. Shit. Shit. The sun is getting ready tocome up. “Zoe, wake up sweetheart.” I scoop her up before she’s fully awake andsettle her into the passenger seat. “Sorry, but we have to go. It’s gettinglight.”
Nowshe’s awake. “We shouldn’t have fallen asleep! We won’t make it back before thesun rises.”
“No,we won’t,” I agree, speeding as fast as I dare down the curvy road. “There’s ahotel just before we get to the highway. We’ll have to go there.” Damn it all.This is why I don’t date. The first time I try to do something with her andlook what happens.
“Canwe make it in time?” she asks, worry written on her face.
“Relax,I won’t burst into flames like a vampire.” I squeeze her hand.
“Iknow. I just don’t want you to get hurt.” She’s too damn good for me. Too goodto bring into these kind of screwed up situations. I’ll have to spend the dayin a grubby little hotel room.
Thehorizon is just turning pink when we get to the roadside hotel. The attendantat the desk barely looks at us as we sign in and get our key. Like an actualkey, not a card. This isn’t going to be pretty.
It’sa typical cheap room. A thin green curtain covers the window and Zoe eyes itwith distaste. “That’s not going to be enough, is it?”
“No.”I jerk open the drawer of a chipped and scarred dresser. Hotels always seem tokeep blankets in the bottom drawer, and this one is no exception. Tossing Zoeone end, I grab the other and we hang it over the window. It’ll have to do.
“I’msorry, Zoe. This isn’t how I wanted our date to end. I can get Jeremy to comeand get me tonight. You can take the truck home.”
Shelooks at me like I’m insane. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Don’tyou have a class today?”
“No,tomorrow, and Ethan doesn’t get back from his class trip until tomorrowevening.”
“Still.”I flop onto the bed. “You don’t have to be stuck here all day.”
Amischievous smile spreads across her face as she sits beside me. “Stuck in ahotel room all day. What could we possibly do?”
“Lovehow you think, dirty girl, but we don’t have any condoms.”
