I scrambled to dismount. “I’m not tired anymore.” I saw in his eyes he didn’t buy it for a second. “I don’t want to stay here,” I said as I started to panic.
Taking a ride from him was different from locking myself in a room with him. I didn’t trust him—us—in a room. There was too much pull going on. My stomach went wild at the idea of a room with a bed and him in it. And my eyes dipped to his snug fitting shirt. Given his reaction when I got close to his neck, I didn’t see how this would end well for me.
“Too bad. Inside. Now,” he practically growled at me as he pointed to the door marked “Office.”
I met his eyes for another moment and then pivoted on my heel intent on walking if I needed to. I took one step toward the road. He stood in front of me before I took the second step. He didn’t look happy that I hadn’t immediately complied. We scowled at each other. A yawn ruined any hope I had of him taking me seriously. His expression changed to one of concern.
In my crazy, sleep deprived state, all I wanted to do was lean into him. If he happens to kiss me, I thought vaguely, I’ll just have to endure. Wait. What? No! No kissing. It led to other things, which led to a life of misery. I shook my head to clear it.
He sighed and tilted his head at me.
“You are so tired, luv. Please. Sleep a few hours,” he said.
My stomach went crazy with the pull. Disgusted with myself that a caring tone and a few nice words could cause such a reaction, I snapped at him. “As if sleep is what you really have in mind.”
His eyes widened, and he held up his hands. “Sleep. That is all. I can’t drive fast with you sleeping. Too many things could happen. I might not be able to catch you in time. If we keep going as we are, snow will cover the roads before we reach the Compound.”
“Compound?” I asked, wondering why I was even listening to him.
“It’s where Gabby said to bring you. She promised she would be there.”
The way he worded it gave me pause. “No one is holding her there?”
“Holding her there? No. She...visits. Honestly, she doesn’t seem to like it very much.”
I looked down at the faded blacktop. If they didn’t hold Gabby as a prisoner and she remained free to wander as she pleased, it probably meant Luke truly wanted to help me get to her. Though, it could all be a lie. Calling the number he had given me wouldn’t prove anything. Any woman could answer, and I wouldn’t know the difference.
“I don’t trust you. But...” I looked at the motel. Sleep tugged at me. I was doing what I thought the dreams wanted me to do. Maybe they would leave me alone, and I would actually get some real sleep. “I’ll stay. Just not with you in the same room.”
“Fine.”
His easy agreement didn’t help settle my nerves, but I still followed him into the office. He paid cash for the room and led the way back outside. A sidewalk, protected by the eves, ran along the building. We didn’t follow it far. He stopped at the door marked with a two. Too close to the office for my comfort.
“I got kicked out of one hotel already. He’s going to hear me for sure.”
“Maybe you won’t have bad dreams,” Luke said as he unlocked the door and stepped aside so I could enter.
I snorted but didn’t bother disagreeing with him. I entered the room then turned to look at him with an arched brow. He still stood there with his hand on the doorknob.
“I’ll sit on the bench outside and wake you in a few hours.” He started to close the door.
“The key?” Seriously. Did he really think I would be okay with him keeping it?
He smiled. “I’ll hold onto it. Better I wake you when you start getting too loud than the owner.”
I scowled and opened my mouth to argue, but he closed the door too fast. I started at it for a moment. Could I do this? Could I fall asleep with one of them close by? What could he do to me while I was sleeping that he couldn’t do while awake? Nothing, really. It just made me feel so vulnerable.
Behind me, the mattress sang its siren song luring me enough to turn toward it. It didn’t matter that Luke had a key. He could easily break through the door without it. After all, he’d snuck into one hotel room already.
Kicking off my shoes, I did my usual belly dive into the quilt and closed my eyes with my feet still hanging off the end of the bed. This wouldn’t last more than a few...
The dream that claimed me had a new twist. It split into four views of the same thing. I was my current self, yet at the same time, I was all three of other girls in the dream. Disoriented by all four viewpoints, I struggled, trying to focus on just one.