Page 7 of Forget Me Not

I take a step back to look at her beautiful face. “You are the sweetest soul who has ever graced God’s green earth, Heidi. Thank you.” I pat her hand that’s wrapped around me.

“It’s my pleasure…”

“Savannah. But you can call me Savvy.” I sniffle and wipe the tears from my burning eyes, knowing I just smeared the thick black mascara coating my lashes. It’s a form of visual manipulation that works well on women. I’ve already secured the room, but keeping up my act is necessary to carry me through this night.

“Lemme go get you that room card so you can get some sleep. It’s mighty late.”

I steal a glance at the clock behind her and see that it is much later than I thought it was—two o’clock in the morning, to be exact. The bus ride from Georgia to the middle of Alabama was only four hours, but bartering a ride from the bus station to the hotel took a little longer than anticipated.

Heidi taps some information into the computer while I pat my eyes with the corner of my handkerchief and pretend to take some steady breaths. A second later, she hands me the room card. “Room 322. And sleep in, Savvy. The room is empty until tomorrow night at the earliest. No need to check out. I’ll handle that during my shift tomorrow.”

“Thank you again, Doll. You have no idea what this means to me.” I pat just over my heart in a grateful gesture.

“You’re so welcome. And it was a pleasure meeting you.”

I turn around, taking a breath that to her would seem like one of relief. In a way, it is. Just a different kind than she would expect. I walk to my free room with an ear-to-ear grin spread across my face.

It was a pleasure meeting you, too, Heidi.

As I press the button on the elevator to go up, I feel a strange sensation come over me. My chest tightens, a feeling of dread curling in my stomach like a snake. It’s time to face facts—I need to get out of this line of work while I still can.

“I’m not paying you a fucking dime until you drop to your knees and suck my cock like we agreed. Understood?”

“Sir,” I reply sternly. “I’m not so much as touching you until I get my deposit. Understood?” The sarcasm in my tone is uncanny and I’m probably being a little too cocky in this situation, but I don’t trust anyone, and I certainly don’t trust this man. I already broke my first rule of meeting in a private location before the deposit is received. I need the money, but I’ll be damned if I continue to break my own rules just to appease a man. I’ll die broke before my mouth is used without payment.

In a fleeting motion, the palm of his hand strikes across my face, taking me by complete surprise.

“I said, on your fucking knees.”

An audible growl climbs up my throat as I baby my cheek with my palm. Pulling myself together, I charge at the two-hundred-and-fifty-pound man, knowing he could break me in half if he tried. And he might, but my stubbornness and pride will not allow me to go down without a fight.

Instead of my heart racing with excitement of playing Heidi like a fiddle, it’s barely even noticeable. Part of the excitement of what I do is the thrill of playing a con. But this time, something is different. All I feel is a deep ache inside me.

Maybe…

No. It’s not time. Is it?

It’s only been three weeks since the news broke of my sperm donor’s death. As suspected, I’m no longer being followed. The lurker is no longer lingering in alleyways or at every unexpected turn. My gut always told me he was hired by my dad to find me, and fortunately, I was faster than him. I always got away before he could take what he was after, whatever that was.

Now that Grayson is gone, the contracts that were never fulfilled are now void. There’s really no reason for me to hide any longer.

I make it to my accommodations for the evening and pull out my phone to call the only person in the world I know I can trust.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I dab at the bruise under my left eye, flinching at the pain. I hate the person who’s looking back at me. The fact that she would allow anyone to treat her body this way is asinine. It’s no way to live.

“It’s me,” I say into the speaker of my phone pressed firmly to my cheek as I turn away from the mirror.

“Where now?” Dexter replies sternly in a thick, southern accent. It’s much stronger than the one I portrayed when I arrived at this hotel. Dexter is real, he’s just not my cheating husband. He’s got this gruff and masculine undertone, but it’s coated with kindness. For some reason, hearing his voice always calms my anxieties. Maybe it’s because he’s the only constant in my life now.

“Somewhere different,” I tell him. “Mountains. Maybe a small, cozy town.”

Dexter chuckles glumly. “Ain’t much money in those small towns, Doll.” He always calls me Doll, hence the name I just plagued my new friend, Heidi, with.

“I was thinking again—”

“No. No. No,” he repeats, making himself clear. “It’s too soon. We said one year.”

“It’s been three weeks, Dex. I’m safe now.”

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