“I can… Okay, then.” Kinley stared at his back as he walked out of the police station, ignoring her protest that she could carry her own bag.
“Better follow him,” Oakley said with a grin.
Kinley sighed and settled her smaller backpack on her shoulder. This was definitely turning into an interesting trip and she hadn’t even reached the ruins yet. At least Shane’s lean hips and confident swagger gave her something to focus on other than what a catastrophe it was turning into.
* * *
“Gracias.”Kinley took the long envelope from the hotel desk clerk. Settling into the worn but clean sofa in the lobby, she tore open the flap and pulled out the single sheet of handwritten note paper.
Kinley, I went to the site a few days early. A car will meet you outside the hotel at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. I’m so excited to share what we’ve discovered so far! - Christine
Why hadn’t she sent the driver to the airport? Or sent her some kind of email or message before she left Carmelita? Kinley had already connected to the hotel’s Wi-Fi and checked her email, so Christine should have been able to. Had Christine forgotten when she was supposed to arrive? It wouldn’t have taken any longer to send her an email to check in than it had to write her a note.
She slumped back against the couch and pressed her lips together, staring at the paper. Christine had probably forgotten about her. Her nose stung and she twitched it back and forth. It was exhaustion, that was all—not the crushing weight of disappointment. Everything would look better after a good night’s sleep.
If Shane and his friends didn’t come down soon, she was going to forgo food and settle for sleep, which would be…disappointing. Her stomach flipped at the idea of not seeing Shane again before she left. Of course, she would also miss saying thank you to Oakley and Ghost and saying good-bye properly. Sure, that was all it was.
Not the way Shane had taken care of her all day. Or the way he simply watched her out of the corner of his eye when he didn’t think she was paying attention. Or the way he’d been upset when they’d taken her away to be questioned separately at the police station. Or the way he’d carried her bag up to her room and set it inside the door once she’d opened it and made sure she locked the door before he left. Or the way his smile seemed to form in slow motion, reducing her focus to the way his full lips spread into a Cheshire-like grin.
Who really found courteous, chivalrous, sexy men attractive nowadays anyway?
A huge yawn overtook her, causing her jaw to pop. She needed to eat and sleep. Exhaustion was going to win sooner rather than later. According to her phone, it wasn’t even six in the evening, which seemed impossible.
“Centavo for your thoughts.”
“Huh?” She looked up from her phone as Shane sat in the chair to her right.Wow.His still-wet hair curled around his ears and his snug T-shirt showed off his muscular arms. Her best friend was always sending her pictures of “arm porn,” but Kinley had never understood the appeal until that very moment. Who knew arm hair was such a turn-on?
“Oh. Uh…hey.” Giving herself a moment to gather her wits back together, she shoved the letter into her purse. “I was about to give up on you guys and call it a night.”
“Sorry about that. I had to make some calls. Jorge made it to the hospital and they got him into surgery. My company will let me know when he’s out and how he’s doing.”
“That’s good. Thank you for letting me know.” A kernel of shame wormed its way through her. She’d been so distracted by her own problems and thoughts of Shane’s arms she hadn’t even wondered about Jorge. She was a horrible, horrible person.
“You okay?” he asked. His eyes flitted back and forth as he examined her, tiny lines forming between his eyebrows.
“Yes. Just tired and hungry.”
“Well, let’s go.” He pushed up from his chair and held out his hand, palm up. “Oakley and Ghost can either catch up with us or starve.”
Kinley slipped her hand into Shane’s. His rough-skinned fingers closed around hers and he exerted the smallest amount of pressure to help her stand as a tingle raced up her forearm.
It felt significant. More than just a helping hand. It was as if they’d struck an unspoken deal, but she wasn’t one hundred percent sure what that deal was.
CHAPTER5
Shane directed Kinley to the small cantina he’d scoped out earlier, sneaking glances out of the corner of his eye while they walked. She looked better than she had earlier but was definitely still pale.
He, Oakley, and Ghost had taken the time to recon the town after dropping Kinley off at her room and making sure she was locked in. After conducting a brief after-action of the assault, they all agreed the attack wasn’t random, but didn’t know why they’d been targeted. The attackers had been looking for something specific—they just didn’t know what. Or who, since they’d tried to grab Kinley after searching their bags.
Inside the restaurant, he led them to a square four-top table in the back of the room. Turning the table so the corner of it faced the wall, he held out a chair for Kinley and took one of the seats facing the front entrance and kitchen. Once Oakley and Ghost joined them, they’d have the entire restaurant covered.
A short, plump woman approached their table.
“Hola. Agua y menu, por favor,” Kinley said.
His lips twitched. Her accent really was horrible.
“No hay menu. Hoy es tamales, pepián de pollo, o hilachas, y arroz,” the woman said.
