No fucking thank you.
“Are you meeting anyone?” Daze asked when I didn’t say anything else. His gaze drifted across the lot. “Or is Revel supposed to come back for you?”
“Umm…” I hesitated, knowing it was best to keep my plans to myself as much as possible. The fewer people who knew where I was headed, the better. That meant less witnesses to tip off the police or the pack on my tail.
But if this guy was friends—or co-stars—with Revel, he’d probably find out eventually.
“Just trying to get to Houston. Probably going to catch a ride in the morning.”
Concern flashed over his features. “A ride?Here?” He looked around. “Just be careful. You can’t trust a lot of the creeps that hang around places like this.”
I looked him up and down. “Noted.”
“You can trust me more than most.” He winked. “But unfortunately, I can’t help you get to Houston. If you were headed to Dallas, we might be able to give you a ride, but…” His voice trailed off.
Dallas.
I hadn’t considered heading North. At least I’d visited Houston once or twice when I was younger, before I awakened. I couldn’t remember why we went—probably to visit friends—but my mother had loaded us into the car after my fifth-grade graduation, and we’d driven there for…something.
That was why my heart was set on Houston. It reminded me of her, and it was far enough away from home that I’d feel safe. After that, who knew. I hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Right,” I said, shoving down the uncomfortable thoughts. “Well, it was nice to meet you. I should probably go…”
“Likewise.”
He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he nodded instead and turned to walk away. I watched him for a moment, an unsettling feeling heavy in my chest. I was… disappointed.
Why the hell would I be disappointed?
It wasn’t like we were friends; we’d just met. He was only making small talk to be polite…
Still, it had been nice to talk to someone, if only for a little while. To forget the problems chasing me, to forget that I was afraid. Talking to Daze had been a whisper of relief, but as I turned to head across the lot, my shoulders sagged.
I paused before rounding the corner of the building, chancing a glance behind me. He was gone. My gaze jumped to the row of Knotty Sideshow trailers one final time, lingering for a second as my thoughts slammed to a halt.
In another life, maybe running away with the circus wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
But not this one.
In this life, I was an omega in hiding. A fugitive on the run. I had too many secrets hovering over me, too much danger threatening to swallow me, to think about something as carefree and whimsical as joining a traveling troupe of performers. I couldn’t risk getting caught.
Not to mention, I’d be putting other troupe members like Daze at risk by hiding out with them. If I was caught, they’d be charged with harboring a wanted omega and the illegal suppressants in my bag. I couldn’t do that to them.
I headed inside.
Trying to look less nervous than I felt, I approached the counter and paid for a shower. Thankfully, the gas station also sold bars of soap and toothbrushes because I’d forgotten to pack them. If I’d had a little more warning, I would have carefully planned out the contents of my backpack, but I’d been racing the clock.
“You’re in stall three,” the pudgy woman behind the counter said, cutting off my thoughts. She handed me a key attached to a ruler, which would have been hilarious if I wasn’t so nervous. “Down the hall and to the left.”
With a polite nod, I collected my things and followed her directions.
Beige tiles covered every inch of the shower stall, which was actually just a restroom with a curtainless shower. There were no linens; I should have expected that. Another thing I regretted not grabbing before I ran, but they didn’t have any for sale at the gas station.
I’ll have to drip dry…
I rolled my eyes. At least I’d be clean.
With a sigh, I dropped my backpack on the counter next to the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was surprised by the bags under my eyes.
