“I’m sorry. I’d like to have found a nicer place, but this is probably the safest.”
When he parked a dozen yards from the lobby, she clenched her fingers on his arm. “What if the cops come here?”
“I think I can minimize the risk.”
He climbed out of the car and came back carrying an overnight bag. After slipping behind the wheel again, he opened the bag and took out a baseball cap, which he pulled down so the visor partly hid his face.
“That’s going to make a difference?”
“Best I can do with my looks on short notice, but I’m going to tell the desk clerk a story that will throw him off.”
“Like what?”
He sighed. “I’m fooling around with a married woman, and I’m willing to pay for anonymity.”
“Thanks.”
“You have a better way to make him think it’s not us?”
“Mind control?” The way he said it made her stomach tighten. They both had a pretty good idea how they were going to strengthen the bond between them.
When she dipped into his head again, she got confirmation of that. He was thinking he wouldn’t have any trouble convincing the clerk he was here for sex.
Another guy thought.
Sorry. Changing the subject, he said, “Naturally a man in that position would pay in cash.”
“Oh Lord, I didn’t even think about that. We can’t use a credit card, right?”
“Well, not in your name or mine.”
“You have an alternate?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I’ve gotten into some scrapes from time to time. It seemed prudent to be prepared.”
“You’re supposed to be a legitimate businessman. Not a criminal.”
“Let’s not get too far into that discussion.”
“I can find out–from your mind.”
“Yes you can.” He sighed. “Okay. I was having a dispute with some business associates who weren’t too fussy about their methods. I figured that if I had to go underground to keep from getting blown away, I’d better be prepared.”
It wasn’t a detailed explanation, but she got the drift.
“I’ll go in alone. You stay here, and kind of slip down in your seat like you’re worried the husband might spot you. Okay?”
Jake could see she wasn’t okay, but she gave her agreement. He left the bag in the driver’s seat, and before he reached the door, he looked back at Rachel. She had slid lower in the seat, but he knew she was watching him.
She came from a much different background than he did. Making up stories didn’t come easily to her, but she was adapting very well to the life they were leading at the moment.
What about in the future? He tried not to think about that. Could he keep it out of his mind when he touched her again? He couldn’t say. He only knew he felt like he was in a huge truck, rushing to some dangerous destination. The brakes had failed, and he was trying with all his strength to keep the rig from plunging off a mountain and smashing on the jagged rocks below.
He didn’t think that was too much of an exaggeration for the present situation. A lot of stuff was going down. In a very short span of time.
