Page 52 of Nowhere to Hide
“Good.” I stalked down the hall to the stairs and out. I had a lot of work to do in an hour. Thankfully, I’d rented a car after the first night. My dirt bike wasn’t going to work for all this bullshit. I hit up a Target for the supplies that I’d need for her. Food was mostly covered, but I got a few extras that I figured she might like. Fruit and creamer since most people weren’t black coffee drinkers like I was.
Unsure what she’d need for clothing, I threw a few loose dresses in the cart along with shorts and tanks. Hopefully the rest would be in her luggage. I didn’t want to think about picking out underwear or a bathing suit for her.
It was bad enough I’d have her in my face twenty-four seven.
Thanks to an SOS with Stone, the hotel let me into her room to get her things.
The scent of her slammed into me as I walked in the door. It was a quick and visceral return to the night that I found her. It was a heady floral scent. Not soft, but more sultry. Like something that bloomed at night. I shook my head against thesharp reminder of her that night. The fluid dress rucked up to her waist.
God, she’d looked so fragile and broken.
I pushed that aside and looked around the room. Her massive bag was open on a luggage stand. A few things were thrown over a chair in the corner. I grabbed that and tossed it in the bag. The bed was neatly made. Because she hadn’t slept there yet? Or just a conscientious maid.
Had Stone locked down her hotel room?
I glanced around, but there didn’t seem to be any sign that a cop had disturbed her things.
I was getting damn tired of the cops treating this like it was a random attack.
Then again, they weren’t able to see the same scene I’d seen. The way he strung her up. I fisted my fingers and slammed my fist into the chair making it skid across the floor.
I gathered up her toiletries from the bathroom and her scent wrapped around me. It had been a damn long time since I’d been around female things. The few times I’d run into port and found someone to kill time with, the end result had been as hollow as being alone. Before that, I’d been working so damn much that the only people around me were clients or fellow Kendrick Group employees.
Both had been off the table as far as I was concerned.
I zipped the small case and tossed it in her luggage. And because the big clamshell suitcase had room, I stole a pillow.
Whatever else we needed, I’d order for pickup.
I grunted as I lifted the suitcase. Glad for the rollers, I left the room.
It was an updated hotel, leaving long corridors of soft carpeting. There was no reason for my hackles to rise, but I trusted my instincts. They’d saved my life on more than one occasion.
I slowed, letting my eyes skim across the doors and to the open area near the elevator.
A door down the hall clicked shut.
I was tempted to roll up on the person in the room. I didn’t look like I belonged here as much as Cilla did, but I could come up with something.
When the door opened again, a young guy of about seventeen came out. His eyes widened when he saw me and he slipped back inside.
Great. I’d scared the crap out of him.
I tried to shrug off the uneasiness. Either I was overreacting, or I’d missed something.
Quit fucking around, Locke.
I sighed at Milligan’s voice. How many times had he said that to me when I was being paranoid? Sometimes I was right. And right about now I didn’t know if I was wrapped too tight thinking about Cilla getting on my boat, or if I was picking up on something.
Would he come looking for her here?
Or waiting for her?
Annoyed, I hustled down the hallway into the elevator and stepped inside. I’d taken too much time and headed to the hospital instead of making a pitstop at the boat.
I texted Stone to make sure they were ready for me. It was already late in the afternoon, and I wanted time to get her settled so I could get us out on the water.
When I got up to the floor, the cop wasn’t on the door.
